The biggest thing for me, that I always come back to whenever I think about Huisi and my time there, was how much at home I felt. Maybe I have just gotten better at being less homesick but there wasn’t one point where I was in Huisi and wanted to be somewhere else. I always felt extremely welcome and comfortable. No moment really summed up this feeling of belonging more than when I got stung by the scorpion and overacted (apparently). Amilcar’s (host brother) reaction to the gringo freaking out over a bug was priceless, mimicking exactly how my brother would look at me in a similar situation. Amilcar’s reaction was absolutely perfect as I feel that we are family. Not only did I have the least amount of sleep throughout the trip that night but the entire community knew by lunch the next day. It wasn’t like they knew and wouldn’t say anything for fear of being worried about embarrassing me; they made jokes and poked fun at why I would be so scared about a scorpion stinging me. I knew Huisi was a really special place after that moment. It was a humbling experience, something that I had yet to experience in my young life.
The accommodations at my host family’s house were nice and I did not feel extreme discomfort or nervous nor did getting bit by a scorpion launched me into an extreme state of shock, it didn’t. But what it did do was help me snap out of this vacation like mode I was in and look closer at where I was and what we were doing. I still believe El Salvador is an incredible place that I would love to visit again and return with a different sense of purpose. I feel no matter how much prep and planning Camp Salvador does ahead of time to prepare us, the trip allowed us to have life changing experiences that are not life threatening. We have been lucky and sheltered from threatening diseases, contaminated water and the lack food or at least a variety of foods. In countries like Salvador one has the opportunity to feel what life is like for others and that helps one to understand and relate to the people you are trying to help.
Wesley Houser
Camp Salvador Counselor 2013
Bainbridge High School
My most memorable experience from Camp Salvador was the award ceremony that they had for us when we had finished the camp. Not only did it give me a great sense of accomplishment, but it showed me how much the community appreciated our help. All these amazing people were truly grateful for what we had done and that is when I fell in love with the community.
Abbie Magee
Camp Salvador Counselor 2013
Mead High School