Hello All! Today was day one of our CAP (Community Action Project) in beautiful Llullundongo (pronounced joo-joon-don-go). At 6:45, all Glimpsers awoke for the first day of what this entire trip has built up to. From 7:30 to 8:30 we took a bus from La Estancia up to Llullundongo, and from 8:30 to 12:30, we worked on the CAP! This year, we have partnered with Llullundongo to help build benches, paint, and potentially put in new windows for their “Casa Comunal”. Although it is a small community, not all 1500 people in Llullundongo can fit in an 18 x 6 building – keep in mind that in Ecuador, we use meters, not feet. Even though we finished working for day one of the CAP, our day did not end there. After our transport back down to Hostal Bolívar, we got ready for one of our last English Tutoring sessions. After all that, we went to dinner, came back home, and had our nightly ritual. In which we talked about our day, gave compliments and constructive criticism, and made Fabian (our Marine) to 20 push ups… just because.

Today was a very important day for our group. This is what our two weeks in Guaranda, Ecuador has been leading up to. Seeing all 26 people (including the sick ones) working towards one common goal was such an amazing thing to experience. It was not only an opportunity for us Glimpsers to help the community, it was also a chance for us to learn from those who lived in Llullundongo who worked along side us all day long. Being able to mingle with those from the community is something that I don’t think any of us will ever forget, or will ever be able to experience again. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Luckily, we have two more days with the lovely people of Llullundongo which means 6 more hours of hard work to accomplish.

Now is the part of the blog where we, the Líderes del Día, get to selfishly recount how much power we held:

Noah- Being Líder del Día (LDD for short) was something I was very excited for! Being able to play a bigger role in the community we have created here in Guaranda was a very rewarding experience. Without a doubt, there was a lot of responsibility resting on Lilly and I’s shoulders, but I feel like together, we accomplished a lot on a day where there was a lot to be done. It was also a bit bittersweet, however. Being LDD on a CAP day is a lot of fun, but it also reminds us how close to the end of the trip we have gotten. Two weeks seemed to fly by in the snap of a finger but it was full of amazing people, experiences, and activities. Dear Momma, Dadda, Kieran, Penny, and Tin Tin. This experience has meant more to me than I can express in words. I miss you all so much and can’t wait to share as much of this as I can with you through pictures and gifts! Love you all, <3 Noah

Lilly- Hello everyone!! being Líder del Día was a very anxious experience before my day came. I was so anxious the night before because I never had anyone depend on me doing these chores! the night we were sleeping, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I was getting so worried. When the morning came, Noah and I had to wake everyone up at 6:45AM and had to have everyone downstairs by 7:15AM. But as the day went on, I felt good giving direction to my group. Also being leader is just like a parent with a child, When they’re out of place, You gotta be stern and raise your voice, And keep them in check so they’re safe and healthy. I finally broke out of my comfort zone and was trying my hardest being confident,And it worked! I am hoping I am making my family proud  by being an independent Woman, leading the world and making change, Being the role model everyone wanted me to be. Mom, Dad, Grammy ,Lucy(my lovely dog), and everyone else, I am learning about the world and slowly changing it for the good, And changing it for the better, Because in order for you to get to know the world, You have to let the world to get to know you.  All the positive towards me made me realize something about myself. I am a leader not a follower, I am a president, Not a Dictator, I am beautiful and strong, I am Lilly McArdle, And that’s me! -big love-

Here we are, the end of the blog post and the only way you, our family and friends, are able to get a glimpse (get it, haha) into our lives here in beautiful Guaranda, Ecuador. We are all immensely grateful for this experience and for all the new family we have found within each other. This trip has brought us closer together more than anything else in the world. Thank you to all of you for reading this and know, all of us are safe and sound in the care of Marti, David, Joshua, Alex, Emily, and Javier. Big love to all of you and we can’t wait to see you all in a few days time. <3

Signing off, Noah Terrell and Lilly McArdle

“Llullundongo’s” Angles

Lupe and her new BFF

Who’s foot print is in the paint pan?

The 1st coat of paint on the Community Center

Recapping Day 1