by Sabrina Redlingshafer

The week of March 17-22, a total of 3 seniors, 18 juniors and 5 chaperones set off to Playa San Diego, La Libertad, El Salvador for a mission trip. While in El Salvador, the girls were divided into three teams led by chaperones Karen and Sean Miller, Barb McCormick, Bob Schloegel and Jennifer Greene. The girls went to different work sites throughout the week, where they completed a variety of jobs including painting churches, building latrines, plastering walls and playing with children at the local schools.

“Playing with the kids usually meant playing soccer, blowing bubbles or coloring,” junior Siobhan Miller said.

One area the girls worked and built in was Soyaponga, El Salvador, the second most populated area in the country.

According to senior Julia Hammond, the group would build or paint in the morning, then play with the kids during the afternoon, and convene around 4 p.m. to swim in the ocean or pool in the backyard of the house they stayed in.

There were three rooms available in the house, fitting seven to eight girls to a room with no air conditioning. Meals were provided by a cook in the house.

On their one free day, the group traveled to the beach and hiked at El Puerta del Diablo. Other activities throughout the week included visiting local markets and attending mass.

Overall, the experience provided the girls with an insight to the living conditions in El Salvador and the importance of service.

“It was really cool to see how happy the locals are with how little they have,” senior Julia Hammond said. “It taught me how blessed I am to have the things I do.”