Hola from Aguas Buenas! Whether it was at 6 or 7:59 AM, we all woke up this morning to the sounds of the unique ecosystem that can only be found here on the island of Puerto Rico. Following our delicious breakfast of porridge, ham, and pancakes we participated in morning prayer then packed a nutritious lunch of sandwiches composed of a variety of meats and spreads. Finally, with all of our belongings we departed for an intense yet fulfilling day of service for a member of the local community.
The work today was similar to yesterday; it involved scraping, cleaning, and then painting various surfaces around the home, but the interactions we had with both each other and the woman we aided resulted in a completely distinctive and enjoyable experience yet again! Unfortunately the heat in combination with a lack of water and our immense effort resulted in fatigue for many of us towards the end of the session, however the progress we made was staggering!
On the way home, we stopped by CVS to resupply ourselves with treats that we’ll use in the next few days to push through more hard work. After arriving at home, we had a short break before dinner which was a delicious meal of lasagne, bread, and salad. In order to cool off from an amazing day of work we hung out in the pool before Compline. Lastly, to celebrate Denis’ birthday, all of our highs and lows involved something he did with each one of us during the day, then we treated him to a surprise party equipped with cake and a game of UNO. We’re looking forward to tomorrow! – Matthew
Pictured below: Homeowner, Ada (left); Mother Anna (right) represents the Episcopal relief organization that selects who we help.
