Tanya's Comments

Hello Friends- or should I say, Hola Amigos!!!

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond- I have been caught up in a
whirlwind of activity since I came back-taking care of business in NY,
having family visit in Miami, and getting engaged : ) -and I finally
have a minute to exhale and catch up with you all.

I can't say enough how extremely fortunate I feel to have had the
opportunity to volunteer in San Pedro de Casta. To be in such a remote
village, close to the top of the world, and know that we contributed to
the lives of the people there by painting a few houses, building two
stoves, and teaching English, was a completely meaningful experience
and I look forward to doing more of the same in my life. I loved the
children there, and felt like I made a connection with a few whom I
taught English to- I was so proud to hear them practicing outside of
school. Though the accomodations and lack of variety in the food were a
little tough to bear at times (Carl and Jane covered it in their
evaluations), I was always reminded of the context that they were in,
i.e., they were a luxury compared to the homes in the village, and that
made it easier to cope with. It also reinforced how fortunate we are in
the US- I will never take anything for granted again.

It was such a gift to have Javier as our coordinator- with his
even-keeled disposition, warm personality, great sense of humor, and
commitment to making a difference in San Pedro, we were really blessed
to have had this amazing experience led by him. Our time there was
further enriched by sharing it with Jane, Rob, and Brett. I really
admire Jane for bringing the boys out of their comfort zone to show
them a culture so different from their own, and it was heartwarming to
see them step up and get the work done- not to mention that I had so
much fun with them! And I admire Jane even more for her stand on the
[unepxected] dog sacrifice issue [as part of a local ceremonial ritual
Globe Aware had never been a part of in the past}- I know how horrible that experience was,
especially for her being such an animal lover, but she didn't let it
overshadow the rest of her time there.

All in all, I will always look back at this special experience with
pride and fond memories- thank you for sharing it with me. I have tons
of pics that I will upload in the next few days- I also want to send
some hard copies to Jane and the people of San Pedro through Jav, so
please send your mailing addresses when you have a chance.

Sending you all my very best wishes for love, peace, and laughter,
Tanya