Thursday... Home Dedications

Today was one of my favorite days, it was dedication day. That means that we put all the furniture and decorations in the houses and gave the homes to the families. It was a very special day to me because we all worked so so hard on the houses and to see our hard work pay off is amazing!! The families were so excited to have a new home with real mattresses and so kind and grateful. 

The best part was when one of the moms told me se loved me as if I was now family to her. We also served the community and families by feeding them food, and giving out clothes, treats, and glasses. We also gave out beautiful cards that an amazing lady made by hand. The families were so happy and loved the cards and gifts today.

-Jasmine Meadows 

Building Dreams on Wednesday!

Today we rode for two hours to build two houses for families in need.  We split into groups  o that both houses could be built at the same time.  The hardest part about building the houses was carrying the floor pieces to the build site.

 

The most fun part about building the houses was painting the walls.  

It was very difficult to carry and place the building parts but it was worth it to see how excited the families were.  

One man even saw us struggling to carry a bag of gravel and came to help us.  It was a great experience to provide physical labor for people in need and I feel like this trip has left a great impression on everyone involved. 

From Samuel Lambert

A BIG Tuesday for PTHS

Today was a very eye opening day.  We traveled to a school about 3 hours away, and it was amazing.  The children had never seen Americans, and were thrilled to see us. I picked up a little girl and the look in her eyes was unforgettable. I told her she was mi mejor amiga (my best friend).  A huge smile lit up on her face and she replied with sí sí. It was the most heartwarming thing i have ever seen.  The love I have acquired for the children and the people here is indescribable.  My favorite part of the trip so far has been the gracious smile I get to see on the face of every person I meet. I don’t ever want to leave but I can’t wait to tell everyone about all the amazing people and experiences I have had in the beautiful country of El Salvador. Thank you for your time. Adios!!! - Amya Kendric

       

 

Today was muy bien.  I really enjoyed getting to take people bowling and I could tell they really enjoyed it.  I met a lot of people and learned all about them.  I also really enjoyed getting to go to a school a couple hours outside of El Salvador. It was the first time they had met Americans and they were not shy at all. With the translators help I was able to learn all about what the different people liked to do and what a typical day was like for them. We also had a very fun game of soccer with kids of all ages. After dinner, we went out in San Salvador and fed the homeless which as always was a very eye-opening experience. It can be extremely sad to feed the homeless because the majority of the time they only have the clothes on their backs and without us would not get a meal for weeks possibly. It also makes you appreciate everything you have because you see just how little some of the others in the world have. - Ben LeBuhn

PTHS Monday, Meeting new friends...

Today we  had the opportunity to go to two orphanages. One was for special needs adults, it was called San Martin.  The other was for special needs kids, Guerolla. At the orphanages we got to play with the kids, paint their nails, paint their faces, and give them treat bags as we left.  The treat bags consisted of a teddy bear, a snack and a couple pieces of candy.  This little bag meant the world to these kids, but to us it doesn’t seem like much.  To me this shows the differences in our two cultures.

At the first orphanage we got to tour the houses, approximately 8 kids lived in each one with only one caregiver and a lot of them require 24/7 care.  The houses had a couple rooms and a main living room. The living conditions to us would seem like living in a shack but by the standards here it’s a rather nice place to stay. 

Many of the kids at the second orphanage were in wheelchairs. They found happiness when we rolled them around in their wheelchairs. Small acts of kindness to these kids change their day, or their week, or maybe even their month. We take a lot of daily things for granted such as being able to flush toilet paper which is not something that can be done here. Being in El Salvador provides me with a different perspective and makes me realize just how lucky I truly am. Today made me feel sad for the kids but made me happy because I knew I was making an impact in their life. - Frannie Hideg

Feeding the homeless was an unforgettable experience. There were people that had nothing but the clothes on their backs sleeping on sidewalks. When little children ran towards the truck it brought tears to everyone’s eyes. Seeing firsthand that we were making a difference here was truly life-changing. - Madeline Strenge