a long week in training

The summer has officially begun for the volunteers. Last Wednesday they arrived en masse at the Asuncion airport - all of them wearing their blue AMIGOS polo shirts, carrying lots of neon-colored American luggage, and behaving like rowdy teens behave.

We had an intense 5 days of training, which included individual interviews, partner pairings, and community assignments, as well as various small-group discussions on things like culture shock, sensitivity around the role of NGO workers, how to plan and give health-related seminars in their communities, and some basic language instruction in Guarani. The kids also had plenty of time to play soccer, relax in the hammocks, participate in massage circles, and stay up late. I, on the other hand, don´t think I stopped for a personal pause the whole time. My nerves were on edge from the beginning tolls of culture shock and the task of taming a wild group of 60 teenagers. Yesterday they all left for their communities, truckload by truckload, and this morning I am finally catching my breath. In a strange physical manifestation of the state of my mental health, I was literally gulping breaths of air last night as I tried to fall asleep...

Yesterday morning I was fascinated to watch the volunteers get ripped from their comfort zone and placed in living situations tougher than anything they´ve experienced or ever will find themselves in again. I saw, as my mother saw in me the day I left for AMIGOS in June of 2000, their jovial grins and goofy struts replaced with an introspective look in their eyes and a utterly serious set to their shoulders. This was it.

I said good-bye to Stephanie and Jasmine as they squeezed into the front cab of a tiny Toyota pick-up and left Caacupe for their community, Mariscal Estigarribia. I gave healthy hugs to Julia and Katie as they threw their packs in the back of SENASA´s dusty vehicle and left on the bumpy road to Jhugua Guazu. Then I literally jammed myself in between the mayor of Caacupe and Sr Amalio (the SENASA engineer helping out in two of my communities) on top of the emergency brake in the front seat of another truck, as my four remaining volunteers squeezed themselves into the backseat. We spent a painful hour on those famous rock-paved roads, watching the countryside, and taking it in. Daisy and Alex were dropped off in Barrio Libertad, and I finished the trip with Ari and Drew - then spent the afternoon helping them get to know the roads around their community and playing soccer with a few kids in the houses nearby.

Like I said, I saw something amazing yesterday. These kids are becoming adults. I am so excited to visit them this week and see how everything is coming along. And although I have only known them a few short days, I am already touched by their dedication and their strength, and proud of who they are going to become.