Hello again, this is Jonathan Isabelle, and I am one of the two seniors on this trip. Last week, my group worked in San Antonio at a community center that provides classes for children living in poverty. Before this experience, I didn’t truly understand what poverty looks like in a developing country. At first glance, you would never guess the hardships these children face. They walk into the center with joy and pride. Their smiles are constant, and they are always eager to connect with new people. However, the reality behind those smiles became clearer as we listened to the teachers’ stories about where these children come from and the educational challenges they face when they first enter the program. One story, in particular, deeply affected me. A teacher told us about a nine-year-old girl whose parents had both passed away. At such a young age, she was forced to care for her younger siblings. What truly broke my heart was learning that she came to the teachers in tears because she didn’t know how to respond when her younger sister called her “mom.” No child should ever have to carry that kind of responsibility. Yet, moments like this also helped me realize how meaningful our work was and how genuinely life-changing this program is for these children. During our time there, we helped build new classrooms, painted older ones, and spent time dancing and playing with the children. While our presence was meant to support them, the experience transformed us as well. It opened our eyes to their resilience, their determination, and the effort they put into their education every single day. One of my favorite moments was sitting at a table with the children, building small Lego figures together. Through that simple activity, I even learned my colors in Spanish!

In the image below, Evan Pierce and I were attempting to learn the monkey dance alongside local school children in San Antonio.  They were teaching us the proper moves to the dance and then laughing when we would make a silly mistake.

For this week’s assignment, my team is working on a construction project at the Jardin de Amor school in Santa María de Jesús. The children did not have school yesterday, which was our first day at the site.  While we missed seeing kids, we took advantage of the time to get as much work done as possible.  Our first major task was to pour a concrete floor.  We poured nearly sixteen bags of concrete, which we mixed by hand. When we arrived, the space was nothing more than a dirt floor surrounded by four unfinished walls. By the end of the day, it had become a solid foundation. Watching that space change before our eyes was incredibly rewarding. It wasn’t just concrete, it was the base for a classroom where children would soon learn, grow, and dream. The picture below shows the early stages of the project. By the end of the day, the entire floor was finished

The bus ride felt different this morning. It was more crowded than usual, and we quickly realized why – the children were back. The excitement was immediate. Seeing them again reminded us exactly what we were working for. For the first half of the day, we focused on removing nails from old boards so the materials could be reused. It was tedious work, but it carried purpose, knowing resources here are precious and nothing goes to waste.  Later, we joined the children outside as they played. What began as simple games quickly turned into hill sprints and races filled with laughter. We ended up doing a little race with the children in the picture below, and let’s just say they are a lot more accustomed to the altitude than we were.

Even though our Spanish and their English are limited, language didn’t matter. We understood each other through smiles, energy, and joy. Just like at the school in San Antonio, the children reminded us how powerful simple moments of connection can be. The work we are doing here is changing lives in ways I still struggle to fully explain. I’m eager to see what we can accomplish in the days ahead. Knowing that these children appreciate our efforts, and that our work is helping create opportunities for them, makes every challenge worth it.