As we wrap up our 3 week trip, each cadet has been reflecting on the experiences we have gone through and the countless lessons learned. Today was the last work day for us before we depart early tomorrow morning.
The Brillo De Sol group continued cleaning up the school grounds by organizing remaining loose items as well as patching holes in the metal sheeting of a few buildings. Their work day ended with a goodbye fiesta thrown by the staff and students which was full of thanks, laughter, and dancing.
The cadets at the Jardín de Amor school in Santa Maria De Jesus used their last day to play the older students in various games of basketball and soccer. For the children here in Guatemala, sports are the center for fun and enjoyment so this time spent together meant a lot more to the children and our cadets than words could express.
Finally, the last group, which is my group, has been at a house for an elderly couple in San Antonio all week. Today we finished the outside kitchen we have been rebuilding all week by attaching metal sheeting for the walls and burying cinder blocks that will later be used as the base for a connecting wall. The couple expressed their deepest gratitude for our help and we parted ways.
After the work day today, all 14 of the cadets, Professor Lennon, his friend Smitty, our work site escorts, the Purpose Hostel owner, Tatiana, and the beloved Violetta along with her son Fernando, joined us at Caoba Farms for a delicious dinner that took the form of a final goodbye. The dinner concluded with a heartfelt thanks to all of the people that made these three weeks unforgettable.
-Reece Gannon
