Saludos!

Being that I just got back from the Staff Spring Training workshop in Houston, I thought it fitting to write a new blog updating all those in cyber-land what I have been up to recently.

Now that staff has been selected (see photo below) my focus from regular fellow tasks are changing to more summer project related. Here are some other things that I have been working on:

    -Recruitment for Costa Ricans (or Ticos) to go to either of the two Panama projects or volunteers to go to another community here in Perez Zeledon.

    -Next week I will be having a dinner/brainstorming session for those Ticos that have been volunteers with AMIGOS in either Costa Rica or Panama to start collecting materials and put together a training manual for Latin American volunteers that is more relative to their experience.

    -This Saturday I will be having my second youth encuentro (or training) with representatives from 18 communities . We will be going over a basic history of AMIGOS and Casa de la Juventud, how to fill out their formulario (grant/material request), and explaining the basics of what consists of a CBI (Community Based Initiative).

    -I am also starting Community Visits and confirming all the projects in each community are set up pre-volunteer arrival.

That among other things is what my life as an AMIGOS fellow looks like right now. It was great to be in Houston with all the Staff and speak some English for a while! It was a great opportunity to reevaluate my work here and be able to come back renewed and more excited than ever to start the project come July.

Please be posted as I will be posting pictures from this Saturdays encuentro as well as some community photos!!

Costa Rica 2008 Staff

Our "Replacement SPS Jonathan" for the Spring Training. Jonathan because of visa issues, could not come to the spring training, so we made his presence (represented in this form) be known. Here is the REAL Jonathan, our Costa Rican SPS...