A Gringo in Milparada: Life in a Village of Squatters

What happens when a small group of idealistic college students are confronted by the realities of life in a village of subsistence farmers? I went looking for an adventure and a chance to understand a different culture. I could not have foreseen all of the frustrations or joyful moments that ensued. We struggled to make a positive impact on the villagers. We had some successes, and some disappointments. The biggest surprise was how deeply the people let me enter into their lives. We were accepted as friends, given lots of help and appreciation for our efforts. With a few of the families, our relationship grew into what can only be described as mutual love. I did not discover any answer for the problems of poverty in Central America. I did come away with a vastly changed perspective of the world. This is the unvarnished account of my adventure and discoveries.