Each participant offers a description of something important that happened to them on their trip. Their responses follow:
Brenda: For me, the moment was when I was combing the little kids hair at the Santa Ana Health Day. A little girl said to me “I have lice.” All I could do was braid her hair and make it pretty because I couldn’t get all the lice out. I helped a little bit.
Jennifer: When I was brushing hair at the Santa Ana Health Day, a girl had flees in her hair. I wanted to cry. I couldn’t do anything. I felt bad for them but then I realized that they weren’t upset, they were still really happy despite their condition. Also when we painted in the Santa Ana school, every time we finished painting a character on the mural, little kids came by to see them and they were so happy.
Matt: For me, there wasn’t just one experience. There were so many. The interaction with families in Carapegua and San Juan and having to push myself to use my Spanish vocabulary and interact in a different language was awesome. I felt uncomfortable at first, but then I was glad I did it.
Hannah: My ah-ha moment was when I had lunch with Gustavo’s family in Santa Ana.
It was me, him, my host sister from Colegio San Jose and his family. We had fun laughing. Were on the floor laughing. We lost track of time, we were late to get back to the community center, but I didn’t want to be anywhere but there at that moment.
Malina: It was in Carapegua, with my host sister. We had limited language but we connected so well. I didn’t really talk to anyone in the family but I had a bond with her. I also bonded with my San Jose host family. I had the idea that they were going to be snotty and at first they were. I was unhappy until we sat down and got to know one another. They realized that Americans are not all about money. We talked about 9-11 and were shocked to learn that I had lost people. They were also surprised that I didn’t support Bush. It was a special moment for me, when I got to know them.
James: I came to see how much Spanish I actually learned during the school year. It’s as good as I thought it was. Also, I thought I might find out something about me. I did. I like to paint. I haven’t painted since I was 10 and I realize how much I like it.
Maya: For me it was teaching Santa Ana kids about health. They are eager to learn, so excited to learn. This surprised me because at home I wouldn’t listen to a one-hour lecture on health but they wanted to learn.
Shadeena: One of the reasons I came on this trip was to improve my Spanish. I also love working with kids. At the health day I was able to use my talents and I braided hair. The kids loved it and it made me feel good.
Ithi: Two moments for me—in Carapegua and in Asuncion-the families both called me their “hija.” It made me so happy to know that I was part of their family. I was so skeptical at first to stay in families here, but when the dad called me his “hija” I forgot all my worries.
Catherine: In Asuncion, I went to the Anglo English school with my host sister because she teaches English there. She has one boy in her class that really hates Americans, and he was upset to see me there. But then we went out for lunch and I met him at the empanada place, we talked. he got to know me and realized I was not like George Bush and our government.
In an opposite experience, we also went to the pharmacy one day and because I couldn’t speak enough Spanish to ask for what I wanted, the pharmacy lady was offended. She wanted me out of her store. Two opposite experiences. One I was able to change and one I couldn’t.
Montel: When I was in Asuncion with my new family what changed me was how rich they were. I kept thinking how would they react in Santa Ana? Would they look down on them? But what touched me was when my host brother came to Santa Ana he was so open to the people. Then when I was sick, my host mother was so worried about me, she kept saying keep the faith and to rely on what you believe in. I was so impressed.
Michael J: For me, I have been moved by seeing the relationships that have grown between all of us and with the Paraguyans. This has opened my eyes and has been important and inspirational to me. This experience has kind of made me feel whole again and feeling that everything is going to be all right in my world.
AnneMarie: The day that really hit me was the health day in Santa Ana. I came back to the hotel feeling really emotional about it—every time I think of it, it makes me emotional. Our team just jumped in and got to work. We picked the lice out of the kids hair. It was incredibly inspiring for me as a teacher. It really impacted me to see the kids from Colegio San Jose washing hair and helping out in a neighborhood they didn’t know existed. I think it is a really beautiful thing. I keep the image of Cesar from Santa Ana washing hair of his neighborhood kids. This should stick with us—the love for your neighbor. To work with all the LSP kids on a different level, as equals, makes me want to find a way to do this everyday. Getting to know everyone on the LSP team on a different level has been really awesome.
Bennett: There are so many things. I am grateful that you guys have organized this. When we walked into the gym in Carapegua and there were so many students and they all clapped. When we heard our national anthem, I had goose bumps. I was so proud of all of us and still am. This was very special for me, a really cool moment. In Santa Ana, I had thousands of moments that express why I am here. How eager these small children are to learn. I was teaching them to type—how boring, right?— but every time I looked at the kids faces I was so happy that I am here. On Friday, we started late and the kids had started their own lesson and Alejandro was teaching and it gave me hope that what we are doing will continue.
Amy: I have nothing to add that hasn’t already been said. Everyday was an ah-ha moment for me— to see how the LSP team got task and the motivation behind our work was incredible.
Barbara V: On Monday, Santa Ana folks were so excited to have us. On Tuesday, I realized that though they inspire me, it blew me away to see how much we inspire them.
Anne: I was stressed about planning the environmental work in Santa Ana. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to motivate the students. On Tuesday, I was excited to see that the Santa Ana kids were all out in the river bed looking for bugs, in the water, totally into it and I could see that they were so eager to discover things on their own. In my normal life I have to push kids to learn but here they want to learn. Then, when we taught all the older kids how to use the microscopes it was instant gratification for me because within an hour the older kids were teaching others how to use the microscopes. It was a good feeling.
Barbara S: There are so many layers to this trip. What is the ah-ha moment to each layer of this trip? What moment affirmed you? Helped your self-esteem? Opened your eyes? This trip really helped my esteem; helped me to challenge myself. When I met my families in each site (I can’t speak the language) it was overwhelming. The mom here in Santa Ana said to me “I love you”. It really, really helped me. I do know I need to go back and have some space and go through personally all the different layers and think about the poverty. There are so many dichotomies. We had lunch three feet from the pigs in the canal, so many dichotomies. But the family accepted and loved me.
Michael L: I don’t know what I think about this whole trip, I don’t know, I don’t know what to think. It just keeps coming at me. When it really kind of hit me was when we were leaving Santa Ana and everyone was giving hugs. I realized that one of the most profound differences between here and the US is how the people treat you and one another. People are warmer. I didn’t know them all but they would all hi-5 me and even though I didn’t know their names they would say hi to me.
Maddy: It was the first day in Santa Ana—that is why I came back. They all remembered my birthdate, what I did last year, what they gave me last year, etc. The friendships here are incredible. It was the Friday we got to SA—that is why I am here.
Grace: When we went to Santa Ana the first day, the poverty didn’t really hit me. It was different than in San Juan or Carapegua but it didn’t hit me. But when we were in the hotel for the big dinner all the kids from Santa Ana came in, then San Jose came in, I saw the difference between rich and poor in the same country—it hit me.
Rashida: Last night at our “despedida” in Santa Ana the girl that I ate lunch with during the week was crying and hugging me. It was then that I realized that we had created bonds with these people. I hadn’t even known her that long. Also, when we were picking up trash with the San Jose and Santa Ana kids—we were all working together to make a difference
Asha: It was the health day. We just jumped in there and didn’t care what was wrong with the kids, working with the kids in SA and washing hair. My biggest ah-ha moment was yesterday. My team had to reschedule our health talk on drug addiction but I had to go in the morning to Colegio San Jose to see the festival with my host sister and we got back to Santa Ana 10 minutes after the class was over. It made me emotional to see how upset I was to have missed teaching this class.
Luz: When I thought about coming to Paraguay I knew I wanted to serve and help. I think I achieved that goal. At the despidida last night and they showed the video of pictures of the week, I saw the difference we made. It is very special for them all that we do. They find a lot of hope when we are together. Even though we couldn’t all speak Spanish, there is a universal language—love. It is a connection between all of us if we are willing to open ourselves. Also seeing my host brother cry when we saw the video, really hit me.
James: The host families treated me like a son—that was one thing. Also when you are in the US, there are homeless people, and I don’t do much. Today I saw a little boy who was homeless and starring at me. I felt bad, I don’t help people in the US so I gave him some food so I can feel like I did something.
