2nd Pathways to a Sustainable Future: Day 3

Day 3: July 6th - Travel to Villemi, on the way to Olimpo

Before traveling to Olimpo, we stopped by the Mennonites’ cow slaughterhouse, which was an interesting experience for us all to see. But most of all the reason why we were all shown this was to see how the Mennonites were able to create something out of nothing. No one believed they could build such a place because of the limited amount of water they have in the community. Despite the odds, they were able to create a way to store and re-use water for their community and factories. While traveling on the bus, we bonded together by singing songs, talking, and playing cards. It was a good use of our time being able to come closer together and prepare ourselves for our work in Olimpo.

The participants are having an overall positive experience. "Even though we speak different languages, we can still feel God’s love wherever we go in this group. I'm so happy and amazed! I can't imagine what it will be like in the end,” said Gabriela Pantoja from Columbia. She is moved by God’s love and everyone’s warm embrace towards each other. Language barriers can be challenging to work with, but they can also lead to something beautiful because of the connections that form between people in spite of our differences. It is important for all of us to remember this as we head to Olimpo, where many people will speak Guarani and may not speak Spanish. Through shared activities such as laughter, singing, dancing, and art, we can create beautiful relationships that transcend language