Amazon time comes to an end

The last two days I the amazon have been full with many experiences.

Our mornings were consumed with working on finishing the foundation jobs we could, to get the project off to a very solid start . Day 4 found us back working in pouring rain which hindered the progress . Thankfully our final day is cloudy, hot and muggy but we are able to complete all those things that we set out to do. Many in the community are also out this day and much work is accomplished. Then comes the really hard part: Saying goodbye. It's always amazing to me how relationships can take a deep root in ones heart after such a short period of time. Many photos are taken on this day with children and adults whom we have worked side by side with . Tears are shed, games are played one last time together and some of the community children have prepared a special dance as a thank you to us. It's hard to leave and we will all want to follow the progress of this project.

It's clear to me as we depart the village for the last time that this experience has been transformational in the teens lives and it will shape their perception of the world, their place in it and choices they will make as individuals. The next steps of integrating will be important learning blocks for all of us. Me to We has done a very good job in providing resource people to guide this process and project as well as reflective journals. I continue to be impressed with many things about this organization and it's philosophical framework.

In the afternoons we visit a cocoa farm and learn about the economics of chocolate and export and Ecuador. In most cases, the farmers themselves see very little of the profit do the chocolate industry as the middlemen get most of the profits and the farmers bear all of the risk. The second afternoon has us visit the community Mondana, next to the Minga lodge where we are staying. We walk the short distance to this community and see its school, it health clinic and spend an hour with the women's cooperative where we are shown the techniques and the jungle resources that are used to make the handicrafts they sell. We get the opportunity to purchase from them as well. There is quite an age range of women involved in the cooperative and even a few men!

In the evening we have the opportunity to go an night walk to see some of the critters that only come out at night. This was one of the experiences that I was really looking forward to. We see some interesting bugs, spiders, frogs etc. but unfortunately no snakes which was what I was really hoping to see. The group was to large and noisy I think, for these timid creatures to be seen.

And so I leave the amazon learning many things. Leanings about the people who live in this region, their lifestyle and their hopes and dreams. Learnings about the environment here, it's diversity and it's fragility, the interdependence and the harshness of survival. Learnings about communities and the concept of Mingas for accomplishing community goals and projects. Learnings about how people change and grow by being challenged and being in relationship and how this makes an indelible impact. Learnings about spirituality and other ancient forms and the commonalities we share. Learnings about myself and where I'm willing to take risks and where I'm less inclined to do so. And even learning a little bit of Spanish- just a little though to my ongoing challenge with languages.

It has been a real privilege to be in this part of the world, to meet some incredible people, to form some new partnerships and to take away some new learnings. Another long bus ride back to Quito and then an early flight to the Galapagos in the morning ..