Hi everyone! It’s Sydney here with day twelve’s blog. Today was an absolute blast! After waking up bright and early at 7:00 am, we were happily surprised with a pancake breakfast at Imabite. Then we headed back to the hostel for an energizing team building exercise where we contemplated what goals we wished to accomplish while working on our Community Action Project (CAP). Next, we hopped on a bus and headed to Barriletes, where we got straight to work on our projects. We stayed there for the better part of the day and even got the chance to each lunch with our friends at Barriletes. While Tim, tomorrow’s leader of the day, had a leadership meeting, the rest of the team prepared for our nightly English tutoring.
After that, we continued to work on our CAP before leaving Barriletes for dinner. Both the painting and construction teams worked incredibly hard today and demonstrated an inspiring amount of teamwork. While some staff and students kept the kids entertained, the painters created a beautiful welcoming sign in the front room, and also began the brave process of painting over an old mural at the front of Barriletes with something entirely new. So far, it looks great.
Meanwhile, the construction team mixed up some cement and proceeded to cover two water fountains and fill in some holes in the ground outside. They also completed the painful, laborious task of breaking cement, digging a trench for a water pipe, and then filling in the trench once the pipe was installed. The construction team also installed plumbing, a functioning shower and a toilet, and finished priming the walls of the bathroom that they built.
Following a traditional Nicaraguan dinner of chicharron and yuca, we walked to our English classes. As per usual, the halls were filled with screams of joy and laughter, and no one wanted to leave their classrooms when it was over.
The night ended with our nightly meeting. I passed the torch to Tim, whose incredible talent of folding himself into a human sandwich blew us all away. Lots of love and appreciation was shared around the circle tonight. So far our hard work, motivation, and effort is really paying off. Tim closed the meeting with a unity clap, and I think tonight’s word perfectly sums up day 13: Teamwork!
Wow! Great work, everyone!
Love you, Sydney.
You guys a doing a great job. We are all enjoying reading your blogs and looking at your pictures.
It’s nice yo see your projects and your smiling, happy faces..
Greetings from Bay Area.
Special hello to the smily face at the end of shower…
Love you
Dad
Holy smokes what an impressive day!!! All I managed to do today was some laundry 😉 You guys are amazing! This blog made me tear up. You all are having a huge impact on others and that must be a very humbling feeling. Keep up the hard work not only for those in that community but for yourselves.
Tim, we love you and are so very proud of you!
Hi Orion! How’s the trip? Are there mosquitos? ( I know I already asked that ) What’s it like to shower with buckets? It sounds fun. I like reading your blog and the posts. I hope when I’m older I can do this too.? PS: If you haven’t figured out yet, this is Jackie.
Howdy ZoZo! Missing you honey. The CAP project sounds like it is right up your alley. I can’t wait to hear if you were on the painting team or the construction team. Also, you guys put in a new toilet and shower?!? Awesome work to the whole team.
When we dropped Lexie off at camp on Sunday, as soon as we got out of the car girls started running up to her and screaming her name. She was so excited, it was hard to be sad at leaving her. She had been bored at home without you so it was really great that she had this fun week away while you were gone to keep her busy and happy.
Me and your dad have been playing Pokémon GO like crazy. I’m hoping that we can convince you to join us when you get home. Lexie was hecka embarrassed by us playing, especially in Quickly. Hahahaa… Dad and I were out wandering the streets last night catching Pokémon monsters like a bunch of teenagers.
Tonight we are heading up to South Lake Tahoe for a couple of days of hiking fun before picking up your sister on Saturday.
Make sure you are getting photos of yourself on the camera too! Hand it off to someone else to take a couple, especially when you go to the volcano! I want one of you up there for my desk 🙂 Also, it is the day to take your Malaria pill again. Can’t wait to see you Sunday night/Monday morning. Love you too the moon! Momma
Wow so awesome! It’s so incredible to see what you have all accomplished as a team!
I think that’s my Livie girl painting the cloud in the first picture ❤
I’m so very proud of you Olivia! You’re living an amazing adventure that is going to mold who you become as you grow up.
I can’t wait until you’re home ❤ Love you so much!
What an incredible job you guys are doing. I bet you’d never imagined you could accomplish installing a bathroom. I laugh/laughed when I read the talents of the various leaders-to-be; it sounds like there’s a lot of bonding going on & friendships being formed. That’s great.
Grandpa sends his love along with mine.
Many virtual hugs…. Grandma
WOW, beautiful works!! You guys sure are working hard, all doing a great job and having fun at the same time! I am so happy to see your project and smiling face. Thank you for the pictures. Keep all the knowledge and learning experiences at work in your daily lives. Cherish and enjoy every minute the next few days in Leon.
Love you and miss you,
Mom
What an amazing day. Very impressed with what you are accomplishing. Helping others in this world of our is what it should all be about. Tim, we know you will do well today and we can hardly wait to read your blog. So proud of you. Hailey and Molly wondered where you were today, we tried to explain and they tried to understand. They did say tell Timmy hi. With big smiles. Love you.See you soon.:)
miss you so much!!! hope you’re having a great time!! Can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back!!
Dania it looks like you all have been doing amazing work and learning a lot in the process. Still I can’t wait to see you and am counting days. Take care and love you a lot.
Mom and Dad