This is Doug's 18th trip taking Interact students to El Salvador, and his third year ...... and causes those who walk on
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ROTARY INTERACT 2018 MISSION TO EL SALVADOR – EMAILS HOME with Program Leaders Doug and Connie Mealey JOHN NOLING INTRODUCTION We are off to great start! Happy Easter All! Please save pic for later in RIM if you would. Reports will be sent nightly from Doug and various students from various states and Interact Clubs Doug Mealey, District Interact Chair joined us for pic on left What a great group we have here representing Muskegon!
Future Builders
Off to El Salvador on a house building mission – last Saturday thru April 10 – are these 12 local Interactors, three chaperones, and one District 6290 executive posing with the group. Back Row: District Interact Chair Doug Mealey, Riley Tuttle, Emily Mann, Sydney Fetters, Ava Bentley, Autumn Skantz, Garrett Poulin, Bella Lindsey, Esther Ricco, and John Noling. Front Row: Haley Knight, Erica Pletcher, Ellie Zuidema, Anneka Lindsey, Tommy Shawl and Brady Bowen.
March Rotaractor of the Month Helen Lim
Connie's Helen Lim isFacts: a first-year There are 70 people on this Rotary Interact trip: 43 high school students and 26 adults from all over the US, plus one member of the Rotaractguy Club from Mexico. This is Doug's 18th trip taking Interact students to El Salvador, and his third year with a Michigan contingent (43), as we moved to Michigan from NH in 2013 after he retired as a funeral director in Keene, ofNH. BakerThere College ofare Muskegon. Shemedical is three personnel aboard--two are former Keene Interactors and the other goes to El Salvador 3-4 majoring Therapy times inaOccupa-tional year. The NY contingent is headed up by Francis LaLomia, a former NH Interactor, a former Rotary Exchange Assistant. March, Helen volunteered to a NY Rotarian who works at Corning. The Fall Mt. High School (in western NH) is headed studentIn to Belgium, and now up by Abbott, their Rotary Interact Advisor, who works making NH maple syrup, and loves to go to El Salvador any make sackZak suppers at Kids’ Food Basket chance heCompeti-tion can get.withIncluding these two, there are many other very experienced adults on this trip, who have been on and at our Trivia Rotary. multiple trips with Doug.
Her favorite cause is HELEN LIM is volunteering for People often ask me if I have ever gone to El Salvador, and yes, I have three times. But I have never gone with the
students, and believe me, I feel more valuable coordinating airline transportation and doing what I'm doing for you folks. Special Plus,Olympics. it's not so hot sitting in my chair! The high temperature in San Salvador will be 91 and the low 65 for the week.Thanks In Talnique for everything the you dohigh for will be 80, a little big cooler! It looks like the rainy season has started already. Hopefully it doesn't hinder their building projects. Sure didn't think we would have snow in Michigan this week but we are!! ~Connie the club and community, Helen!
Tommy Shawl, and Brady Bowen. In-Flight to El Salvador – Saturday. March 31 Hi Everyone, Welcome to the El Salvador trip. The Michigan group is currently in flight somewhere in the US as I write, having left approximately at 3:35pm. I am currently tracking the flight, and if you have not heard of this website, you can track their flight by going on to: flightaware.com and filling in the "Search for flight..." box: Avianca 409. Zoom out on the map to see El Salvador. They should be arriving 9:15 our time (7:15 El Salvador time). Remember there is a two-hour time difference behind those of us in the Eastern Time Zone. I will try to send another email very late tonight when and if I hear from Doug. I and many of you will be watching the important UofM basketball game. ~Connie
2 El Salvador - Flight day- Saturday night 10:14pm Hi everyone, Please know that the Michigan group of 44 landed in El Salvador early. Currently everyone is going through customs. Because the group was bumped from their April 1 flight about 3 weeks ago, Avianca at Doug's insistence, is putting them up for free tonight at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown San Salvador (the capital) which is in front of the plush Metrocentro Mall. Doug will find this out soon, as he thought they were staying at a hotel at the airport. So there is a bus waiting to take them and their luggage after they are processed through immigrations. Ligia, an El Salvadoran Rotarian, just emailed me from the airport, as she is meeting them. Check the hotel out.... http://www.realhotelsandresorts.com/sv/rintercont_ssalvador/home Doug may not be sending an email tonight due to the hotel being over one hour away from the airport. This is why I am writing. Please know that you may not always receive a daily email from Doug through me. But I will forward emails on to you when they come in, usually early morning or late evening. If we are lucky, we may get pictures. Parents, if there are any medical issues with your child, this will be sent out first to you only. Feel free to forward these emails on to relatives and friends, instead of asking me to add more names to our database. You may also want to print and put these emails in a notebook for your child/spouse. Hope you enjoy YOUR trip! ~Connie El Salvador--Monday 4/02/18 Received 10:00pm Good evening to one and all, This morning at the Hotel Alamo we had breakfast on the open veranda of scrambled eggs with ham, refried beans, rolls, 3 kinds of cereal, yogurt, orange juice and coffee. We worked on 4 houses in Talnique, which is about an hour from the hotel. About 60 El Salvadoran Interactors and 3 Rotaractors from the Noroeste Clubs arrived to help us out. So with our 70 people, we had 133 workers plus the families who must work with us to receive a house. Our progress is majorly different this year with so many people helping. We are hoping to build 5 houses. But the Rotarians are hoping we will build 9. We are not experiencing any fear of anything negative. The area is overly safe. The natives are so happy to see us again and greeted our group with big smiles and hugs. Our students are mingling, working, and sleeping well and also having fun. We returned to the Alamo late afternoon and everyone has two hours to shower before dinner. Instead of me writing, I like to have the students give their impressions of our day. ~Doug From: Spencer Richardson, an Interactor from Cadillac, MI Today was a very shocking day. Being my first trip and our first day working on the houses, I had absolutely no clue what to expect. In Talnique our worksite had the least amount of work prepared by the natives before we came. While the other groups were putting up the walls on their houses, we were leveling the ground in order to begin the basic structure of the house. The weather was very hot and humid, making digging solid ground much harder. Dirt and dust was flying everywhere. By lunchtime there was a very distinct line between my arm and my hand after taking my glove off. (Quick pause, just experienced my very first earthquake while typing this. Not a very big one, just enough to feel a good shake.) Fortunately, I was placed in a great building work group with wonderful people. For my first time doing a service trip in an undeveloped country, I’ve been blown away every minute that I’ve been here. The hut that the family we are building a house for lives in, is made of bamboo, mud, and metal but still smaller than my bedroom. The mother of this family worked side-by-side with us and still managed to work nearly ten times harder than most of us. Some of the children from the village also joined us. Getting to know these kids was very heartfelt, despite a language barrier. The family dog could be easily mistaken for a dirty mop head, but her four newly born puppies were adorable. Everyone in the village seemed to have a smile on their face, regardless of how poor they are. Today showed me that I am extremely fortunate to live as I do and I take many commodities for granted. Coming back from the worksite covered in dirt was very unusual for my lifestyle. However, taking a cold shower to clean up was an even bigger shock, as I haven’t taken a cold shower before. I learned from the children that a smile and a game of tic-tac-toe is universal to all people. Overall, today was a life-changing experience for me. Only one day of hard labor was all that I needed to learn these life lessons. I’m very excited to see what tomorrow brings. ~Spencer
3 From: Fiona Kelly, an Interactor from Lowell, MI The last few days are ones that I will never forget. I was dropped in the middle of a culture very different from the one I am used to. I was given an idea of what to expect, but you don’t really understand until you’ve been cast into the middle of it. The people here are amazing; they’re warm and inviting, and always ready to help. The families for whom we are building the houses are required to work a certain amount of time. But at my site extended family, friends, and neighbors were out in the heat ready to lend a hand. All of the kids were running around asking about our lives, asking for our hats, sunglasses, and gloves, and asking us to play with them. They were ready to make friends. Even last night when we went to church, we were invited to sing with the choir, and we were greeted with hugs even before we introduced ourselves. The conditions are rough, the space is tight, and the work is difficult. But it makes it all worth the pain knowing that we are here to help people that truly need it. We are doing for them what they do for everyone else, and that is an amazing feeling. ~Fiona From: Bella Lindsay an Interactor from North Muskegon This El Salvador mission trip is the first trip I have attended with Rotary. Since arriving in the San Salvador International Airport late Saturday evening, I have seen and experienced many things that I did not expect to see or experience. When we first arrived at the airport, there were a group of El Salvadorians that greeted us with welcoming faces. The people in this country are extremely friendly, including the airport employees, our hotel staff, the bus drivers, and the families we are building homes for. Today we woke up this morning around 7am and the workers of the Hotel Alamo had breakfast ready for us, which was very delicious. After breakfast we went to Talnique to begin working. The drive to the worksite was up a mountain that had a gorgeous view of the coffee plantations, volcanoes, and the towns. Upon arrival at the worksite, we got right to work with a variety of jobs. The work was not easy, but that is what made it fulfilling. We were building homes for families to live in for generations and generations. Joining with us in building were high-schoolers from the Interact Club at a San Salvador school. With them, my work crew and I spoke about different experiences that we have at our high schools versus experiences they have at theirs. The high-schoolers had excellent English skills which made it easy for us to communicate and we bonded instantly. We ended up friending each other on social media after the workday. All in all, I am looking forward to the challenges that the rest of this week may bring, as I know that the good we are doing this country will be impactful for generations. ~Bella All for now. Doug and the gringos El Salvador -- Tuesday 4/03/18 Received 8:15pm Hola everyone, Breakfast today included French toast, yogurt, 3 kinds of cereal, & orange juice. We make our lunches at the hotel, as we do every day, and we eat lunch at the worksite. On the way to Talnique today, we hit a drizzle, and it was cloudy which made for a much cooler work environment. The sun did break through and the heat increased markedly. Our crew went right to work preparing the mortar by hand and we started in on the walls of our homes. The mother of one house works like an elephant. I would not want to cross her, as she could probably pick me up with no trouble at all and throw me wherever she might want. We are now back at the Alamo and taking showers to clean up because we are going to a Rotarian’s home for a pizza party. We did this last year and had a great time. I am seeing that the students are beginning to mingle more than the first day or two. In talking with the students, all have said that if they had known last year what they know now, they would have come last year. All have said that they have loved this trip so far and we hope this feeling continues. The Interactors have met with the eventual residents of the homes we are building and are forming bonds with them. Your sons and daughters are working very hard and are not complaining at all. They are great ambassadors for our country.
4 As for safety issues, we have had no problems with anything or anyone. We feel as threatened as we would if we were walking down an isle in Meijer’s. Now to hear from our students. ~Doug Kaylyn Allen from Houghton Lake, MI Coming to El Salvador has truly been life changing for me. As a returner, I get to relive all of the wonderful things that I encountered and learned to love here my first time here. I got to come back to the selfless people in the El Salvador Rotary Interact Club and also all of the people in Talnique that made this experience worth coming back to. The first time I came was to change lives and help people in need. But now I come not only because I can change the lives of many amazing people, but also because they have greatly impacted and changed my life in a way that I will remember forever. Watching the people in Talnique, as well as other people I've encountered on culture days, has shown me not only the good in the world, but has also taught me to be good, and that by doing a little work and showing a little kindness, I can impact the lives of many people that I never knew could use my help. I think this trip is life changing and I plan to come again all through high school and into the years after. It gives people a completely different perspective on life and I am thankful to Doug for making this possible and to Rhonda Lamberg (my Interact Advisor) for being the person that I strive to be like and for her doing the work needed to bring this experience to my community. Coming to El Salvador has taught me to me a better person and to be thankful for everything I have. ~Kaylyn Mailyn Miller from Grand Haven, MI When I was a kid, I used to dream that I would wake up in the clouds. Today my dream came true. It was a rainy day here in El Salvador, and in the mountains the clouds were thick. I felt like I was flying. Everything is so different and the same all at the once. Today I was with a beautiful young girl who sat holding massive cicadas in her hands; she just sat, gently holding them. For the majority of the day we worked on mortaring the houses, and I discovered that my childhood passion of playing in mud was not a complete waste of time. It was much more fun than I expected it to be, and I turned out to be pretty good at it. This experience has changed my outlook on life. Things are different than they used to be and I wouldn’t ask for it any other way. Thank you to everyone who made this experience possible. It is essential that everyone learns this feeling that I have in my heart right now. This feeling is like being in the clouds, magnificent and renewing. ~Mailyn Alexis "Lexi" Loehfelm from Ada, MI Carlos--that is the name of the little boy who will get to live in the house I am building. He is in second grade, loves to play soccer and tag, learn how to do math, and play with friends. His favorite color is green, he loves elephants, and he wants to be a tour guide. He is very similar to many other second graders. The only difference is that he has never had a door. The home that he lives in right now is held up by pieces of metal, and the space in the wall that they call the doorway, has a piece of fabric on a string. He is full of hope, and if you didn’t know his back-story, you would never know that he does not have much. I asked him if he wanted to help mortar the house today and his face lit up, excited that he would have the opportunity to contribute to his house--the place that he would live in for a very long time. Even though we have only interacted with the families for two days, I have learned a lot about these people and how grateful they are for everything they have. I have learned that you do not need much to still be happy. I have learned that hope always exists. But most of all, I have learned that I am capable of making a difference in the world, even if it is for just one family. ~Lexi Love to all, Doug & the gringos
El Salvador--Wednesday 4/04/18 Received 11:50pm Hola everyone, I am now able to start this email following numerous, and I do mean numerous, interruptions. The party last night was a huge success. The president of the Noroeste Rotary Club opened his home to the 70 of us plus about 30 Rotary
5 Interactors from San Salvador. This was a pizza party with coke, water, and nuts. It didn't take long before all of the kids were dancing and singing. What a great international event! We went to Talnique this morning and made more cement to mortar the walls. We are now just about done with four homes. The roofer needs to come and get going on the roofs. If we don’t get the roofs on in the next few weeks, we will have the rains coming in and then the families won’t be able to live in these homes as there will be water on the floors that won’t dry out easily. Today we brought a pair of sneakers and two men’s long-sleeved shirts for the father of our house and their son. You would have almost been moved to tears to see what they were wearing. To say that they were most appreciative would be an understatement. I am extremely pleased with our crew this year. The students are working as a well-oiled machine. They do as they are asked, don’t complain, and are truly being great ambassadors for our country. With crossed fingers, I say that no one is sick and everyone is having a good time. Now the news from our students. Ellie Zuidema, senior, Mona Shores High School in Muskegon, MI Today was a great day here in El Salvador! We all woke up pretty sore from the hard work done so far, but we were ready to get back to it! We are starting to see great progress in the building process. The families are so thankful. We all love the help that we are giving them and seeing the repercussions of hard work and passion for ‘service above self.’ We only worked until lunch today and ate on the bus on the way to the beach on the Pacific Ocean. The beach was also a highlight of today! It was a volcanic sand beach about two hours south of Talnique. We had a great time hanging out and having a fabulous dinner. No matter how much we love going to the beach and enjoying the vacation, I’m sure we all can agree that helping these families is without a doubt the greatest part of the trip! ~Ellie Riley Tuttle, junior, Orchard View High School in Muskegon, MI Today was a beautiful day, in fact it was my “Your Fault Day”. So I do take some credit for the great day. In the morning I worked on my worksite, which is away from the others. We are starting from almost nothing. We’ve already leveled the ground and dug post holes. Yesterday we had to carry the 350+ lbs. posts from the truck, uphill to the worksite. Today we started putting some posts up and hopefully we can soon start putting bricks up and making our structure start looking like a house. I think it will be really cool to start from nothing and finish with a completed house. The family that’s moving into the house and surrounding villagers of Talnique are really helpful. It’s a real eye opener to me because I occasionally catch myself complaining about the work. Then I realize I have nothing to complain about because they’re always working when we get to the site and are working well past when we leave and they never seem to complain. After working today, we went to an awesome resort on the beach for the afternoon and it was great. The water was refreshing, dinner was delicious, and the people were great. That’s all from me tonight folks from the Hotel Alamo. ~Riley Sophie Kartzman, freshman, Horseheads High School in Horseheads, NY This is my first time on the El Salvador trip. I am having an amazing time. I came here only knowing the few people from the Big Flats, NY area and now I have new friends from all across the U.S. This trip has introduced me to many new things. It showed me what real work is from building houses. It showed me the luck I’ve had throughout my lifetime. The kids here have to work. From the age of 5 they are shoveling mortar. The kids are so strong. Not only are they lifting plaques of cement, but they are mentally and emotionally strong as well. One day I was working on the scaffolding with a boy that was about 5 years old. He was helping me mortar. Then one moment I see him fall off from the top of the scaffolding. I was in shock and was expecting a different reaction, but there was nothing. He just sat there, no crying, not in shock. He was just looking up at me. I rushed down to see if he was okay and he ran up and took my sunglasses and put them on. I didn’t know what to expect but he just started helping again. I would’ve reacted so differently, even at my age.
6 Everything here is amazing. All the food I have had is amazing. I especially liked those daily peanut butter sandwiches, but the pizza at the Rotary president's house came in a close second. I am so thankful to be on this amazing trip, and I hope to come again in future years. ~Sophie Our love to all. More Thursday. Doug and the gang El Salvador--Thursday, 4/05/18 Received 11:00pm Breakfast today was pancakes, cereal, yogurt, orange juice, rolls and, of course, some real New Hampshire maple syrup compliments of Zak Abbott. Supper was baked potatoes, steamed veggies, chicken breasts, rolls, and beverage. The food is terrific! Well this was a busy day. We went to the Girl’s School in the morning and had a wonderful time. I am sure our students will tell you all about it in their reports. We ate lunch once again on the bus while traveling to Talnique. We took some of our first-timer adults to the local daycare center to show them what a few of my former NH Interactors worked on about three weeks ago when they were here. It was heartwarming to walk by the first homes that we worked on many years ago and to have the residents come out to talk with us. We also showed our adults some of the plaques that were affixed to the homes. These plaques told what club and where the club was from that helped build and pay for that particular home. Our conversation today with another policeman dealt with the gangs that are near Talnique. They don’t particularly like us, but understand that what we are doing is good for the area. They are just mad because we haven’t built them a home yet. We have seen more and more children with the remnants of chicken pox. It is too bad that most of them have picked off the scabs. The kids here love to be hugged and talked to, which is an indication that the parents don’t spend much time with them. Cell phones are turned in when we come back to the hotel. But about 4:30am a few of them start to sound their alarms. After you get out of bed and try to find the phone that has a rooster crowing with a nerve-destroying sound and then shut it off, going back to sleep is out of the question. Now from the students. ~Doug Julia Badders from Fall Mountain High School in Langdon, NH This morning we started the day at an all-girls school and made crafts with them. A group of the girls performed a dance for us and then danced with us. I can now confidently say that I am a great salsa dancer. We then went to the worksite where we continued our work on the houses. Today I interacted with the natives a lot more. A young girl gave me her necklace as a gift, an old woman gave me a small bird to hold, and a group of young girls cut hearts out of banana leaves for me. The bird was my favorite part of the whole day and I can’t wait to go back to Talnique tomorrow! ~Julia Brittany Berry from Houghton Lake High School located in Houghton Lake, MI Over the course of the last few days, I would say that everything has gone just how it was expected and the group has been very productive. Out of all of the culture experiences we have had so far, I personally can’t decide whether or not I enjoyed the ocean or the all-girls school the most. The ocean was a beautiful scene and a first-time experience with such amazing people. But the all-girl’s school was a heart-warming experience that nobody could ever forget. The dances, games, crafts, communications, and the bonds that were built with the young children of a different culture, can put you in an emotional mood, but in a fantastic way. The students welcomed us with loud screams, banners, and balloons; and were beyond excited to see our faces. I personally was so happy to give the children the happiness they deserved. But don’t let the fun fool you! All of the Interactors and chaperones here have busted their butts to give the families their homes that they deserve. ~Brittany Rose Lees, senior, from Forest Hills Northern, Grand Rapids, MI Even though I had the opportunity to come on this trip last year, I feel as if this is my first time visiting El Salvador. There is diversity amongst all of the students and that makes each trip unique. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have expectations from my last trip, but I have certainly not been disappointed.
7 It brought me to tears when I stepped off of the bus in Talnique on the first day and saw Barthrisa. She is the little girl that I fell in love with last year when I built her and her family’s house. I would rather totally stay with the families in Talnique all day than sightsee around El Salvador. Making those relationships is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Just the bus ride to the village is absolutely breathtaking on its own. The mountains seem never ending and they’re covered in huge luscious trees that go as far as the eye can see. I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything. It is truly something that I believe everyone should experience because it has changed the way I view my life and how I treat those around me. ~Rose Our love to all until next time, Doug and the hard working, slightly tanned gang El Salvador--Friday, 4/06/18 Received 11:00pm Hola everyone. Today was a busy day at work. The second home has a roof on it and house #5 has all posts up and walls are being worked on. Robbie Felder (Keene NH Interact alum) has poured one of the bedroom floors and has started on the second bedroom. We haven’t been this far along in the past few years. Today was hot, no breeze, no clouds, just hot sun. Later in the afternoon a breeze came up and it was actually rather chilly. Supper consisted of steak, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies and beverage. Food is great. The El Salvadoran Interactors are coming here tonight and I have told them they could stay until 9:30. Bedtime is at 10 tonight. Spirits are high, everyone is getting along, no problems, and I will be extremely surprised if we have problems. I am very pleased with our students and the chaperones as well. Now to hear from the students. ~Doug Andrea Elsesser, senior from Fall Mountain Regional High School in Langdon, NH Today was very hot and the sun was constantly shining. We got to Talnique around 9:00 am and worked until about 12:00. My work group had to level floors all morning! Most of the work was shoveling dirt in and out the rooms to try and make the floors level for the concrete we intend to pour on Sunday. Since it was only a half-day, I wasn’t as tired as I could have been. After eating lunch, we were brought down by the mayor into the town of Talnique, where we then rode in the back of trucks down a path towards a waterfall. We only got to ride for about ten minutes and then we had to walk down to the waterfall. We were excited to see the waterfall and take a quick swim. Everyone had a good time jumping off the rocks into the water. Afterwards, we got a short tour of the town and saw the church and the community center, as well as the playground where some of the guys play basketball. Overall it was a good day and I’m excited to see the progress we will make on our house after Sunday. ~Andrea Samantha Roman, Rotarian from Corning, New York We woke up again to a beautiful day here in El Salvador! Breakfast had a few more selections than yesterday, including a new favorite of mine rice and beans…who knew it would make such a great breakfast side! After our quick daily meeting, we hopped on the buses and took off for a HOT day of work. At my house, Casa 4, we continued working on leveling the floors. We only have two wheelbarrows and two levelers, so I took a little break and hung out with Abby, a little girl who lives on the backside of the hill. We played “pick me up and swing me” , a game the kids here love. Abby then showed me her house where she lives with her mom, grandma and I assume father who was at work. The mother, who is very sweet, let me know that her house was “muy feo” (very ugly) but she hopes that one day she will be able to have a nice house. Abby’s grandma showed me her roses and then gifted me a mango! The people we have met so far have been beyond kind and welcoming to us. After work we got to see the other side of Talnique. The mayor joined us to visit Cascada El Zapoton, a hidden away waterfall. The mode of transportation we took was new to many of us and very fun…shoveling 30 of us in the back of a truck and taking off down a dirt road! We were dropped off at the start of a short, but challenging, hike. The water was cool. The police escorted us out of the woods and to the local school. The town is very dusty but their uniforms are always SO CLEAN. We also stopped in the church, where a mass can be said in honor of a loved one for only $3…a bargain in my opinion. I took a nap on the bus ride home and when we arrived back at the hotel our yummy dinner was waiting for us. Looking forward to the next few days; the time here is flying! ~Samantha Thomas Shawl, junior, at Orchard View High School, Muskegon, MI Before I came on this trip, all of my friends that weren’t coming with me told me it was a bad idea. The reason they told me this is the trip is over my spring break and who would want to work over their entire spring break. Then I started to think that coming might be a bad idea. Now that I have been here, I have no regrets. I would not want to spend my spring break any other way. To start I have made many new friends including students from El Salvador. Also, it is very
8 heartwarming to see the little kids faces that you are building a house for. Also all the kids also want to play tag all the time. It keeps the workday entertaining and reminds me that it’s ok to take a break and be a kid sometimes. The trip has been a very good learning experience and you don’t even realize it because it is so fun. ~Thomas Will write again soon, Doug and the gang El Salvador--Sat. 4/07/18 at 11:19 PM Hola everyone, Breakfast: Sausage (hot dogs), ham, scrambled eggs, yogurt, orange juice, and 3 kinds of cereal. Today was culture day. We traveled to the Mayan Ruins (pyramids) and museum. Lunch was at one of the malls and everyone had a chance to get whatever they wanted. After we ate, we found an ice cream shop. Needless to say, I was looking for my rum raisin ice cream and they had it. Bingo for me! This afternoon we went to the Devil’s Door. This is a place that is very high up in the small mountainous region outside San Salvador. Our group was able to climb these rocks and the view the city. Merchants were out in force to sell their homemade crafts. While there we met up with the a gentleman from Portland, Oregon who runs a small orphanage. Following a semi-lengthly conversation, we swapped business cards. We will see where this goes from here. It is just sinking in that our time here is coming to a close and no one, no not one person, is looking to return when we feel that we need to do so much more. The love of the natives is infectious and the hugs and smiles have gone to the very core of our hearts. Hearts of our students have been exposed and soon the tears will flow. These will be tears of love and tears for separation from people who have become instant friends. I have truly enjoyed this trip. I have enjoyed getting to know your sons and daughters. I have enjoyed watching them interact with each other and form great bonds of friendship. I must admit that I too will miss them when they go back to their normal lives. I want to thank each one of you for having enough faith and trust in me to let me take your sons and daughters to a third world country. It is not very often that an almost complete stranger is allowed to do what we have all done. I am honored to have worked with your kids and look forward to following their progress as they go through high school or college. ~Doug Garrett Poulin, senior, at North Muskegon High School, Muskegon, MI At first I wasn’t sure about this trip due to the environment and a total misunderstanding of how people would interact with us. Now that I am here though, I wish I would have come earlier and really want to come back. My view on what El Salvador is has changed drastically and the things we have been doing have inspired me to want to do more. If I had a choice to come back, I would totally, no doubt, come back and do as much as I could. The people here, and the friends that I have made, are great. Even though I have just met them, I feel like I have known them my whole life. Even though I was uneasy about coming the first time, I would come back and do it all over again, because this is one of the best experiences I will ever have. ~Garrett Emily Mann, sophomore, at Mona Shores High School, Muskegon MI Today we got the opportunity to do some culture activities in El Salvador. We left from our adorable, homey hotel to go to the Mayan Ruins at about 8:30am. The Mayan Ruins were not totally excavated yet in hopes that future technology will give us a way to do that without harming the structures. But they were still really interesting to see. After viewing the Ruins and going through the museum, we went to a mall food court to have lunch. I had what can only be described as the El Salvadorian equivalent to McDonalds. For dessert some of us went to a little ice cream shop within the mall. Next we traveled to Devil’s Door. Devil’s Door can best be described as a mini-fairground centered around a mountain side view. At the market I came up with the idea of a white elephant exchange where everyone tries to find the weirdest thing they can for $3 and then we’ll exchange them later tonight. I can’t wait to see what everyone came up with! I’m having an amazing time and it’s crazy to think that we’re leaving this beautiful country on Tuesday. ~Emily Chloe Koupal, sophomore, Houghton Lake High School, Houghton Lake, MI So far the El Salvador trip is going well! I can officially say that I have felt an earthquake, played at an all-girl school, walked on the black sand beaches, made lots of new friends, and somehow been taught how to salsa dance. Though not to scare anyone, I will say I’ve only felt one of the earthquakes, and I was in the pool. We were at the hotel and it felt as if the ground under my feet just wobbled a little. Secondly, the all-girl school was wonderful, and a cute little place to dance and talk. I ironically ended up with the fourth grade girls (my mother’s a fourth grade teacher). I can tell you one thing though about moving to a Spanish-speaking country; know the language. The little girls ended up teaching me more than
9 I knew before. I've taken lots of pictures. We also went to the black sand beaches, which were beautiful. Although I will have lots of black sand in my hair when I come back, it was worth it. The adults who came with us to El Salvador are great too. Finally I learned how to salsa dance from some of the El Salvadorian kids, and it did take a little bit of practice, but it was worth it. Anyway just wanted to say it’s been a lot of fun here, and I don’t want to leave. ~Chloe Until next time, Doug and the culture-enriched gang Connie's note: Sorry the paragraph have been a little scrambled in some emails. Not sure why. El Salvador--Sunday 4/08/18 Received 10pm Good evening everyone, Today was different in that breakfast was not the best that we have ever had. We had 3 kinds of cereal, yogurt, oj, refried beans with rice and a mixture of hotdogs (their sausage) and cut up ham with rolls and coffee. Lunch was outstanding in that some of us had marshmallow fluff with our peanut butter and jam/jelly sandwiches. Yahoo! We were just told that we are having lasagna, rolls and beverage for supper. This sounds great. This morning our entire team played Chinese fire drills in that we all gave up our work teams and formed new ones. Part of us went to work on floors and another group went to mortar and put in panels on house #6 and #7. A group of 15 went to a canton to give away donations and another group of 15 went to another canton with donations. What an experience helping people find the right size clothing. The rest of us helped by holding and rocking the babies and very small kids, while mom went about picking out what was truly needed. I couldn’t believe the condition of roads out in the middle of nowhere. How people get in and out from where they live is truly a mystery. To see how the natives live in these remote areas is eye opening. It is also amazing to watch your kids in action with the adults and their children. We are still experiencing the late afternoon clouds covering the valley and then getting caught up in the air currents and dragged over the roads. With the clouds comes a very fine mist and cool weather, but no appreciable amount of rain. The ground is extremely dry and causes those who walk on the streets, to kick up a huge cloud of dirt that has the consistency of flour being blown about by an industrial powered fan. We are all doing fine and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. I do want to thank Connie (my wife) for all of the time that she has put in this week to keep you all up-to-date on the happenings of our trip this week. Without her help you would all be in the dark and not be "on this trip". ~Doug Jake Hamp, freshman, Houghton Lake High School, Houghton Lake, MI Today ended up as one of the more emotional days. We unfortunately realized our trip was coming to an end. Many people had developed strong bonds with the kids over the last week and it was one of their last chances to get in their final good-byes. The people of Talnique and our group were both crying. It's amazing how attached you can be with people over a short time and how much you can impact people's lives. They couldn’t stop thanking us and their thankfulness makes you feel really good about what you’re doing for them. It’s a feeling tough to describe. I teared up a bit when I saw our group and people of Talnique hugging and crying together. I can’t believe that it’s almost time to come home. I want to stay here and keep having fantastic days. The friendships we've made and the experiences we've had are amazing. I would totally recommend this trip. ~Jake Nikki Paulus, senior, Lowell High School, Lowell, MI This is my first trip to El Salvador. I was working in a different group than usual because the house I usually work on was not ready for any work to be done. Due to this, I worked with two other girls, a chaperone, and several of the villagers. We were “painting” the house with a mixture of cement and water—it was meant to be a base coat for when the owners wanted to actually paint their house. We had a fun time horsing around with the kids and everyone else involved. We finished moderately early so we had time to spend with the other children. Along the way, I found several adorable puppies that also occupied my time, and it was a challenge to leave them. At the end of the day, it got very emotional as everyone was saying their goodbyes—that is until we were told that we were to see them again tomorrow. Needless to say, tomorrow is most likely going to be pretty rough when it comes to goodbyes, so the hardest part is still to come. ~Nikki Ava Bentley, sophomore, Mona Shores High School, Muskegon, MI
10 Hola! Today was full of emotions for not only us Interactors, but many families of El Salvador as well. I was chosen to help with donations today, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Words cannot describe the gratitude the people of the villages had. Women walking in with five toddlers and a baby, trying to find something for everyone, children picking out a stuffed animal and toys, husbands gathering new work clothes, everyone so happy and content. With this being my second year, every day we are working in Talnique I am reminded why I chose to come back. The trip is slowly coming to an end, but I believe we all fulfilled the purpose of the trip. New friendships were made, smiles were worn, houses were built, and lives were forever changed. Tomorrow are good-byes, but I am excited to come back next year. Hasta pronto! ~Ava Griffin Rowell, Chaperone I am one of the veteran chaperones this year from Doug’s old Interact group in Keene, NH. I now reside in Sun Valley, ID. I cannot explain how happy I am to be back in El Salvador (7th trip at this point). The weather has been slightly cooler than in years past and it has made for very productive work days. My group had the opportunity to pour concrete floors in our house today. Mixing cement by hand is a labor-intensive job and our crew CRUSHED IT! Keeping it short here, as it’s more exciting to hear from the students anyways. ~Griffin Love to all, Doug and gang
El Salvador-Monday 4/09/18 Received at midnight Hola, Breakfast: pancakes, and the rest of the normal stuff that we have had. Lunch: p b & jelly Supper: baked potatoes, steamed veggies and steak. We will have ice cream cakes after our Rotaractor friends, who arrived tonight, finish with their activities for our members. This morning we had the Annual International Dust Bowl Soccer Tournament between the USA International team and the International Well Known team from Talnique, El Salvador. The final score was 4 to 5 (US). Other than the dust, which was something else and could have covered over a small house, it was a sight to behold!. Speeches tonight were moving and heartfelt. The students have a job now to go out and tell the story that they just lived. The Rotaractors and some Interactors have arrived to share in some icebreaking games and dancing. We have about 105 give or take 20 or 40--at this point no one knows or cares. The bonding that is going on is outstanding. Overall, this trip was a total and complete success. Your sons and daughters were very mature and polite. Thank you so much for letting our chaperones get to know them and for letting us love them in the same way that you have over the years. It is obvious to our adult staff that you have raised your children in a correct and successful manner. This will be our final email. Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions. Very best regards, Doug Mealey Rotary District 6290 Interact Coordinator Chase Plott, freshman at Houghton Lake High School, Houghton Lake, MI El Salvador has been an amazing and life-changing trip. I was able to learn how much one group can contribute to a single event and how they can impact the lives of many people. I was able to get out of my comfort zone and live life in the moment. I made a lot of friends that helped make this new and foreign experience seem familiar and welcoming. This entire trip has been completely surreal and has made me realize many things. I learned that any goal you or a group sets out to do can be accomplished if you try hard and put in your best effort. I was able to learn that differences are set aside when it comes to helping other
11 people and that you are your biggest critic. I was able to learn how to get over my insecurities for the benefit of others. I am happy to be able to say that I have touched the lives of many people and helped build multigenerational homes. Even though this trip has gone by way too fast and is coming to an end, I am still glad to have accomplished this major lifetime goal that many people can’t say they have even started. I will miss all of the friends I have made during this trip and I can’t wait until next year. Until then El Salvador. ~Chase Anneka Lindsay, junior at North Muskegon High School, Muskegon, MI This trip to El Salvador has been amazing. I was able to make memories and build better friendships than I ever believed possible in such a short amount of time. I absolutely loved visiting Talnique and playing with the children near the house I helped build. At first, I thought the language barrier would be a struggle, but it ended up not mattering because we could share laughter and smiles, and that was plenty. I am also so happy to have met other Interactors who also went on the trip. We were able to put our differences behind us and focus on the fact that we all chose to take a week out of our lives to help people. I can’t wait to come again. ~Anneka Claire Arnold, sophomore at Mount de Sales Academy in Reisterstown, Maryland Throughout this whole experience, I have received the opportunity to meet and help so many individuals in El Salvador. I have also been able to get to know people from throughout the United States. This trip has truly proved how fortunate we are to live in the US and to have all of our resources and opportunities that we are unaware of during our daily lives. My favorite part of the trip was visiting the girls at the elementary school and getting to see their smiling, happy faces. Each one of them was so delighted that we were there and could not stop smiling and showing their gratitude for us. Thank you all for your support throughout this trip and leading up to it. We are all extremely grateful. Connie's note: Tuesday (now today) everyone will be up extremely early, if they slept at all, to leave the Hotel Alamo and go to the airport. All 70 will be on 8 different flights going home. You can follow their flight on www.flightaware.com . We want to thank all the chaperones from all over the US who took their vacation time from work to be on this trip. We hope you also enjoyed your time on the trip. If there are any concerns or sickness after the trip, please contact us. Good night/morning from all of us, ~Doug and Connie
