Sophomore Ellen Smith (third from left) and junior Carly Baker (far right) loved the mission trip and service project experience. “It’s so much different than just talking about different cultures in history class. Really being there and living it was just awesome,” Baker said. Photo contributed.
By Kelsey Schnieders
This summer, three PHS students and one of PHS’s own Spanish teachers, Mrs. Delia Gadziola, traveled to Panama for a service project and mission trip. Emily Gadziola, freshman; Ellen Smith, sophomore; and Carly Baker, junior; applied for the trip and greatly enjoyed the rich, two-week-long experience.
“Our main purpose was serving the town of La Concepción, Panama,” Smith said. “We did a service project and stayed with families there,” she added. Baker said that she wanted to travel to Panama to experience different cultures from other parts of the world. The application process was grueling, but all three girls said it was more than worth it. “They want to get to know you so they can put you in a family that has things in common with you,” Emily Gadziola explained, referring to the fact that they stayed with host families during their time in Panama.
Although serving La Concepción, a town on Panama’s east coast, was the main purpose of the trip, Emily Gadziola says that they visited everywhere. “We went to Panama City to see the Panama Canal. We went to an indigenous village, and we lived in Chiriqui for a week with our family where we also did our service project (painting a school gym) and other activities as well,” she said. Baker said that they even visited a volcano, a black sand beach and spent a day in Costa Rica.
In reference to the daily schedule while they were in Panama, Baker said, “We woke up with the rest of the kids and walked to the school with them and spent the whole school day doing things to make their school better. We made them a basketball court and a garden and fixed other things they needed.” They got up at 7:00 each morning for breakfast and to get ready for school. At noon, they had lunch and played soccer with the kids, then were free to do their own activities. “Then you would eat with your family and afterwards we would dance till it was time to go to bed,” Emily Gadziola said.
As Panama has a very different culture, their foods are vastly different from that of the United States as well. All of the girls said they had chicken and rice with almost every meal. Smith said she enjoyed the food, and explained that most of the drinks were made from fruits as well. Emily Gadziola said, “We also had some different things for breakfast too, such as jello mixed with milk or chicken with french fries, or a ham and cheese sandwich and of course chicken and rice.” Baker said the food was good at first, but by the end of the trip she was literally sick from it.
Being in another country where people speak all Spanish was very difficult. “Having to be in a house that only spoke Spanish was challenging,” Smith emphasized. Emily Gadziola agreed, saying, “It was hard to overcome the language barrier at first but it got easier. I had to point to things all the time to try to communicate.” Baker said she never went anywhere without her Spanish/English dictionary. They all agreed though that being so immersed in the language greatly helped improve their Spanish speaking skills.
Panama is a beautiful country, and so of course all three girls had a favorite part. “We saw some beautiful things, from rivers to beaches to rainforests. And not only could we look, we could go on the beach. We could swim in the river and hike through the rainforest too,” Smith said, adding that she also enjoyed making new friends, who she still keeps in contact with through Facebook. Baker felt the same, adding, “They have the biggest hearts and everyone is so caring and open.” Emily Gadziola said the same about the people, noting that one night after returning from dinner near the border of Costa Rica, they came across a man who had slipped and wrecked on his motorcycle. Instead of just driving by and thinking someone else would help, everyone got out and helped him out. “It was life-changing,” she said.
“Sometime in my life I would love to return to the people I met there,” Smith said. Baker wanted to reconnect as well, saying, “I promised my family from Panama I’d come back.” The girls all unanimously agreed that being in another country is something everyone should experience. “It’s so much different than just talking about different cultures in History class, really being there and living it was just awesome,” Baker said. Smith added, “You become so much wiser, having learned and watched so many differences in life and culture. It made me grateful for all I have in the U.S.”
They all agree that spending two weeks immersed in another country’s culture was a great experience. Not only were their service projects of great benefit for the school children in Panama, but they all believe they came out of the experience changed as well.