Walk in their shoes, then take them off and dance around in my own

Yesterday I had a visit from my regional leader. There is a newish program (started just after I became a volunteer), where volunteers who have completed their two-year service can stick around for another 6 months or year and "lead" a region. They move to a central location in the region (anywhere from 1-3 departments), and are in contact with the volunteers they are of service to. They hold regional meetings to see what everyone is up to and to allow for collaboration and exchange of ideas among volunteers. They can be contacted for support, for help with an event, or with questions that maybe are better not to ask your boss...I think the program is a pretty good one and can serve a lot of volunteers. I'm a pretty independent volunteer though, and haven't really taken advantage of the program. In fact, I just recently met my regional leader even though he's been working in my department since November...oops.

Nevertheless, he's required to visit all of the volunteers in his region at least once so he came up and visited me yesterday. We didn't do anything eventful - he showed up later than I expected and a storm beat us home. In fact, the only thing he saw me "do" as a volunteer was hang out with women crocheting. (Yes, I've learned how to crochet. I swear I'm not an old woman yet.) And hopefully he didn't suffer through it too badly because the women were insisting he learned. But he did get to hang out and chat with a few neighbors and friends. I think it was fun for the boys to have a Spanish-speaking male gringo for a bit to talk about sports and other such topics that I'm not current with or interested in. We had dinner and then headed to Felipe's family's house where he'd be staying the night. I left him there watching a soccer game and I knew he was in good hands since that family is one of the most caring ever. He headed out this morning leaving with just a taste of what my service is like.

We don't know each other very well, but he said something to Nubia (my health promoter and Felipe's sister), that put a smile on my face. He told her that out of all of the volunteers he has visited I am the most integrated into my community. Awesome. I feel like a comment like that helps a volunteer feel like they're doing a good job. Maybe I haven't constructed a bridge (not that we need one...), or taught English classes. I haven't helped many make much money or made many super environmentally conscious. But what I'm confident that I have done is that I've lived with the people. I have a regular income here and a supremely different background and future, but I have lived with the people. I hang out chatting with the women, I eat dinner with families, make jokes with people in passing, and go out to the fields to see what farm life is like. I've made Salvadoran meals with women, I've gone to church with the Catholics, and I've joined in parties and dances with everyone.

My differences haven't gone unnoticed though either and maybe they've provoked a few thoughts. I go to meetings even if it's raining cats and dogs. I work in the garden with a cuma (machete-type tool), and cut and haul bamboo and wood. I'm not afraid of getting dirty. I don't go to church all of the time and yet still feel like I live a full life and live "sin-free." I like being alone and love to do individual things like read and draw. I don't throw out my trash, instead I hike 30 minutes to put it in a trash can. I like maps and can read them and refer to them with some frequency. I know how to bake and can cook things all-vegetarian, sugar-free, and with strange spices like curry and rosemary (two things I've never seen them use in food). I exercise and only feel good during the day if I've sweat a little bit. I fool around, dance, and act crazy in public and am not embarrassed by it. I get frustrated when people don't go to meetings, aren't on time, or don't pay attention. I don't blast my music ever and try to be respectful to everyone. I am generous and try to give what I am capable of giving. And I try to empower the women and men to go against their traditional role and do what the opposite sex goes through every day.

I still have time left at my site and I hope to take advantage of it, but at least I know I'll be able to say that I've done something that I intended to do. I've gained the trust of my community and tried to share a little bit of my wisdom and culture without trying to force it on them or tell them that it was the only right way to do things. So thank you to my regional leader - not for helping me out with my service or odd questions, I haven't needed that - but for showing me that I have been successful here. I have made an impression, however minor, on some 200 people in a tiny mountain village in a country the size of Massachusetts. After all, isn't that why I came?