Hello Everyone!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to update the blog yesterday due to internet issues, but we are back and able to update you all on the progress of our C.A.P project.

We started off the day by waking up around 6:50am to allow us to have time to wake up the rest of the group so they have a chance to get ready for breakfast. For breakfast yesterday we had bread, ham and cheese as well as some yummy hot chocolate that we were all able to enjoy! Sadly, this meal was missing the frutas (fruits) as everyone here has come to love about meal times.

After breakfast, we all got ready to go to our C.A.P project site in the community Crucero and we were all ready to work with our motivation very high in hopes of advancing a lot. Initially, we started out by finishing the digging we started on yesterday. We laid the pipes, connected them as a group, and lastly, we ended the day by starting work on the next site to get advanced for the next day’s work.

Taking a break for lunch, we enjoyed our meal of rice, chicken, beans, our beloved frutas, and eggplants for people with dietary restrictions. Teyo G. stepped up as a student leader and led the group in another round of stretches before we returned to work. Just like the day before, we worked as a unit with the members of the community to dig trenches for another set of pipes. We managed to get a good chunk of work done, ending around 4:00 PM having made a clear divot in the side of the road.

Post returning to Rancho Ruiseñor (our lovely accommodations) students had the opportunity to have free time, which allows us all to rest (read: nap – me, Emma), shower, hang out with each other, jump in the pool, or just have a quick outing to the corner store to pick up yummy snacks 😊. We had a mini power outage during this time but it was quickly resolved before dinner, so we were all good and safe. (WE ARE OKAY FYI TO EVERYONE)

After free time, we all waited in anticipation to see what dinner would be. To our surprise, it turned out to be mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables (with potatoes, carrots, and broccoli) and mozzarella cheese slices (potatoes squared as one of our members called it).

As it turns out, on our way back from work, some members took note of a pizza place’s phone number placed on a billboard at the road. It was then swiftly memorized and recorded down as a “just in case” measure. After the reveal of dinner, plans were made to call the place (which was first attempted using the landline phone that was disconnected and so couldn’t be used. This was probably on purpose due to the fact we’re not allowed to have internet, with the exception of this blog, which only leaders of the day can write). Eventually, we all convinced one of our Program Coordinators to call the place on our behalf, after which all of us pooled our money to pay for the seven boxes of pizza (one of which was specifically ordered by a member). The pizza arrived right after our nightly meeting, in which Teyo G. amazed us all with a wonderful baile folklorico dance and the Leader of the Day sash was passed to Teyo G. and Kristy N., who will be writing the next blog! Props to them because we know they are great leaders!

In addition, our health coach and leadership coach (who had the day off, where they enjoyed a trip to the waterfall and a massage parlor) brought us back carrot cake! However, we were all full from the pizza and so agreed to enjoy the cake in the morning. It was a lovely and thoughtful surprise and we were all happy and had missed them dearly.

We then settled in for the night to get adequate rest for our next and final day of work. Overall, the whole day was full of excitement, both in the morning as our work was getting done, and at night, despite all the mishaps.

To everyone back home, we miss you and we will see you all soon, meantime continue to read the rest of the future blogs to see what we are all up to.

• Vanessa Escobar & Emma Lin <3