Dreaming about El Salvador!

I have never been so excited to share and to talk to people about any of my past trips. We are just weeks away from diving into a new completly different culture for which I am absolutely excited for. I have being having some difficulty trying to find money to pay the rest of the trip since one of my scholarships was cut this semester and I had to pay for school on my own, but “primero dios” everything will be fine. I am having my first fundraising this Monday, where I will be selling “choco-flan” to raise money for my trip. Our local church here in Alamosa is making me do a little presentation about my trip to El Salvador for which I am already prepared and ready to explain them why they should fund us!

In the other side is my family; they have been extremely helpful, sharing my trip to anyone they know might be interested in it! They are also helping me with some money to buy the ingredients for the cake as well as help me sell some of them. My friends are playing a really important role as well, as they all have offered me help cook and sell. I feel this trip has make me reconnect with some old friends and some people around the community for which I am really happy to see and talk about this great opportunity.

Some of my friends unfortunately can’t help me financially but I know if they could they would, however they are going to keep us in their prayers now, during and after the trip to El Salvador. Throughout all this process trying to find money for the trip to El Salvador, I have been thinking about our last week’s assignment which was to read about two scholarship students in the program. I relate my personal struggle trying to find the money to their daily struggle to succeed and to accomplish their individual dreams.

I have been thinking about this trip every day: how is this trip going to benefit my community? How is this trip going to help me have a different understanding about social justice and living as humbly as possible? I am thinking, how am I going to benefit from this amazing opportunity? I hope to learn as much as I can and to share and impact some of their lives in a meaningful way and I hope they influence my life as well! I have been reading about all the students and thinking about me and what would I do if I was in their situation?

I know this trip will make me a better person and I certainly hope to make long life friendships with my brothers and sister down in El Salvador!