Puerto Rico 2022

Name: Austin Tauber

Day: Monday

After exhausting travel the day before, our early morning wake up was challenging, but powered by coffee, peanut butter, and excitement for the day of volunteering, we were ready. The day started with a great introduction to the program from our volunteer coordinator Estefi. Estefi has lived in Puerto Rico her entire life and took some time to talk to us about the impact of Hurricane Maria. Following the hurricane, people were without power for months, unable to tell if their family members even a few miles away were okay with cell phones down and roads blocked. Thousands of homes were destroyed, people are still living without roofs years later, and the normally lush island was stripped of much of its greenery. Government aid was slow to arrive and lacking when it did, so the island is incredibly welcoming to volunteers willing to do anything to help.

Motivated by Estefi’s stories, we departed for our volunteer site for the day. We spent the day working at Casa Providencia, a rehabilitation home for women struggling with addiction. We were warmly welcomed there and taught about the rich history of the home. We were introduced to the residents of the home and then began our task for the day, repainting the walls of the courtyard. Louis, one of the employees at the home, went off to get us some supplies while we began scraping off some of the old paint. After a bit of a slow start and a slight derailment in the middle by some unexpected rain, we were able to make solid progress and left the courtyard looking much better than before.

Casa Providencia was located right in the heart of Old San Juan so after we finished working we began exploring the city. We first stopped at one of Estefi’s favorites, Cafeteria Mallorca where we were all able to try the wonderful Mallorca pastry. After that we walked along the coast and were able to explore El Morro, a historic fort built in the 16th century. Old San Juan was beautiful and historic and we enjoyed it very much.

After a busy, tiring day, we decided to stay close to the hostel for dinner and went to a small restaurant self proclaimed as the mofongo king. The portion sizes were generous and it was a battle to complete my towering pile of mofongo and carne frita. Sam and Grace went with the king crab but what came out was closer in taste and texture to pineapple. It was a great first day and we went to bed with our stomachs full of fried meat and imitation crab.

Name: Jared Pavlick

Day: Thursday

On Thursday our team started the morning off early with a trip inland back to Para La Naturaleza to do some more environmental volunteering. To start off the day the team split up into two groups, one team was in charge of working with newer plants whereas the other team focused on plants closer to being planted. The team focusing on younger plants worked on moving trees from burlap sacks that are great at supporting early seed development, to a pot that will carry the plant until it is finally planted at one of the environmental conservation sites. While these trees were being planted, the second team focused on weeding and caring for the trees that were already potted but were not yet mature enough to be planted at a conservation site. While working we were able to bond with some of the Para La Naturaleza team (especially the three black cats they had running around), learning more about Puerto Rico and some of the activities that they enjoy on the island. To make sure everyone could try out both roles and meet all of the people, the teams switched a few hours into the day of volunteering. Once all of the young plants were transferred to pots, our team ventured to a nearby cafe that was recommended by the Para La Naturaleza team to enjoy some well earned ice cream. Tuckered out from all of the volunteering, kayaking, and hiking we had done over the past few days, the Puerto Rico team decided to spend one of our last afternoons at a beach to swim, read, and relax. The beach was beautiful, and we had an excellent time swimming.

Peru 2022

Peru Day #1: Rise and Shine

After landing in Lima the day before, our group of 14 EGLs had an early wake up call on Monday at 6am. We had a delicious breakfast of eggs, ham, and bread – and an amazing fruit called granadilla. Once full and happy, our very first day of volunteering began with an initial orientation and project assignments. Splitting into groups, we would tackle two unique projects in Pachacutec, a neighborhood an hour and a half outside of Lima, Peru. We would be assisting in the reconstruction of a school building and of a local community center. 

From the hours of 7-2pm (including travel) we got to work shoveling, painting, and sanding. By the time we finished with the day, we came back with dust in our hair and a smile on our faces. After a quick lunch and some delicious fried dough balls (bombitas) for dessert, the crew was rejuvenated enough to head to the mall for some much needed snacks (and breaking of large bills). 

With our wallets full of change and our minds optimistic we proceeded to plan dinner. Dinner today would be in the Barranco neighborhood, near the famous beaches of Miraflores. The drive there was gorgeous. A misty and busy city gave way to miles of crashing waves, colorful lights and slightly better roads. We were very excited to check out the beach later during the trip.

And now, for the highlight of the day: dinner. The table was piled high with yuca, octopus, fish, and a variety of unique Peruvian dishes like ceviche, piqueos, and causa rellena. Flavors were bold, conversation was flowing, and the group bonded closer together. As one of the food capitals of the world, Lima’s food scene did not disappoint. We knew then that we weren’t going out to just eat, but out for a culinary experience. 

As we made our way back to the volunteer housing, spirits were high. We ended the night with some amazing guitar singalongs and some classic euchre before heading off to bed with full stomachs and excitement for the rest of the week.

PERU DAY #3: Rise and Grind

Day three of volunteering is upon us and we woke up ready to seize the day. A nice 6:20 wake up call for a 7 departure. We had a classic Peruvian breakfast of an omelet with ham cheese and bread with yogurt. After washing that down with some coffee and putting on my jeans I was ready for the day. We walked over to the bus at 7:03, slightly behind schedule. We got on our bus, Consorcio Roma. At about 8:45 we arrived in Patachutec. We split into our two groups. My group walked over to the community center while the other group stayed at the school. 

Today was the day! After prepping the ground for the last two days we were finally ready to start laying down concrete. The first thing we did was bring in wheelbarrows of dirt. After that was finished, we had to bring in a large amount of water from around the block. After about 15-20 trips with 5 people we had finally filled the bucket with enough water. Now, with enough dirt and water, we mixed in the concrete formula. After mixing the formula we scooped the heavy mix back into wheelbarrows and laid them onto the flat ground surface. Our friend with Tarpuy Sonqo, Freddie, helped flatten the concrete as we laid it. 

After completing half the flooring it was time to leave! It was about 14:00. We got on the bus and got home around 15:30 and had chicken sandwiches for lunch. After lunch we all showered and rested up, but we weren’t about to waste the day! We headed over to the mall nearby to exchange money and get some groceries. I purchased a mug and a comfy pair of sweatpants!

For dinner we had La Lucha Sanguchería, a famous Peruvian sandwich shop. After this we were all very tired and headed home to rest up for another big day. We finished off the night with some Euchre and relaxation. 

Puerto Rico Journal Day 1:

Despite the exhausting travel the day before we were all ready and excited to get going early on day one. The day started with a great introduction to the program from our volunteer coordinator Estefi. Estefi has lived in Puerto Rico her entire life and took some time to talk to us about the impact of Hurricane Maria. Following the hurricane, people were without power for months, unable to tell if their family members even a few miles away were okay with cell phones down and roads blocked. Thousands of homes were destroyed, people are still living without roofs years later, and the normally lush island was stripped of much of its greenery. Government aid was slow to arrive and lacking when it did, so the island is incredibly welcoming to volunteers willing to do anything to help.

Motivated by Estefi’s stories, we departed for our volunteer site for the day. We spent the day working at Casa Providencia, a rehabilitation home for women struggling with addiction. We were warmly welcomed there and taught about the rich history of the home. We were introduced to the residents of the home and then began our task for the day, repainting the walls of the courtyard. Louis, one of the employees at the home, went off to get us some supplies while we began scraping off some of the old paint. After a bit of a slow start and a slight derailment in the middle by some unexpected rain, we were able to make solid progress and left the courtyard looking much better than before.

Casa Providencia was located right in the heart of Old San Juan so after we finished working we began exploring the city. We first stopped at one of Estefi’s favorites, Cafeteria Mallorca where we were all able to try the wonderful Mallorca pastry. After that we walked along the coast and were able to explore El Morro, a fort built in the 16th century. Old San Juan was beautiful and historic and we enjoyed it very much.

After a busy, tiring day, we decided to stay close to the hostel for dinner and went to a small restaurant self proclaimed as the mofongo king. The portion sizes were generous and it was a battle to complete my towering pile of mofongo and carne frita. Sam and Grace went with the king crab but what came out was closer in taste and texture to pineapple. It was a great first day and we went to bed with our stomachs full of fried meat and imitation crab.

Montana Journal (Final) Day 6: Friday

I woke up on Friday morning eager to make the last day a good day. Crawling out of bed I stumble up the stairs to catch the morning ceremony. Thoughts of all the things rushed through my mind as I channel the thoughts into the spiritual environment.

We then go into our regular daily meeting as we go about our day.

Barb Phil Glizzy and Yvonne and I went to the store to get some ingredients for the final celebration. I also stumbled across huckleberry twirlers and instantly purchased them. Then the next stop was fast and we grinder out 85 boxes. It’s crazy to think how many lives we are changing by helping out at this food bank. It sort of culminates this week as all the different people we’ve met flashbacked in my head. We’ve taken down teepees, cleaned up a POW wow, worked on a farm, stacked thousands of cans and made thousands of food boxes. It’s crazy how a group of 14-15 people could do with the right mindset and the right team in one week

Then a group of us went to cut bank and we got cowboy gear and McDonald’s.

Finally we got back to church as we wrote out and signed all the cards for all the people that have been a big impact in our week. However, we left out one person.. barb you are the reason that we’ve

We had our final celebration as we recollected on all the quotes all the fun all the people and all the conversations we’ve had throughout the week. I’m sure in all of our minds we will remember this week forever and the impact we made will carry us through our life and hopefully continue to be the change.

-Ryan Wu

Montana Journal Day 5: Thursday

Today we went to pastor hills bump ranch, bringing Ryan and Josh. I had never been on a farm before and the sky was clear, weather great. Working under the backdrop of Glacier was beautiful. We all worked hard and got to play with the dogs and some of the farm animals (Pickle, bow, arrow, and REPTAR). We all listened to pastor Hill’s stories as he spoke about broken bones and firefighting. We sawed and split wood. We then left for the DeBoos ranch for horseback riding! It was my first time riding a horse, but MV was gentle. He is doing much more of the work. We felt like we were in a western riding through the hills with bush and creek below us and the mountains on the horizon. Riding was incredible with Chuck and Meg and Carrie made some delicious homegrown burgers, baked beans, and banana pudding. We ended DeBoos ranch by the firing listening to stories and how people met. -Tim Breckwoldt

Montana Journal Day 4: Wednesday

Today I went to the food bank with Matt. We stock shelves from 9:30 to 2 and chatted with Justin and Jess. It took me back to my warehouse days at Seasons 4 and pulling boxes and breaking down cardboard. Then we came back, ate, and played hearts (I missed that game). Then we drove out to Glacier for some amazing pictures and views. Drove with Kagan and put on a podcast for the people on the back. Dropped off healthy people at the peak and drove with Shannon to the other side and jumped in like McDonald. I kinda wanted alone time but we had a good convo on mental health. Along time is hard to come by. You should check in on Shannon from time to time. -Tim Breckwoldt

Montana Journal Day 3: Tuesday

Today was the first day that Yvonne and I went to the Bump Ranch. When we arrived we were immediately greeted by a chorus of dogs and sheep and goats.
 
We met with the pastor for a little bit before going inside and talking with him and his wife Sheri in the kitchen. They were both so welcoming and funny. 
 
For most of our time at the ranch Yvonne and I mucked stalls while Pastor Hill fixed one of his wheel barrels. Half way through, Calvin joined us and brought in some country music, telling stories and making jokes as we went.
 
Calvin also took us out to meet with horses. There was one baby and one yearling, and most of the mares were pregnant. The ranch also had a horse named Bacardi, who’s daughter was named Cardi B, and a male horse named Offset. At one point Cardi B and Offset were going a little crazy together, running and jumping. Calvin said that that behavior was because of the wind and the cooler weather.
 
After the ranch, we all packed into the vans and drove through the res to Glacier. Joe came with us and spoke about the geography of the res, especially the ridge of land that stretches 30 miles and was created by a large glacier running into the land repeatedly. The weather was really overcast because of the rain, but I think the smoke had started to clear. We only drove a couple of miles into the park, but the views over St. Mary Lake were spectacular. This was where we took our picture with the Block M flag.
 
Everyone slept in the car ride home from Glacier and when we got back to the church the cook had prepared a traditional Blackfeet meal. It was made of boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, beef, red sausage, salad, and bread. I only had the vegetarian components, but they were very tasty.
 
We spent the rest of the night talking as a large group with Pastor Rayola, Denise, Sheri, and Calvin. A lot of the conversation centered around religion and how the Pastor’s own life experiences impact his personal relationship with Christianity. He told a story from the Bible that is traditionally about David, but interpreted it differently as a Native. He focused more on the rape of Bathsheba than about David’s punishment. He talked about how the Navajo story of creation actually overlaps closely with the Judeo- Christian story. He hates the white Christian culture, but he doesn’t let that interfere with his belief in basic Christian values like loving your neighbor. -Lizzie Hoyt

Montana Journal Day 2: Monday

First day of volunteer work!
The day began with a “smudge”, which is a ceremony where we burnt sage and cleansed ourselves with the smoke. Barb said some really heartfelt things and it was such a wonderful way to set my mind right and to begin the day. 
The main work assignment for today was cleaning up the pow wow. At first it was a lot of picking up trash, after a while we had the grounds looking pretty nice. As I was picking up trash, I was keeping an eye on the teepee situation, and as soon as I saw someone starting to pack up, I hurried my way over there as quickly as I could. First we helped a woman named Gloria take down her teepee, one thing led to another and we ended up taking down 5 or 6 teepees by the end of the day. We became professionals and were making quick work of them. We met a ton of interesting people that were just so willing to share with us. It was such a great way to learn about people’s life experiences just listening to them while disassembling teepees.
After cleaning up the pow wow, we headed back to Browning. I ended up across the street at FAST, loading boxes of food into peoples’ cars. It was really rewarding work and it was really cool to see Cindie and her operation.
In the evening Bob came over and shared his story and his art, which were both beautiful. He also showed us his regalia and a dance which was really cool. Not quite as cool as when he also danced to Doja right after though, that was insane. The evening ended with ice cream and a documentary, which is one of the best ways to end a night. -Lizzie Hoyt

Montana Journal Day 1: Sunday

Today was our first full day here in Montana. We woke up early (7:30 am) and had orientation at 8. Orientation consisted of introductions, learning more about the program, etiquette, and our volunteering project assignments. After that, Joe (a local friend of Global Volunteers(GV) ) swung by to meet us and answer some of our questions as a church service took place in the church we’re staying in. We then ate lunch and headed to a sweat lodge (referred to as a “sweat”), which we endured 4 rounds of spirituality, prayer, and a ton of heat. It was one of the most intense experiences of my life, but also one that I am glad we got to experience. We were invited because of the good connections that GV has with the Blackfeet people – we learned that not all groups get invited to do these kinds of activities. The sweat lodge lasted like 5 hours or so, because we needed many breaks to allow our bodies to cool down and to rehydrate. It was way hotter than any sauna I’ve ever been in! After the sweat, we went back to the Pow Wow to eat Indian Tacos and watch the last night of dancing. But then, we were invited to join the community in a friendship dance which was super cool. We left and we’re all absolutely exhausted and we’re asleep by 10 pm I believe. What a great first day. – Matt Howard

Today was very busy. We had an orientation in the morning, church service at noon, sweat lodge in the afternoon and attended a pow wow in the evening. It was such a great day, but we are all exhausted now. The sweat lodge was one of the most mentally challenging things I have done. During the first session I tried focusing on my breathing, but I struggled a lot. My heart rate increased like crazy and I was very close to asking for them to open the door. The next few rounds were much easier partly due to the fact that they were shorter, but I also figured out a better way to focus. Instead of thinking of my breath, I would listen to the songs and sing along. The entire experience was very spiritual and gave me a new perspective on the Blackfeet Nation. I offered prayers up to my grandfather, Da. Excited for what tomorrow brings! -Tomás Vonderheide

San Diego VA Trip Day 3,4,5, and 6 by Santiago Currea

Day 3:

Our third volunteer day was with Habitat for Humanity and we were tasked with helping around a construction site for six different housing units. We all woke up bright and early and were ready to work at 8 am. After a brief introduction, Jared and Sharon split from the group and worked with the nailing team on the second floor on a few of the units. The rest of us grabbed shovels and wheelbarrows and moved collections of dirt from the sides of the house onto a trailer.

For lunch, we all walked together to a nearby plaza that had a few restaurants including the famous In N Out Burger. We split into two groups and some went to a nearby health food restaurant while others dared to try the legendary burger. It was excellent! 

After an extended lunch we continued our work on the house, including some work with nailing, painting and siding. Here is a picture of us in front of the construction site!

Even though it was a long and tiring day, we needed to take advantage of our limited time in San Diego! After a much needed shower, we made our way to nearby Mission Beach. We had a great time enjoying the wonderful California waves as well as a soothing sunset (even though it was a bit cloudy). We split up and ate dinner at a few different spots near the boardwalk and walked a bit before calling it a night and heading home. 

Day 4: 

For our fourth volunteer day, we went to a gardening plot in Balboa Park that was to be cleared for a new tenant. Throughout the morning we worked together to pull up weeds, take down bushes, and clean up the area. 

Using a combination of shovels, pick axes, and loppers, we successfully cleared the plot (ignoring the two extremely stubborn bushes). Here’s a picture of all of us repping the big Blue!

Our contact for the site ever so kindly offered to buy us lunch from a nearby market for all the hard work we had done. While waiting for our lunch to arrive, we sat next to our cleared plot in the beautiful Balboa Park.  Many people passed by us sitting down and gave their thanks to us for clearing the plot and making the area look nicer in general. This is where we noticed how much good we had done for the park. It felt great to see how the work we put in was truly being appreciated by local park goers. 

After lunch we walked to the San Diego Zoo, where we would spend the rest of the afternoon. We took the time to strategize the most efficient route to see absolutely every animal. After a long six hours, we succeeded in seeing every animal, but we were also extremely exhausted from our long day. We all ordered dinner to be delivered or picked up, got back to our hostel, and ate together while reflecting on our day and bonding some more. 

Day 5:

The last volunteer day for the week had us going to a garden behind a nearby elementary school. Throughout the morning, we all completed a variety of tasks, including building an irrigation network, planting numerous fruits and vegetables, and organizing a few shipping containers. 

The garden may simply seem like a convenient local spot to grow food, but Christina (parent volunteer in charge of the garden) let us know that it doubles as one of the few safe spaces in the neighborhood for children to play. A homeless shelter a few blocks over makes it impossible for kids to safely play outside, so this garden is a safe haven for children to learn about farming and to be outside. After working all morning, Christina gave us some of her fresh banana bread and hibiscus to try (they were both excellent). She even let us go home with a few freshly harvested fruits/veggies. We brought home with us a few tiny tomatoes, some passionfruit, and a cucumber. They were all exceptionally delicious!

After getting back home and showering, we walked to a nearby Thai place that claimed to be the “Best Thai in San Diego”. In my opinion it lived up to its expectations! The restaurant was great, and it also served as a great spot to reflect as a group on our amazing VA trip and the wonderful week we had. We went around discussing what we learned and what we wish to take out of our experience. Jared and Sharon had to leave us early, so this would be our last meal together. 

To wrap up our week in San Diego, we walked three blocks south to see the San Diego Padres take on the Philadelphia Phillies at PETCO park. Even though the Padres lost, we had a great time and got to see a great baseball game from the outfield seats! When we got home, we were all tired from a busy day and had early flights, so we went to sleep! 

Day 6:

Matt, Nam, Neal, Sarah, and Hanna all had early flights so they woke up early and headed to the airport around 5 am. Jess and I booked later flights and left the hostel around 10 am. 

Overall: 

This experience was truly life changing. Before coming to San Diego only a few of us knew each other from school, but after a week of volunteering and sightseeing I can gladly say I have built a great group of friends. Alongside making great friends, the satisfaction that volunteering provides is unparalleled. It feels great to go to multiple areas around San Diego and do what’s possible to make the community a better place. Whether it was through gardening, moving furniture, or helping on a construction site, we did what was necessary to make the local area a little better. It was a wonderful experience to volunteer with such great people. Thanks EGL, we all had a blast!