Tres Niveles

This past weekend was the time during training where all the trainees visit current volunteers, and so the 33 of us set off to meet 33 other volunteers out of the 150. Before I left I was told by my spanish teacher that there are three types of volunteers: a volunteer, a really good volunteer, and a super volunteer.

I got Jed "Benjamin" Byers, super volunteer.

He lives in the department of Sonsonate in a Caserio named El Tular. He replaced another volunteer named Martin who was also a super volunteer and is still infamously known in El Tular. He had lots of English classes, created scholarships, and literally built a bridge in his site. Needless to say, Benjamin had big shoes to fill, and I believe he already has done so and has more than a year to do even more projects and development.

The first day I met Jesus, which was not as emotional as my first encounter with him when I was a child at an Easter service in Church, but just as exciting to stay with him in his house in a Canton called San Lucas. Bejamin and I went to this pueblo nearby for his second English class that had around 45 students. It was a beginner level class, but it was very exciting and it was a great example of what a typical English class looks like.

The next day we walked around a lot to collect money for a stove project that Martin, the previous volunteer, started and that Benjamin has continued to promote. It basically allows the people who buy these stoves to save money on buying wood and it also decreases the amount of smoke so it makes it healthier for the environment and the people living in the house.

The best part about this whole trip is that Martin, who left El Salvador in November of 2008, was here on vacation and I got to meet him. It was amazing, and I got to be a part of an English class with Martin the ex volunteer, Benjamin the volunteer, and myself the trainee. We were a part of an advanced class with 9 guys and they were super hilarious, brilliant, and a few them will probably get scholarships to study in the USA.

An amazing weekend.
Beautiful people.
Lots of love.
and sweat.
Sweet sweat.