Seeds of Learning is incredibly grateful to the members of the National Honors Society at Sunset High School in Portland. Throughout the 2016-2017 school year, club members worked together to raise $3,500 for our Reading Campaign in Nicaragua. Below is a letter from one of the students highlighting their work. [. . .]

Talking about SOL’s work in her community, “Very good, they have taught us a lot. We have learned many things; the kids and the volunteers have had fun. It’s a marvelous experience.”

“Muy bonito, nos han enseñado bastantes. Hemos aprendido muchas cosas, los niños y los voluntarios se h [. . .]

Click to read this blog by Veronica Winters, entitled “The miracle of traveling to Nicaragua: how it changed my perception.”

“We are happy because they gave us a school. We needed it for preschool. Hi to all of the volunteers who came here.”

“Estamos alegre porque nos dieron esta escuela, la necesitábamos para preescolar. Les mando un saludo a todos los voluntarios que vinieron aquí.”

“This trip was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. Thanks to your scholarship I was able to learn from these children and adults and hopefully let them learn from me as well. I went into this trip afraid of the future and a bit afraid of the world, but I came home with a hunger for ad [. . .]

“I am very proud of this beautiful park, thanking first God and then to SOL. It was a dream made real and we hope that SOL always continues helping in all the projects that come to the community. Thank you very much and may God bless you.”

“Estoy muy orgullosa por este bello parque, agradeciéndole p [. . .]

“My service trip to Nicaragua was an experience that has altered my life forever. It has not merely expanded my view of the world. I have found the goodness in people and a depth within myself I never thought possible.  Now that I have returned to the United States, I have taken every opportunity to rekindle a simple [. . .]

“My son Jackson came back from Nicaragua simply brimming with joy from this past trip. I didn’t think it was possible for him to enjoy himself more than last year, but by all measures he most certainly did! The connections they make with the children and adults in Nicaragua are profound; the friendships they sea [. . .]

We started the morning by heading off to El Papayal to say goodbye to our new friends. It’s very hard to believe that two groups of people, especially those with limited language in common, can become so attached in just one weeks time, but today was evidence that it is very possible!

We brought a swimming p [. . .]

So let me go back and start where I left off. La Laguna de Apoyo was breathtaking! The sunrise with these beautiful young people was sweet! Watching their pure love of nature as they swam and played in the water from 5:30am until breakfast at 8 was a total treat. I even swam quite a ways out into the lake and simply floa [. . .]

Thursday morning was our last day working in the community already. We really got a lot accomplished! It was super sweet to see how many people from El Papayal joined us over the course on the week. It will be hard to say goodbye on Saturday!

After more of the same bending, cutting, and building with wires of all [. . .]

Today we started the days in El Papayal working on the classroom just as yesterday. The jobs were the same as yesterday and our kids as hard working and engaged as always. The activity of the day was an Easter egg hunt that was over in about 5 minutes! I don’t think that I mentioned yesterday that the kids learned [. . .]

We started the morning with more of the same building activities at the school, except for the addition of one job, searching for river rocks that could be used as part of the construction. When the community kids noticed that our kids were collecting rocks, they went out and gathered rocks in piles on the side of the ro [. . .]

What can I tell you about the day? We arrived in El Papayal at about 8:45 and received instructions on several jobs. Our group just started in and worked hard moving cinder blocks, cutting rebar, bending metal poles, cutting wire and digging trenches. They worked hand and in hand with the community and got to know them a [. . .]

Wow! This heat is CRAZY! This morning we got to meet the families of Papayal, the community in which we will be working. There are about 150 people in the community and they have been using a metal storage container for the students in 3-5 grade and we are going to help build a real classroom that will not be a hotbox an [. . .]

To say that my experiences with Seeds of Learning in the communities of Villa Japón and Las Delicias were life-changing would be an understatement; I believe that the work that this organization does with volunteers in rural Nicaraguan communities is potentially world-changing.

[. . .]