Here we are again in beautiful Silencio! Our second group has worked for the past two days with copious amounts of energy and enthusiasm. They have painted the rest of the inside of the school cafeteria and will begin designing and painting a mural tomorrow. The mural will include a Spanish and English blessing and feature typical fruits and dishes that local students eat.

Our crew has also filled in two-thirds of our service ramp with concrete. Aided by an upbeat soundtrack, they have mixed each batch of concrete by hand, depositing and leveling it into an angled frame that will then be removed once the concrete dries. For many of our students, this was the first time they have ever worked with concrete and many have commented that they would like to put their new expertise to work at home.

Finally, our second batch of students have readied the other section of broken sidewalk for new concrete. They removed all the dirt, rocks, weeds, and broken concrete lodged between the sidewalk cracks. They then washed the whole thing down with water so that all the surfaces were clean and free of debris. In the next few days, they will mix more concrete to reinforce and level this part of the sidewalk.

Our group celebrated all our hard work today by climbing up to a local lookout high atop one of the many rolling hills around Silencio. With local kids as our guides, we hiked the steep and windy path, passing grazing cows and horses along the way. At the peak, we could see all of Silencio, the majestic Lake Arenal, and the tiny towns that surround it. We were truly on top of the world! Appreciating the incredible view, we realized how lucky we are to be in a community of such immense beauty, both inside and out.