Day 10: January 7th, 2017
Today was our adventure day. We spent the day going by boat to Punta Sal. There we went on a hike in the rainforest, swam through a tunnel in the ocean, went snorkeling, and had lunch at the beach. It was an exciting day for all us! We have two more work days before we conlcude this trip. Depending on the weather we may or may not finish painting the sidewalks.
Day 11: Sunday January 8th
The weather changed today. Heavy rains poured down, and the sea swelled and it was impossible to work on the park. So, we spent the day practicing our performance, which we are planning to present to the community; and doing reflective activities to share and review our experiences.
Despite the weather we made the most of the day. Some participants even went swimming in the pool despite the storm. In fact, it was warmer in the pool then it was outside.
Day 12: January 9th
The heavy rains let up today long enough for us to go to the park for a final time to polish the mosaic benches. As we finished our work the rain began again - great timing! The participants felt some disappointment because we were unable to paint the sidewalk and mosaic the obelisk however, we made a plan for two of the Honduran participants to return next week and work together with the community to paint the sidewalk and finish the work on the obelisk.
We concluded the project with a community gathering at the Cultural Center not far from the park. There we performed a song titled "Colores de Esperanza" (Colors of Hope) and we danced to the song "Happy" by Pharrell. It was a very joyful event. The community people and project members took many photos together within a frame we made for the event. Others sang and danced with us creating a strong sense of solidarity. Everyone had the "time of their lives."
In the evening we gathered for two more reflective activities followed by a written evaluation of the project. Finally we participated in a flower exchange as we thanked one another for their contribution ito the project. The next morning a short graduation ceremony was held on the bus with the handing out of certificates.
Pictures can be found on the Facebook page: "Honduras PeaceIN Peace Park Project"
The link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-2vsBvFq8c