Final Days in Belize!

I'm sorry for slacking the rest of the week on the blog. The weather really mixed things up on us and I found myself too exhausted to write at night time and opted to rest. So let me catch you up on how the rest of the trip went… 

My brothers sleeping alike. Aw.
I know they'll find this photo
embarrassing but its too cute
not to share :-)

Wednesday was rainy. Very rainy. We spent the morning mostly relaxing and trying to figure out what we would do with soccer camp. The weather was potentially too windy and rainy (equating to cold) for the kids. Right before we had to make the call the skies cleared as if the soccer Gods knew that missing a day of soccer was simply not meant to be. We headed over to Holy Cross just in time to catch the first way of 5-7 year olds coming out of school at 1:45. We had limited time with them today since the big kids got out early, at 2:15. Of course, the little ones are welcome to come to the big field with us (which a few of them do) but the problem is that it is a short 5 minute walk from the school and the little little kids opt to go home after our after school program with them. There is not much space at the school, but just enough to have the little ones practice at the school unit the big kids get out. 

We jumped straight into our "World Cup" game. This is a huge hit and with the little ones we divide them up into 3 teams and see which one can get score 10 goals on Coach Luke, who is our superstar Goalkeeper! 

The game ended just in time for the older kids to get out. We could see the weather looming and even though many of our usual kids went home, a lot of the kids came out to play and we had enough for a big scrimmage! We divided our 25 kids and coaches into teams and just played a fun game for an hour. This was all we could fit in. The visible sheet of rain was coming towards us. The storm looked even more menacing in contrast to the bright turquoise water beneath it. The rain had been spitting a little but since the big storms as on its way we ended the game with just enough time for the kids to get home before getting drenched. 

We took a rainy ride home, showered up and went to pick up dinner at Robin's, a great chicken place right down the street that is only $6 a plate- A renowned spot on the island and in travel books. We took the chicken back to our place and ate under the community "hut" that used to be a restaurant (lack of customers turned it into a card-playing, family-eating community spot). A couple of groups sat playing cards while we devoured our food vowing to go back to Robin's at least one more time. A little bit of reading and then I ended up passing out early. 

The next day the kids got out of school at 12:00. Waking up early, we enjoyed a great breakfast and the sun. The boys swam in the ocean, I did some yoga by the pool, and then we all got ready and headed up to the school. 

Since all of the kids got out at the same time we had to walk the little ones over with us. Coach Deb and Cille were to begin their "picture" project with the kids but in order for this to happen we needed a photo.so right as the kids came out of school we gathered them all up and took a few photos. Someone from the island newspaper even showed up for the picture! 

The plan was to make picture frames that said "More Than Futbol 2014" and have the kids decorate their frame with stickers and this would be a gift on the last day. 

Once we got to the school, we got started with a normal day of camp. 2v2s, World Cup, and the stepover and lunge fake were on the agenda. Coach Deb and Cille brought a huge tarp and held it down with stones so the kids could sit and work on their picture frames (this was a big hit). Surprisingly, even the older boys got into it! 

The kids had a blast at camp and we ended in a scrimmage. Everyone was having so much fun that we ended up having camp for almost 4 hours! 

We were thankful to see the sun, but boy was it hot out there. We all got scorched by the sun and decided to nix our "Cookout" idea opting for a shower and a relaxing dinner out. After showering, we all headed out to "Wild Mangos", another hotspot on the island. I liked it, it was unique, but I'm not a "salad-eating" kind of girl if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I love a good salad, but after that hot day in the sun I was HUNGRY and in need of a little more food. It's okay, I can always top myself off with a double-scoop of chocolate ice cream. Before you start doubting my healthy diet let me just say- everyone should be allowed to indulge a little when traveling! You have to taste all of the flavors… carribean, mango, coconut, and even the chocolate is unique. (Okay, its not unique, but bare with me, I'm a chocolate lover!) 

I stopped by after dinner to see my friend, Paulina, who runs a stand in the town square. She is from Chile, her husband from Argentina and they are artisans who moved to the island 18 years ago, selling their jewelry to tourists. It's very awesome unique and beautiful craftsmanship! Paulina is my first friend on the island and I have kept in touch with her every since my first year (via Facebook, of course). She has a son that goes to Holy Cross, who, I just found out, skipped from 6th to 8th grade! Go Antu!

We went back home to get an early nights sleep for an early morning. As it turns out, all Belizean teachers were going on strike and so there was no school on Friday. We were really worried this would affect our turn out for camp as we usually usher kids right out of school over to the soccer fields. We told all of the kids on Thursday that we would have camp at 10am Friday morning. 

At 10am we had 10 kids at the field :-( What a bummer- last day, awards day, last chance to see the kids. We decided to play a scrimmage to end the camp and the coaches could all fill in for more numbers. Well, 1 by 1 the kids started to trickle in and before you knew it we had a huge game with 25 kids going! It was super fun and a great way to end camp! Afterwards we had a ceremony where we called the kids up 1 by 1 and they had to go down the line and shake each coach's hand and then were presented with the framed picture they had created. Deb and Cille and brought print cartridges and photo paper and printed all the pictures out at the school the day before. 

It was a great gift because all of the kids were able to go home with something special to remember their fun time at camp. 

Then we had 4 big camp awards. The awards were difficult to give out because each award, regardless of the name of the award, focused on the same criteria: hard work ethic, encouraging towards teammates, positive attitude, and helpful to the coaches. Basically, the most well-behaved campers were given awards emphasizing the things we try to encourage the most at camp: Respect and Positive Attitude! Lewis and Ronan were two awesome brothers that attended camp who received the "Coach's Award" with another camper named Edwin. Carla received the award for Sportsmanship, Gabriel, received the MVP. At 7 years old, Gabriel really surprised us this year with his upbeat and positive attitude as 2 years ago he was SO shy that he literally didn't even speak.

Many pictures later, we reluctantly left the kids with a promise: "See you next year!" 

It is always sooooo sad to leave. After such a wonderful time with the kids and forming some great bonds, we wish we could be there to play with them always. 

On the way back into town we stopped for a Waraguma lunch. Lobster kabob? Yes, please. WIth Robin's closed on Saturday, I also picked up a plate of that on the way home and basically left no room for dinner. That evening we went through the streets and checked out all of the artisan stands. I bought a few pairs of earrings (I like the unique ones that you can't find at home) and a BEAUTIFUL necklace. Paulina's Chilean friends had, in their travels, purchased an amethyst stone from a stone craftsman in Mexico and with their silver smithing skills they sculped this BEAUTIFUL pennant. I love it. Maybe the coolest thing I have bought). 

On the last day, Caitlin, Deb, and Cille, decided to take a trip into Tikal, Guatemala, a MASSIVE Mayan Ruins place to visit. 

That is probably the best part of this trip- you make a huge difference and have the opportunity to spend the week on a beautiful Caribean Island and see some amazing sights. 

We slept in, I did some morning yoga and then convinced the boys to go into town to "Estel's" breakfast and lunch spot which is very fun. They have a musician who plays music and their food is great and right on the beach. Great way to start the day. After a long, relaxing breakfast we walked around town. I bought my Dad some coffee and then we went back to the condo. It wasn't too long after we arrived back at the condo that the Massage Therapist arrived. Scott, Luke, and Kevin had 3 massage therapist come out earlier in the week and they got massages side by side under the hut in front of the water outside. It being our last day, I decided to go for it and Luke decided to go for round 2! $40/hour or $60 for 90 minutes… and, it was awesome. Great massage overlooking the Caribbean! After the massages we showered up and went into town to the Blue Water Grill for dinner. Caitlin, Deb, and Cille had taken a day excursion to the Mayan ruins in Tikal, Guatemala and hadn't arrived back yet so it was just the boys and I for dinner. The food was awesome, right on the water. I had lobster, shrimp and fish. The standard meal on the island :-) We enjoyed reminiscing about the trip and talking about everyone we wanted to invite along for next year. I enjoyed spending the last meal with my brothers and Kevin (who is like a brother) with the fun banter around the dinner table. Right when we were about to pay the check the rain started pouring! I was soooo bummed because I had planned to come in and see Paulina one last time at her jewelry stand before we left! We waited it out for a bit and then thankfully, the rain cleared up and we were able to walk into town! 

It was an early wake up call. Departing at 7:45, I woke up at 6am and did one last yoga sesh out on the dock before getting ready to leave. We taxied into town and took the ferry back to Belize City. Saying goodbye was tough. We weren't ready to leave the kids, our new friends, or the beautiful warm weather. 

Returning to the states was a little bit of a shock at first. The hum and energy in the airport was immediately noticeable at a faster pace. I told Caitlin that the only thing that would make me feel better about having to leave the island was if there was a Dunkin Donuts when I got off my flight so I could get my favorite morning beverage. Well there was, but it was closed. haha. 

There's something about going on a trip like this that calms your spirit. Puts life into perspective. It was a wonderful trip, the kind that you never forget, with several of the volunteers vowing to come back again next year and even bring some friends. 

Thank you for following the blog for More Than Futbol 2014. If you are interested in traveling, traveling with your family, donating gently used gear, or helping in any way, log onto www.MoreThanFutbol.com or contact me at CoachAli.ChampionsSoccer@gmail.com. 

Belize Day 3: More Than Futbol

Lazy morning… check! 

I woke up to CLEAN LAUNDRY! Yesterday I sent all of my dirty laundry from Nicaragua out to be cleaned and the lady brought it back this morning before I woke up! I was just about to run out of clothes completely! Yay! 

After I woke up, I made some breakfast and relaxed, then did some yoga out by the pool while Caitlin did some laps in the pool! When the rain started, I moved under the pavilion to finish up. I really hoped the rain would stop before camp started! 

After lunch, we headed over to the school and shortly after we arrived our first wave of little kids came out for the 1:45 session! Our 5-7 year olds are sooooo cute. They ran straight out of school and straight over to us! We had 2 games set up side by side (since we had too many kids to play 1) and we played the fun shooting game where after you shoot you become the goalie! The kids loved it. Then we broke the kids up into 3 teams of about 7/8 each and played a version of world cup where the first team to 10 goals wins! Coach Kevin, Scott, and Caitlin were all in charge of a team and Coach Luke played goalie. It was a hard fought game with Coach Scott's team in the lead, when Coach Caitlin's team came from behind to capture the surprise win! 

We wrapped up with a few minutes to spare before the older group was dismissed at 2:45. The coaches formed the long chain leading the kids to the field and Scott and I went over to set things up. Caitlin ran 1v1 attacking, Scott did dribbling "turns", Luke and Kevin played a really fun shooting game, and Deb and Cille did a great team building exercise! 

The kids had a great time and really responded well again today to all of the coaches with good attention, good attitudes, and a good fun time! They were trying to do all of the new things they learned from the drill in the scrimmage at the end and were so excited to tell us when they did! Once kid came up to me and said, "Coach Ali, I did the Cruyff 4 times during our game today!" I asked, "Did it work for you?" and he said, "yes it worked great!" Unfortunately we had to end a few minutes early because you could see the wall of rain coming towards us over the ocean! We wanted to make sure the kids had a few minutes to run home before the rain got really bad! Good timing too, because we were golf carting home in the rain! 

After we got home and showered up we headed into town to Waruguma and got some lobster burritos and lobster kabobs! It was DELICIOUS. We walked through town after dinner and saw my good friend Paulina! Paulina was one of my first friends on the island and we have kept in touch year round since my first trip to Belize! I snuck up behind her and surprised her! After talking for a while we walked up to grab some ice cream and then went home for the night! 

2 days down, 3 to go and praying for good weather tomorrow- there's a 50% chance of rain and if it does rain then most of the kids will have to go home right after school! Cross your fingers for us! 

Belize Day 2: More Than Futbol

Good Morning from our balcony!

What a big day we had today! 

An early start with a 7am wake up call, out by 8am! We loaded up the golf carts with 7 bags of gear and were at the school by 8:30am. We were all decked out in our green volunteer shirts which looked great! It made it really easy for the kids to identify us. Not only the kids but the teachers and parents can recognize the coaches well! 

When we arrived at the school we saw Lydia who was coincidentally wearing a lime green shirt as well! We joked with her, "Did you plan to dress as part of the group today!" We went from once a cordial greeting a few years ago to now greeting each other with hugs! We were very excited to see Lydia. Lydia is from New Zealand and has lived in Cambodia as well. She now is the volunteer coordinator at Holy Cross- her story is so interesting I told her she should write a book! 

Anyways, Lydia greeted us and then while everyone started to unpack and inventory, we looked at our field options for the week. The first option was a very big field with patchy grass, those sticker-plants that you step on (you see them at the beach and cause a ton of pain in the bottom of your feet), sea shells, and rocks. Due to some of the potential hazards, we decided to take a look at the second field. The second field was right outside of the school but had huge deep puddles of sitting water and the playable areas were doable for small group drills but we could never do our big scrimmages there at the end of camp. We were shocked because we used the field in our first trip to Belize and it was great! Now it is really messed up. 
We decided to use the small space right outside the school for the 5 and 6 year olds that get out of school at 1:45 and play with us until 2:45. Then the 7-14 year olds get out at 2:45 and their camp begins. Once we are all unpacked, and field locations determined we took a walking tour through San Mateo. This is where many of the kids live. The people were so friendly with us as we walked through their community, saying hello and waving. We felt welcome and safe touring the neighborhood. 

After we finished touring the community, we went around to each classroom. Once the teachers gave us permission to come in, the whole team entered each classroom, welcomed the kids to come out to play at camp and learn some cool skills, and then we introduced all of the coaches. After all of the classroom introductions we had a couple of hours to go into town and get some food. We hit up "My Secret Deli", it has great food, reasonable prices, and large portion sizes! My Secret Deli also has great smoothies served in huge chalice cups! 

After lunch we headed over to the big field to set up for the older kids coming out. We reviewed all of the drills and stations for each coach and then we left Luke and Kevin to watch the gear while the rest of the team headed over to the field next to the school to run the camp for the younger kids as they came out of school. The kids trickled out of school and as they came out we had Scott, then Deb, and then Cille start games of "Head it, Catch It." This was a big hit with the kids. Then we learned some skills and played a fun scrimmage at the end! Some of the kids even decided to come over and try their luck against the older kids after their camp was over! 

The second field space was a little down the street from the school so we made a chain of coaches to the field to direct the kids. Once the kids reached the field we gathered them all together and tried to get them to sit down but since they cannot sit on the ground in their school clothes, they all stood and kind of listened. After we got them to quiet down and listen up, we started the opening camp speech welcoming everyone to camp, discussing camp rules of behavior, and reintroducing the coaching staff to everyone. We divided the kids up into 7-8, 9-10 boys, 11-13 boys, and older girls. we had 4 groups adding up to about 50ish kids. Very manageable and a little less intimidating than the original sign up sheet of 112! 

The five stations were Shooting, 1v1 defending, Passing, and Dribbling. Deb and Cille ran a station on "team building" utilizing Cille's vast background in social work. The kids spent 20 minutes at each station and once each team had completed all 5 stations, we split the groups up into teams for 3 scrimmages. The 7/8s played boys vs. girls and then the older boys and older girls played separate scrimmages. All of the coaches had a blast and the first day went smooth like butter! Given our past experiences I expected some poor behavior and acting out by the kids but was very happy surprised to have ZERO behavioral issues today. The kids really seemed excited to see us when we visited their classrooms and I think that this being our 3rd year, the kids know the deal now and they were just all very excited to come out and play soccer. How wonderful to see such a positive change in the kids! 

After camp was over we were WIPED out! We came back to the condo, showered up and then went to Lonestar for dinner (since its right around the corner). Came home to blog and here I am now sitting in the living room with the salty breeze coming in off the ocean. Very much looking forward to having the morning free tomorrow. Today was our only full day for the week. From here on out we will be able to have some lazy (or adventurous) mornings! I will say this… tomorrow morning= LAZY for this girl. 

Signing off from Belize! Thank you all for following the blog. I hope you enjoy and we really appreciate your support! 

Belize Day 1: More Than Futbol

So picking up at the water taxi… Caitlin, Cille, Deb, and I caught a taxi to the ferry and bought our round trip ferry tickets for $30 round trip. The ferry ride was beautiful and gave us all a great chance to catch up about life and the trip! We took pictures of the sunset and eagerly awaited our arrival to San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye. 

Scott (my brother), arrived earlier to Ambergris Caye. Unfortunately, two of our volunteers missed their flight. So when we arrived we picked up some groceries, headed to the condo and there was Scott to meet us! We met our old friend Mark at Lonestar. Mark moved down here with his wife, both formerly from the Boston PD, bought the restaurant, "Lonestar," and now live on the island! He was really enthusiastic about our camp and wants to help by providing water to the kids (which is actually harder than it sounds). It has to be purified water and there has to be a way to distribute it so having a local take this on is really helpful! 

Caitlin and I went into town, got some food at Caramba's, and then came right back to crash. 

Private yoga studio

Scott holding a "frustration pencil"

A WONDERFUL night's sleep and we woke up to a very nice and sllllllllow morning. Yummy breakfast and long yoga sesh on the balcony and then we showered all met in the living room for our orientation meeting. We discussed "what to expect" when coaching and working with the kids, the format of camp, and our goal as a team of volunteers and our mission for the future of the program. We will be running stations where each coach is responsible for 1 drill and 1 topic each day. This really caters to some of the coaches on staff who have very little soccer experience/coaching experience. Cille has a very extensive background in social work and her station will be "team building" and "confidence/self-esteem building." She shared several of her games and crafts for camp this week and we are very excited to have her and Deb on this trip. Their station will be very beneficial for the kids! 

Scott taking pictures on the dock

After the meeting we decided to head into town for a late lunch/early dinner. On our way we ran into my other brother, Luke, and our friend Kevin who had just arrived! We were so excited to see them and so excited that we crossed paths via golf cart! They went back to drop off the bags while we walked around town for a little and then we all met at one of our favorite spots, Fido's! After a great dinner, ice cream, some fun laughs and a little bit of dancing we headed home! 

Sleepy Scott

We gave out all of the volunteer shirts, hung out at the condo, and then shut down for the night for an early 7am wake up call! Tomorrow morning we are meeting at the school to inventory the gear, stop in to all of the classrooms to say hi to the kids, and then tour San Mateo, the community where the kids live! Then, of course, we have the soccer camp! We have a very excited and enthusiastic group! Wish us luck! 

3 Andrzejewski's in Belize :-) 

Nicaragua Day 6/7: More Than Futbol

Last day in Nicaragua… It always goes by so fast and at the same time feels so long because there is so much packed into the trip. It's perfect. 

We woke up this morning and due to an uncooperative spatula, I kind of botched our breakfast eggs… but how bad can you mess up eggs really? ok, don't answer that….. the point is, we ate. After nourishing ourselves with sustenance, Luis picked us up and we all headed over to the center church to meet with Katia, "La Jefa" (that means: "the boss"). Katia is the Bishop's daughter and runs the operations of the center church. She also, always participates in the camp each year as "La Jefa" but this year when I arrived in Nicaragua I found out that Katia was in the hospital. It was a bit frustrating because they said the many of the doctors were on vacation. They are supposed to check her ever 5 hours and one day, when she wasn't responding well to her medicine, the doctors didn't even come by for over 12 hours! Everyone was very worried about her. I was shocked to hear that she was coming into the church to do some work on Friday morning. Even more surprised when I saw her and she looked great! She looked healthy and vibrant! She did say that she still needed to rest a lot. 

Katia has been an amazing supporter of the soccer program and extremely hospitable of me every time I'm in Nicaragua. Even if I have the vision, if I don't have the support of the church the program would not be possible. It is wonderful to talk to Katia and hear about her enthusiasm for the program and all of our big plans for for bright future. We spoke about how the camp went. We also spoke about the league that was jus started last October. 2 years ago we brought down uniforms, enough for 8 full teams of 15 with the hope of starting a soccer league for the youth. Finally, it has begun and the church has connected it to the HIV and AIDS mission. In order to participate in the league you must participate in the HIV and AIDS education. The church does a lot of work in communities affected by HIV and AIDS and is very dedicated to helping those afflicted by it as well as education the public to help with stigma and discrimination, education on risk factors, family planning, and STIs. 

Ride to the Bus Station after the game!

After our meeting we said "goodbye until next year and see you on Facebook!" and then we jumped in the truck and went to the market. After a little Nicaragua shopping we picked up lunch at Subway. I know that's not very authentic but I was playing in the big soccer match later and wanted to make sure that I didn't have anything that would cause an upset stomach. 

We went home changed and headed over to the turf field. There is a turf field in Nicaragua that you can rent for $15/hour so we rented it for 2 hours and had the youth from Managua and the youth from Caraso (40 min away- Enmanuel's home town). We had 15 players divided and played first to 2 goals wins then loser switches with the team thats off. Max 3 wins in a row. It was a TON of fun! I was so excited to get to play with everyone after watching and reffing all week! 

We went back to Mike's where Hellen was already cooking dinner. All of the central church youth were coming over for dinner. After showering up, people started to arrive and when the food came out I was so excited to see that Hellen had made chicken caesar salad! In an effort to keep the meal healthy in support of Luis and Alexander. As surprised as I was to be eating a caesar salad in Nicaragua, I was even more surprised that it was the best caesar salad I have ever had. The trick was that Hellen added a touch of balsamic vinaigrette- it was great (I'm definitely going to try that out pronto)! 

Every hung out joking around and then we started our evaluation of the camp and the league. Small critiques were made and then Hellen, Rabin, Chicho, and Alexander each stepped up and said something nice to me about our friendship and how I am more of a sister to them. They also gave me a Nicaragua tank top, and 2 engraved bracelets from the market- one that said "Ali in Nicaragua 2014" and the other said "More Than Futbol". It was so sweet. I thanked them and told them that they were more than friends to me, they were my brothers and sisters. I told them how much it meant to me to come down each year and spend time with them, that it is always my favorite part of the year, and how much I look forward to it. 

After the dinner was over everyone congregated once last time in the living room. They asked me to stand in the center and then they did the laying on of the hands one more time. They all came over laid their hands on me and then said a prayer for a safe travel home. 

That night I went to sleep, sad to have said goodbye to so many close friends until next year. I slept the most and best that I had all week, which was great leading into a long travel day. We woke up in the morning, packed up the car and Mike, Luis, and Alexander took me to the airport. Check-in was a breeze and after hugging everyone goodbye one last time I went through security to my gate. 2 cinnamon rolls later, I was on a plane to El Salvador to catch my connecting flight to Belize! 

Once I was on my connecting flight, I saw that there was a bunch of Amish men on the plane- that looked similar enough that I could tell they were Amish, but slightly different to the Amish we are used to seeing. All speaking dutch! Once we got to Belize they had 50 Amish waiting for them! The Amish settled in the US (PA) but there is also a huge Amish population in Belize. It is crazy because amidst the Belizeans they are all blonde with blue eyes! 

The customs man was not too friendly with me until he saw that I was a "soccer coach" by profession an then asked if I played professional soccer. When I said yes, you would have thought he was my best friend! 

Caitlin, Cille (Cait's Mom), and Deb (Cill's friend), all waited 2 hours after their flight came in for my flight so I would not have to take a taxi to the water taxi by myself and as I exited with my bags, Caitlin was waiting for me! We jumped in a taxi with all of our luggage and donations for the kids and were en route to the water taxi which would take us to the island… 

(We are here now safe and sound but I will save Saturday night and Day 1 in Belize for the next entry!) 

Welcome to Belize (Ferry ride)

Thanks for tuning in again and for all of your support! 

Nicaragua Day 5: More Than Futbol

Early 3:30am wake up call by mosquitos again. How do they keep getting to me! I'm in a screened room! Mike said it was because we had the door open. I'm going to take his word for it and cross my fingers that since the door has been closed I will have a bite-less night tonight. So after I sprayed down for a third time I threw pants on, despite the heat, and went back to sleep. 7:00am wake up call and I cooked eggs in a basket for breakfast and then we headed off to Lake Apoyo in Masaya!

The Monkey Hut is one of my favorite places in Nicaragua. It has a $6 entrance fee for free wifi, kayaks, tubes, lake access, bar and restaurant, hammocks and picnic tables. It's on an ecological reserve so everything is very nice- beautiful view, crystal clear water. The lake was formed from a collapsed volcano thousands of years ago so the ground is a bunch of small smooth rocks. We went last year for the first time and when we were discussing what to do with our day off it was everyone's top vote. Luis, Alexander, Hellen, Mike, and I piled into the pick up truck and headed to the Monkey Hut.

We have been talking throughout the week about exercising and healthy diet for Luis and Alexander who are both very overweight. They both said they wanted to get healthy and I asked them, if I were to put a 15 minute work out for them to do, would they do it? and they both said yes! So they brought a change of clothes and after we hung out for a while, did my nails :-) and ate lunch, we digested and then geared up for a our 15 minute work out! High knees, Dips, Squats, Push Ups, Crunches, Flutter Kicks. 4 x 3 minute rounds and everyone worked really hard. We all did it together! Alexander, Luis, and Hellen were so tired at points during the workout that 1 person would start laughing which would just start a chain reaction. They thought it was funny how foreign and difficult the exercises were to them! At the end, I promised major poundage lost if they did this 15 min routine every day! 

We decided that tomorrow when we meet up for our final soccer mini-tournament we would have everyone do the work out as a warm up to support Alex and Luis in their weight loss! 

We built up quite the sweat and eventually made our way down to the lake. Alex and Luis had said earlier that they did not know how to swim! Luckily they had tubes to lay in and so with their  tubes (ilke "floaties") we did a little mini swim lesson that just turned out to be more a fun joke-around than anything else. 

We spent the afternoon laughing and relaxing, enjoying the company, and enjoying the lake. What a great day! 

On the way home we stopped at one of the best restaurants in town for some Carne Asada- my favorite :-) $5 a plate? I'll take it. Lunch earlier was $23 for 5 people and it was awesome- chicken fajitas! 

When I got home I FaceTimed with my Mom who could not get over "FaceTime". It was the first time she has ever seen it or used it! :-) and it was really fun to see my grandmother's face on FaceTime when she saw me looking back at her from Nicaragua! My oh my, technology! 

Tomorrow is the last day here. We will host a small tournament for the central youth leaders where we rent a turf field. It's nice to do something for the older youth leaders that are responsible for running the camp for the younger youth participants all week. Looking forward to seeing everyone one last time before I fly out to Belize on Saturday morning. 

Thanks for following the blog!