If I could have known three things before coming to New Hope Village, they would have been: it’s cold in the winter, you need to be able to cook more than microwavables, and dealing with the kids and the community every day is going to be the most rewarding, frustrating experience of your life.  The unique advantage and pitfall of being assigned to the New Hope Village site is that you live with the people you work with.  This means that at noon on Saturday, there will be three little smiling faces at your window.  If you’re me and sometimes like to sleep in on Saturday, this isn’t always a welcome development. 

But then again, I don’t know if the Antigua volunteers get to see those same little children dancing on their patio on a Sunday afternoon to regatón, or have community members throw parties for a birthday or a despedida (going-away party) when one of the volunteers leaves.  I know one-hundred-and-fifty-six students by name, which is something I never thought I’d be able to accomplish.  But after a while, you see how each child really is unique, with individual interests and abilities.  Supposedly, I’m teaching them the Arts (Art, Music, Dance, and Theater), but I am eternally amazed by what the kids can already do, by their enthusiasm, by their ability to do a lot with a little.  Having limited resources has not limited their imaginations, and seeing their creative energy has been the most rewarding part of my experience.

So half of the community knows I wake up around 11:30 on a Saturday morning and that I have a rather strong Coca-Cola addiction.  I have chickens landing on my roof and children racing through my yard and neighbors blasting music at sunrise.  I still wouldn’t trade my experience here for an apartment in Antigua because there’s nothing quite like seeing your nine-year-old sponsored child teach a younger student how to do something you showed him a month ago or watching the sudden spark in a child’s eyes when they learn something that they truly enjoy.

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