For our third and final CAP build day, the entire group brought their all. Compared to the prior two days, I felt everyone truly worked their hardest and were constantly asking leaders and each other in what ways they could help. It was amazing to see everyone, Glimpsers and locals, come together as a family to work on something we all had so much passion for.

Today was our hottest work day yet. Locals earlier in the day were able to finish leveling the ground before we got to the site, allowing the rest of the Glimpsers and the four ambassadors who joined us today to work on other projects. Students dug out weeds of the neighboring playground, painted benches and the volleyball poles, carried water up and down the street in buckets in order to mix cement, and some even helped out the construction crew with preliminary steps for the cement. Everyone was rotating jobs and making sure everyone else was doing okay. Afterward, the group traveled back to our accommodations and had almost three hours of explore time with each other and our ambassadors. Many people went to get the milkshakes that we have all grown to love so much, or to the store to get food and gifts for the last English tutoring class that we’ll have tomorrow.

It was really amazing to get to work with some of the locals on the project. They were extremely sweet, hardworking, and passionate about finishing the project. Especially Seneida and Hirma, who over the last two weeks have taken all of us into their families and continued to show up to give their input and work for the best for the whole community. It was a pleasure to get to work alongside them, and I know everyone will miss them and all the little kids in the community.

Being Líder Del Día brought out a more motherly side of me than I originally thought. I was very conscious to make sure everyone was feeling okay, getting enough water, and overall having a good time. I enjoyed it because it allowed me to connect and have more conversations with fellow Glimpsers and have a greater understanding of how the group as a whole felt about the day. Today I learned I work more effectively as a leader when I’m able to personally connect to those I’m working with and to also not be afraid to be more assertive when something important happens.


I think everyone will walk away with a greater understanding of what it means to be a community, and working and communicating like one looks like. Even with certain frustrations, we’ve had throughout the last three days and with the fact we won’t be able to finish the project ourselves, no one gave up and continued to work extremely hard to get as much of the project done as possible.