Day 5 is almost over and I don't even know where to begin with this blog! So much has happened since we arrived. New names, hard labor, great food, new friends, Indian tribe visit and then the slum visit today. I feel like it has been longer than 5 days but here we are... sun burnt, exhausted, wanting more.
Today was about getting as much done with the house as possible. It is the last day for us to build and yet there is so much still to be done. We were greeted this morning with a new driver. Less safe and not the same. I think we all missed Miguel. We loved the slow drive, friendly music and most of all, the stop at his mothers store to buy chipa. Arriving at the site was different today too. We were missing one very important person, el jefe. Even Brian mentioned it tonight in our diamond and dookie recap. He is our fearless leader on-site! So I would say that we hit the ground running but with a new calmness over us...as if this was REALLY our last day to make a difference.
We hauled over 1200 bricks, 1500 tiles and I can't even begin to explain the amount of broken materials that are used to fill "the gaps". I speak for myself when I say "I am exhausted". I know the group feels tired but today the sun beat me down more than I could imagine.
I'll regress in this blog to say that I take the most breaks. Breaks mean snack time. I accrued many nicknames in the short 5 days here: (Katalina, Pix Axe women, Piggy, Bottomless Pit...and the list goes on). I can't eat or drink enough to keep the energy level I know back home. I don't know what is going on but the physical labor with the sun is harder to take then I imagined. Still, with no questions, I would do it again.
After we finished our time at the site we headed to the slums. I think, even as well traveled as this group is, we were all touched by what we saw. This community has little to look forward to. In fact, there was so much violence the day before that we were almost not aloud to visit today. I think what originally opened my eyes was a used condom laying on the stairs as we headed upstairs of the community center/ after school program building. I was following a few teachers and not one budged to pick it up. There was trash everywhere, hungry kids and little to do. For many of us in the group, this is where we made our connections with the kids in Paraguay. They were all so happy to have us there.
What I would like to focus on in the rest of this blog is the overall sincerity and passion this group contains. It has been overwhelming to hear, see and experience the amount of love each one us has for helping others. We are so very fortunate to experience this together. We will forever be changed by the recaps (what I call the camp fires from my job at First Descents). We are changing other lives and simultaneously changing our own at the same time.
Thank you to Martha for keeping it funny, to Brian for keeping it light, Corey for keeping it real, Emily for keeping it calm. Leanna for keeping it educational, Lorenzo for keeping it entertaining and Amanda for being our fearless leader. Thank you all for the opportunity and the stories I will cherish for life!
-- Kelley Brupbacher
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