Courtney Cahill

Upon arriving in Merida, I was initially very nervous about the language barrier and how I would be able to provide help to the people at the food bank if I could not communicate with them well. I was anxious about the communication - I lacked Spanish skills and would not be able to voice my opinions and concerns in ways that the others could. The food bank was looking for volunteers to address their issues, helping the five departments come together and combat these issues efficiently. I knew that I would not be much help in this department and I began to question my position at the food bank. I did not have the abilities that the food bank desired whereas other volunteers seemed to fulfill these wishes perfectly. "Turning Enemies into Friends" by Sharon Eubank expands on the meaning of humanitarian experiences and what we, as volunteers, provide during these experiences. As I thought about the words shared by Eubank, my view of the food bank and my role there began to cha...

It is our final week at the food bank. We all have mixed feelings this week, but, we have been very productive because we need to get everything done before we leave the food bank. So, this week I have made classes regarding teen pregnancy and diabetes. We have pretty much finished it all up - we have 15 classes ready for the food bank to use. On Friday, our last day, we will give a presentation to everyone at the food bank about our experience over the last six weeks.  Today we went out to the new food bank (which will hopefully open within the next month). We went there to clean. It ended up being really fun - the three of us from BYU went along with the French volunteers and another volunteer from England. I was designated to wash all the windows because of my height. Apparently, the bank has been open to the forces of nature. I found several geckos and insects. When I saw the first gecko, I hurried to pick it up and show the other volunteers. It was hilarious because the Fre...

This weekend we took an excursion to Celestun, located about 1.5 hours from Merida. Celestun is famous for their wild flamingos that live throughout the lakes there. We took a tiny boat out to see the flamingos. In addition to seeing the flamingos on the boat ride, we also got to see some beautiful plant life. We went through some swampy areas where the trees totally enclosed us. We also got to jump in some "agua dulce" and swim for a bit. Apparently there are usually alligators here, but we didn't see any. After the boat ride we went to lunch on the beach and relaxed on the beach for awhile. It was a great weekend - we are super glad we decided to make the trip out to Celestun. Going into our final week in Merida we all have a mixture of feelings. We are all very excited to go home, to have a shower head and some good weather. But, it will be bittersweet. It will be hard for me to say goodbye to everyone at the food bank. I have learned to love everyone there and have ...

This week at the food bank has been the best one yet. We have gotten to be great friends with the nutritionists that work in the office. They always want to have conversations with us and ask all about the United States. They love comparing the US to Mexico. They are amazed by the times at which we eat our meals - we told them we eat breakfast at around 7, lunch around 11-12, and dinner at 5-6. They could not believe it - they eat their meals much later here. When I walked into the office yesterday I immediately heard one of the nutritionists, Deni, call out my name. I walked back to where she was sitting along three other nutritionists and she proceeded to ask me if I run and what sports I play. It was really funny because it was so random, and for some reason she just wanted to know my exercise habits, not those of any other volunteers! The nutritionists are so much fun and love asking me questions in Spanish, watching as I struggle for an answer. On Monday, we presented the Days f...

Swimming, sand, and sunburns. This weekend we took a trip to Playa del Carmen. This is definitely the coolest thing we have done while in Mexico and I hope to go back for a vacation eventually. It was a four hour bus ride from Merida to Playa del Carmen. The bus ride was one of the highlights however due to the amazing A/C and comfortable seats. On Saturday, we decided to go snorkeling. We found a place that agreed to take us out right then and it ended up being the best decision. We took about a 15 minute boat ride out to a shallow reef area where an abundance of fish were swimming. The fish alone were great, but then, we saw several manta rays. Our guide brought fish with him so we got to feed and pet the manta rays. One of the coolest experiences of my life!

Alarms start going off at 6:30. My alarm goes off at 7:30. I am ready by 8. Breakfast: 8:00-8:15. Elaine, Ashley, and I are out the door by 8:20. We walk about half a mile to get to a spot where the bus (ChiChi Suarez) will pick us up. We usually wait 5-15 minutes for the bus to come around. The ChiChi Suarez never fails to be packed with people making their way to work. We pay our 8 pesos to enter the bus, already a little sweaty. Because the bus is so full, we usually stand, gripping the metal railings towards the top of the bus. Merida’s streets are crazy – we swerve and come to abrupt stops all while dripping with sweat. We spend about 30 minutes on the bus, asking to be dropped off at the corner before the overpass. When we are dropped at this corner, we only have to walk down the highway for about a quarter of a mile to reach the food bank at around 9am. We rejoice when we see the food bank. We drink some water and get ready to work. Today, we decide to work on some material...

This week at the food bank we have worked on a variety of things in the office and warehouse. Mostly, I have been working on the food bank's website. The supervisor over donations and social media asked us to work on the English version of the website and as it turned out, it really needed a lot of work. It was difficult because everything was already translated into English, but it was terrible English. In some areas of the website I couldn't even understand what they were trying to say! After a couple days, we were able to get the website pretty much done ( http://bamxmerida.wixsite.com/bamac/copia-de-inicio ). Give the website a look, but be sure to click on the English version in the top right corner! Other than the website, we have been working on the material that will be taught in the upcoming classes. We are giving a trial class on Monday the 23rd about mensuration and sexual safety. We have been using material from the Days for Girls foundation to do so ( https://www.d...

Tulum!! This weekend we decided to make the long trip to Tulum (about 3.5 hours). We made it a day trip, which we would not recommend because there is so much to do there. It is a much more touristy place than Merida and had the largest amount of white people I have seen yet. We went to the ruins, snorkeling near a reef, and to a freshwater lagoon. Tulum is definitely a great vacation spot and I hope to be able to go back. It is a cool place because you get to experience Mexican culture (ie. food, decor, atmosphere) as well as Mayan ruins with a Caribbean twist (ie. white sand beaches, clear blue water).

On Tuesday and today, we went out to communities with the food bank! Today's visit was to the community called Francisco Villa. There was a great turn out - 41 families showed up to the meeting. The purpose was to distribute cards to the families that they will need in order to get food from the food bank. The food pickups are organized so that every family does not need to receive transportation to the food bank facility. So, today there was also the nomination of a President, Secretary, etc. for the Francisco Villa food bank community. The president will pick up the food for the community and distribute accordingly (the first pickup date for this community is on August 2nd). It was a great experience to see the people that are directly affected by the food bank. I got to play with some kids while the meeting was going on. It was really funny - I was talking to these little girls while I was sitting down. Immediately as I stood up, the girls looked at me in awe. They started calli...

We went to Chichen Itza this weekend! It was so much fun and we learned a lot about Mayan history. Chichen Itza was the main event, but we also went to Izamal (the yellow city), a cenote, and Valladolid.