This morning we woke up at a ripe 7 am to head over the the bibliotheca to set up dishes for breakfast. We ate and cleaned up, and then we headed over to our first service construction site. We split into two groups, but both groups were setting up foundations for a house for the people of San Lucas! We endured the heat and physical labor, but the view while doing so made the work well worth it! We got to talk to the locals and practice our Spanish while learning about more about their culture. After that, we went back to the biblioteca for lunch. We then went back to the hotel for some bonding time by our small pool. There were a lot of laughs shared!

The most influential part of our day was visiting the Women’s Center of San Lucas. We participated in a cooking class and got to have amazing conversations with the women! It was interesting to teach them English, as well as them teaching us Spanish. We learned the names of the ingredients and tools we were working with, and so many connections were made between our group and the women. We made mango and strawberry pies from scratch, and they were delicious! It was truly an immersive experience and we felt so empowered and inspired by the women of the center. After having a impactful afternoon, we went to the Park in town for some leisure time. Some of us played basketball with the children while others went to go try a reputable local coffee shop. Lastly, we went back the biblioteca for dinner. We headed back to the hotel for reflection time, and then headed to bed for a well needed rest.

~ Madie and Sarah

The view from one of the worksites
Sifting through the stones for concrete
Tying rebar wire
Our mango pies and strawberry pie in the back
Slices of pie they shared with us! So good!