Trip1, Day 1

“If you listen to your fear and give into it, you’ll surely die”- Frosty Henderson

My favorite professional surf guru said this line to one of his protégé’s and it has been something I have always tried to think of when making big choices in my life. I have been on service trips before, both internationally and stateside, but none of them have been anything like the Guatemala Help Week. I was scared to take a chance on a trip I knew so little about and would barely know any of the other participants, but then again, like Frosty said, “if we listen to our fears and give into them, we will surely die”. So I took a chance and went against my fears and I’m extremely happy that I did.  Today was day one on the work site, and everyone involved

worked all day without one complaint, as hard as they could. With our combined efforts, the Clemson and Scranton volunteers were able to dig out and lay foundation for two separate homes. The two families we are building for are neighbors, and very welcoming and friendly. It has only been one day of working, yet we have already accomplished much and made a major impact on various lives. The impact is not only made on the locals who we have been blessed to meet, but also with us, who are lucky to be in such an amazing place with each other. I truly can’t wait to see what the days to come hold for our group. I don’t exactly know what to expect but a few things are certain. We will have an amazing time, and help a lot of people who deserve it! - Sean Thompson

After a hard day at work, I’m just excited to see what comes next. What at first seemed to look like a random group of Scranton and Clemson students, family members, and local Guatemalan workers immediately turned into one big unified family. While the work that we had to go through was difficult on the first day, I definitely enjoyed the group’s cooperative efforts from all the students, family members, and Guatemalan workers; I was just amazed at the large amount of work we already accomplished. What I even enjoyed more is being able to spend time with the family during our lunch break and being able to interact with the little kiddies! While playing Fred’s version of the Olympic Games was entertaining, I enjoyed more being able to learn about the family members’ lives, even though my Spanish communication skills were not on par. The smiles on the children’s faces as I noticed while working is what makes me feel very content and keeps me going to work more. What at first was just a barren landscape of just dirt was soon filled with trenches and the first block layer of the house’s foundation by the end of the day. I just cannot wait to see until Friday when the house is complete and to see the family in their new home.  -Kishan Patel