Journal

DAY 1

With an early morning flight we packed our bags and headed out to Boston for our flight to New York and then to San Juan. When we arrived in San Juan we were immediately immersed in the Puerto Rican humidity and we began to test our Spanish skills. Once we got closer to the city of Ponce we were surprised by the level of poverty. After we unpacked into our bunk house, we ate at a restaurant and had our first authentic Puerto Rican meal. We came to help people less fortunate than ourselves and to help change the world with big and small acts of kindness.

DAY 2

We woke up bright and early in the morning so we could head out to our first day of work. After eating our breakfast we walked around the neighborhood known as Bélgica and handed out our leftovers from breakfast. We got to meet a few of the locals and an insight to their culture. People are very friendly and always say "Hola!" to their neighbors. After handing out our leftovers we went to the house where we were going to be rebuilding a fence and building a deck. We worked for a woman named Leila who had two daughters.

DAY 3

After breakfast we started our work for the day. The work was extremely taxing because of the high humidity and hard work. I found peace through the repetition of hammering in a nail and digging a post hole. The work felt even more rewarding because we knew that the family we helped would be grateful. We visited a lady named Iliana who only had one lung and was happy with the idea that she could die any time because she knew god is always with her.

DAY 4

For our last full day of working for Leila, we headed straight to her house to start working because we had a lot to get done before the day was over. We had to place the last boards on the deck and once everything was nailed in we painted it blue for a pop of color to make the family happy. After we ate lunch at the community center in the neighborhood, we handed out rice and beans to the community. People were very thankful although some were uncomfortable to accept the food. The people asked if it costed anything because they were not used to food being free. Leila's mother refused to take any food because she wanted it to go to someone who needed it more than her. When walking around the neighborhood, we stopped at Iliana's to chat because she is often lonely since her children live in the US. Iliana talked to us about how everyone is loved by God no matter what and that everyone should love everyone because no one is undeserving of being treated well.

DAY 5

For our last day we got up early in the morning to experience as much of Ponce as possible and walked around the center of town. After breakfast we finished the deck and put our handprints on the fence so that the family had something to remember us by. For lunch, everyone in the neighborhood was invited to come to the community center. Many families came and all of the kids played outside. I was amazed at how well the children spoke English which made it very easy to communicate to the kids from a different culture and experiences.

The rest of the day was left for us to explore the island. First we drove to Cabo Rojo where there is a beach on the Southwest corner of Puerto Rico and swim in the beautiful Caribbean Sea. After spending time at the beach we drove to the Bioluminescent Bay and swam where the algae lit up, looking like the stars.

DAY 6

For our last day spending time in Puerto Rico we hiked through the National Park Rainforest, El Yunque. We first saw the waterfall called Coca Falls. Next we visited Yokahú Tower where we could see for miles, where no industrialization has taken away from nature's beauty. As we walked through the rainforest we saw a stream trickle by, frogs blending into their surroundings, and palm trees covering the sky. Once we made it to La Mina Falls we jumped into the water and swam towards the waterfall. One by one, we jumped through the fall and hung on to the rocks behind the waterfall. This truly felt like paradise. With a nation containing so much poverty they hold beauty where imagination becomes a reality.

Once we fully soaked in the rainforest and experienced a downpour we began driving to Old San Juan. We visited an old fort and had our last Puerto Rican meal.

DAY 7

A total of twenty two and a half hours of service later we boarded the plane back to the states with a whole new perspective of the world. I met amazing people that are so grateful for their lives. The littlest of things can change a person's day or even life when they have so little. I hope someday I can go back to see how things are after the hurricane and rebuild what has gotten destroyed by the hurricane.