Day 13 of our trip started off like almost all the others; although we woke up later than normal (at 7:00 AM), the breakfast consisted of the usual fruit, yogurt, bread, eggs, and tapioca tea. After devouring the meal, we collected all of our belongings to prepare for our last day of the Community Action Project (CAP). Don Fernando, our bus driver, picked us up at 8:30 to take us all to Carlos Garbay Institute, where we peformed a plethora of tasks.

Like yesterday, we broke off into four teams in order to finish all of our work efficiently: one team finished the signs indicating where the farm was located from yesterday, another did some finishing touches on the mural, the third painted the front door with a fresh coat of green paint, and the last one began work on painting the newly constructed guinea pig house in the farm. In order to make the tasks more interesting and enjoyable, we blasted music from two separate speakers, playing music ranging from 90’s rap to old Spanish songs, depending on the tastes of the Glimpsers in the various areas. Because we were able to work more quickly than we initially anticipated, we decided to take a short break at 11:30 to eat some snacks and recharge our energy levels. Jonathan, our Program Coordinator, brought a variety of snacks for us to enjoy including Chips Ahoy, Oreos, chocolate, crackers, and a cookies and cream biscuit. After resting for around 20 minutes, all of us went back to what we were doing.

Unfortunately, as we went back to finish of our project, it started to drizzle, causing the temperature to drop, which made performing the labor less pleasurable than it was before. However, all of us persevered through the obstacles that came up today, and some people even executed their parts early and moved on to paint the trash holders throughout the farm, even though it was not a part of our original project proposal.

When we had almost completed all of the facets of the Community Action Project (CAP), some people went out to buy thinner to clean up not only all the paint brushes, buckets, and cans, but also our hands, which were mostly covered in green oil paint, making us all look like knock-off versions of the Incredible Hulk. At last, we tidied up our working space and washed off all of our supplies, leaving some time for us to inspect our work and marvel at the fruit of all our efforts over the last three days. After taking pictures with the mural, we closed off our CAP when Vidushee gave a speech (which Fernando translated) in front of the Glimpsers, Program Coordinators, and Wilson, a teacher at Carlos Garbay, thanking them for their welcoming nature and the opportunities they gave us to grow as leaders and learn more about the possibilities of what we can achieve through persistent hard work and dedication.

Next, we drove back to La Primavera to eat lunch and freshen up. The food was especially delicious today and we all filled our stomachs to the brim with chicken, rice, salad, french fries, and peaches. Satisfied with the day so far, we all went to collect our English training supplies and journals so that we could return them with some helpful comments and tips about things that future Glimpsers teaching our classes can use.

By this time, everyone was dirty and exhausted from all the work they had done, so we went to shower and relax during our free time. Once again, the girls enjoyed hot water in their showers, while the boys had to bathe quickly to escape the icy water in their rooms. Many of us also caught up on our sleep by taking naps, while others socialized by talking in groups and playing numerous card games. At 5:00, it was time for those of us who had not finished out letters to supporters to wind them up after accounting for the additional edits by Jess and Shu Ping.

Dinner was at 6:00, and all of us laughed and shared stories while eating fried rice, plantains, Jello, and tea. Because the Jello was a popular dessert with the group, many of us playfully fought over the extra portions. We also finished the last of the Tapatio hot sauce that Fernando bought, which was extremely disappointing because we have come to crave it in almost every meal.

Most of us chomped down the food relatively quickly, leaving us with around 30 minutes of free time before the nightly meeting at 7:00, during which we went over the day’s activities, discussed underlying themes behind the CAP Project, passed the torch to Fernando, the Leader of the Day (LDD) for tomorrow, and went over everything we need to know for tomorrow’s activities. We also got exciting news about the propane tanks in the hotel, which were fixed during the day today, allowing the boys to finally get hot water to shower in, too.

The most memorable part of today was when all of us gathered in front of the completed mural and admired all the work that we had done for the last couple days. There was an overwhelming sense of pride and unity among the group, and it seemed as if everyone was smiling to themselves and thinking “Wow, we actually did that.” It was one of the best parts of the trip for us because we got to see the final outcome of everything that we had been doing and finally be able to understand the impact of our work on the lives of the people working on the farm and the children with disabilities that will come there to learn. Tomorrow we look forward to unwinding after multiple days of grueling hours and labor, and witnessing the spectacular waterfall at Banos. We think that it will be another bonding moment for us because not only is the bus ride to the location two hours long, but we will also be together in one place for the whole day so it will be great getting to know everyone on a deeper level as our trip slowly comes to a close.