An Amazing Cultural Immersion Day

By Erin Borden and Lauren Carlino


We started our early morning adventure with an informational talk from Dr. Chris Nytch, one of pastor Kate’s childhood friend, who informed us of the history of Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest.

We then proceeded into the forest gradually traveling towards the peak. We visited the Baño Grande which was historically a public bath for Puerto Rican families & learned more about the biological diversity in the forest such as capybara, mongooses, and rats. Chris informed us about the hurricanes impact on Puerto Rico’s ecosystem. And then we began the hike! 






Being the first girls to reach the top of the tower we soaked in the cool breeze and picturesque sights with ultimate completion satisfaction. We enjoyed our victorious picnic on the mountain side relaxing from the strenuous hike. We scaled the rest of the mountain to reach a breathtaking waterfall, in the Juan Diego creek, that washed away the sweat from our expedition. After our quick dip we then hopped back in the vans to venture to Old San Juan. 







When we arrived at this historic capital we were met the the challenge of parking. After what seemed like hours of parking difficultly we were then met with extravagant views of castles and ruins.

Unfortunately since we were a little behind schedule we had a change of plans where we were no longer going to the beach for dinner and we skipped the history lessons in the castles. Instead we were given free time to sightsee in the streets of historic Old San Juan. We scavenged for a meal to fill our hungry stomachs and we shopped for souvenirs to remember this momentous journey.

Although we were upset about not being able to experience the crashing waves at our feet while we eat our dinners and watch the sun eclipsed, we were glad to have an opportunity to freely explore the shops, restaurants, and people. 




After an exhausting and lengthy day we were thrilled to have time to wash the stresses away in the shower and basketball courts before our ✨special surprise✨. In our meeting at the end of the day we proudly put up 5 fingers to represent how we feel at the end of the day (5 being the most energetic). We went over all the duties for the next day, and sang in harmony (the song, Oh, Sing to God Above) of the Spanish-English song we will be singing at a local church in Luquillo bright and early tomorrow morning. Thank you to all the adults at home who provided the special surprises!





After all the business is over with during the day, we chill out in the coed meeting room where we share our feelings before we flush and brush.

Buuuueeeeennnos noches🌚!!! Make sure to flush and brush everybody😉🙂

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