¡Pura vida! We, Wunnyuriti and Angela, were so happy to take the mantel of Líders del Día today! Our delegation was hard at work on the second day of our Community Action Project!

With another early 6:30 am wake up today, we decided to brighten up our Glimpsers’ mornings with handwritten notes delivered by paper airplane at each of their doors! We then enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast complete with some delightful French toast and fried eggs topped with tasteful maple syrup! And of course, a Global Glimpse breakfast is not complete without freshly squeezed juice — with options of tart pineapple juice and tangy orange juice. Despite our eagerness to embark on our journey, we were unfortunately delayed and decided to use the downtime to strengthen the bond of our Global Glimpse family.

With pep in our step, we made our way to the Escuela Aquiares and furthered our tradition of “water bottle musical chairs” before getting to work! We made substantial progress on multiple areas of our project: continuing the painting of pillars, washing the school wall outside, and painting the soccer posts in the gymnasium. In addition, Bryhanna, Borese, and Jade had a special task in aiding Chino, maestro de obra, in assembling the ranch structure. We are so grateful for Chino’s commitment and love for this community. Notably, despite the grueling heat, our pole crew — starring Abby M. as professional pole inspector, Aimee as expediter, and Annabell, Sheny, Ocean, Asher, and Angela (myself!) as dutiful minions — accomplished what seemed to be impossible with heads held high. Elsewhere, our team blasted grime from the cracks of the wall, leaving a pristine finish. And in the gymnasium, we meticulously coated the soccer goalposts in a fresh layer of pearly white paint, ready for immediate use by the bubbly schoolchildren who rushed inside to eagerly play with their friends. Throughout the trip, we handcrafted a number of exquisite friendship bracelets, and the students were the perfect recipients of these gifts. We were also gifted with some amazing paper flowers by the caring children.

We were so fortunate to be invited to hearty lunch in the school cafeteria, rejuvenated by a full bowl of rice, beans, meat, and vegetables! We took this time to observe the beautiful landscape of the school and discuss our inspiration and success in the morning. But nothing could prepare us for the biggest challenge yet: a rusted chainlink fence. The sun was high in the sky while we were tasked with painting the fence around the school with a shiny metallic coat. Flecks of paint speckled with every stroke. Jailene and Abby toiled in the heat as they swished their brushes against the tiny spaces. Alex was splattered brutally by paint as he attempted to cover the pole. Lightheadedness crept into Sheny and Isaiah’s minds as the sun and metallic fumes wore on them. A long yet futile job, our morale suffered as the day proceeded. Feeling nothing but defeat, we received a boost watching an invigorating performance from the young musicians of the school.

With our hearts still heavy with exhaustion, we headed to el chino to stock up on the wonderful snacks they offered. We rushed home to take a well-deserved break, and before we knew it, it was time for the event of the night: our Global Glimpse Banquet. Knowing we had a difficult day, we thought that getting fancy could repair our morale. And with the help of our talented chefs Marie and Andrea, we came in unity to break bread over spaghetti and meatballs. Dressed to impress, we gathered our cameras and took pictures of an unforgettable night! We ended with an uplifting nightly meeting packed with kindness, big love, optimism, some controversy over Wunnyuriti’s food and media opinions, and a showstopping display of Jade and Ocean’s talents! We danced the night away with hope and invigoration for the coming day!

This day taught us the importance of perseverance and reflection. While quite challenging and at moments demoralizing, we were able to come together as a community and maturely voice our struggles and formulate ways to improve. Above all, we learned about the overpowering significance of unity and the healing power of love, which will help us to move forward and positively impact the amazing town of Aquiares. Even when met with obstacles, we were driven by our motivation to be responsible and kind travelers! We cannot wait to close out this project tomorrow!

Personal messages:
Wunnyuriti: Dear Mom, Dad, Yumzaa, and Wunnam, miss you so much! I’m having a great time and I can’t wait to share all of our wonderful experiences!!

Angela: Hi my family! I miss you all so much and can’t wait to see you guys! This trip has been so amazing and I cant’ wait to tell you all about it! I love you guys so much! (P.S. Appa I hope you have a good flight!)

See all the pictures from today’s adventures here!