Nick Marshal - We arrived in at our hotel in Panama around 2 a.m. on Monday morning utterly exhausted from the travel flight, and we all knew that we would have a tough day in the fields the following morning. Everyone expected the same thing: the hot sun, thick air, and nagging bugs. However we all encountered something different on our first day in this foreign, third world country.

I think everyone expected to be working in a large farm field for many long hours in some sort of beneficial way. The people of Panama welcomed us warmly and greatly appreciated our work. As we wiped the sweat from our brows and cleaned up for lunch, a fellow Panamanian worker addressed the Wabash College football team and staff. He spoke for all of the people of Panama when he said that the work we did was overwhelmingly wonderful, and we did more than they ever expected. In Panama, they made us understand that good help was terribly hard to find.

We ended up plowing numerous fields that would later be used to grow food that would feed hundreds of Panamanians. We started our day around 9 am and by noon the Panamanian workers said that we had done the equivalent of 2 months of work! I think this greatly displays how a group of young men can come together out of a gridiron setting and still provide a surmountable effort to make a difference.

On a personal level, I came to appreciate the country as a whole. As we passed by many Panamanian families, I noticed a happiness in their demeanor that simply cannot be achieved by material things. As I cordially waved to them, they would all flash a golden smile warmer than the sun that they competed with every single day.

The work was tough, but the feeling and gratitude we received for our efforts greatly outweighed any physical discomfort. As a team, we all bonded a little more that day. We all had skeptical outlooks before the trip, but we all grew a little more after that first day. For many of us it was a wake up call. I do not think any of us really realize how lucky we are to have fresh water and comfortable shelter to use every single day. Then again, I think many of us can learn from the love that these Panamanians shared with one another and to our football team. Though that love may not have been expressed to us specifically at all times, they serve as an example of what true happiness involves.

Lastly, we all realized what can happen when young men come together for a motivational purpose. I will never forget the impact that this trip will have on me and the people we interacted with.