Today was a very early start, the bus arrived at 3 a.m to the school. Everyone got up and out in a timely fashion. We hit the road and made it to our destination in Panama City around 10 am. All the boys were in high spirits because we finished the court the day before. It was filled with lots of laughs and reminiscing on the trip. Everyone enjoyed spending time together hanging out and having some well deserved downtime. After lunch we went to Casco Viejo or the “old town” of Panama City for sight seeing and souvenir shopping. After leaving El Tirao we will miss the people we made connections with, and we recognize the impact the people left on us is something I don’t think anyone will forget. The impacts the community had on us go beyond the construction of the court. It is the admiration for their hard work, the ability to solve problems in the middle of scarcity, and their joy even in the hardest working conditions. We are looking forward to our last day in Panama, and the stories and memories we will return home with. - Andrew Bordelon, Jesuit High School of New Orleans (fb)

It was time for the last day of construction and we finished the court! The sun was on its peak and we had to make an extra shift after lunch to make sure the community has a finished court before us leaving. We were able to move fast and finish the stretch and a half that was missing and finish the court of El Tirao by 4 pm. It was a bittersweet moment for the group because we made strong connections throughout the trip with the community and now have to leave. The cooks made us burgers for dinners which is a reflection of how caring they were, always making sure we felt cared for just like at home. We know this new space will transform the dynamics of the community and creates a space to connect in the center of the town, one they didn’t have in the past. - Jesuit New Orleans in El Tirao, Panama (fb)