Become a local HERO! Book Lovers needed in Latin America!

Upon leaving for Peru, I had no idea what to expect. I was a little nervous because I know zero Spanish and knew there would be a pretty large language barrier. In addition, I’d never been on a humanitarian trip, so I wasn’t sure how to prepare myself. However, upon arriving, with the help of the Village Book leaders and other members, I felt immediately comfortable. I always felt safe and comfortable. Everything ran smoothly and the leaders did an amazing job. I am so lucky to have met all the amazing people I did on the trip and I had a blast. Words cannot describe how blessed I feel to have been able to be apart of this trip. My favorite part was going on home visits. During these visits, we were able to speak with families about the importance of reading. It was an amazing thing, to be able to get to know these families and see how excited they were for the chance to learn.

Traveling with Village Book Builders to Mexico was a life changing experience! Being able to actually be brought into a community and form relationships with people from other cultures is something that you do not often get the opportunity to do. I was able learn so much from the people in the communities as well as the people I was serving with. I also had the opportunity to teach different classes (dance and English) to the children in the communities and it was so incredible to see how excited they were to learn. Seeing the joy of reading brought to a child who does not often get to read books for fun is incredible! The two trips I had the privilege of going on, helped to strengthen my love of traveling and of other cultures. I highly recommend traveling through village book builders!

I had the opportunity to travel 2 times with Village Book Builders in Mexico and it has been 2 wonderful experiences, the first was in a small place on a mountain called EL OLVIDO, in Veracruz, Mexico. The welcoming of children in the community was incredible, it was a great adventure accompanied by so many fun things, work, smiles and being able to see many dreams and illusions in the excited faces of the children, who had a great desire to learn new things In his new library, every day was a new adventure and a pleasure to work with all the volunteers in an atmosphere of wonderful harmony. The second trip was another wonderful experience in a MAYA town in Yucatan, Mexico. to be able to live during those days with the inhabitants of the communities
In their homes, it was a very pleasant experience that I would repeat again and again without hesitation.

It was a very unique experience. We were able to learn some Mayan before going and truly put our hearts into every moment even with a language barrier. The people were so overjoyed to receive a library, we couldn’t help but smile throughout and upon completion. There were children there who we know will always take advantage with what we gave them. Not only that, they will remember the time they had with us because there were many of us and we all had the same purpose... to be there... for THEM. It was great to eat in the community and sleep there as well. We truly enjoyed ourselves immersing ourselves in their culture. Although there were some bumps in the road because nothing is perfect, communication could have been a bit better. There’s so many good things to say about this experience. Highly recommend.

Being down in Mexico with Village Book Builders was life changing! We were able to go to the REAL Mexico and experience the real culture of Mexico in the mountain top village we were serving. The people had been looking forward to this library for the last year and when we had the fiesta to celebrate the opening the entire village was there, even an old man we had met early in the week who had to be carried by his children over a number of large hills to be there. It was magical in every way. I love knowing that I had made a true impact in the village and I still am able to get updates on the difference I made. Oh and the other thing that was amazing was just reading with the kids and seeing how much they wanted to read and have books of their own!!

I always wanted to give back internationally and loved books so I jumped at the opportunity to go down to Mexico to build a library. Village Book was amazing at training us on how to make a long term impact on the village of El Olvido, we prepared for months before we went and we planned out our day every night like a championship team getting ready to hit the field. The excursions were fun but the real highlight was the time we spent with the people in their homes talking to them about their lives and sharing with them about how books have helped us and how they can help their kids. It has been amazing to see even after we returned that the library is still changing lives and going strong!! Such a life-changing experience to see how much joy I felt through serving others! Would go again and plan to!

This trip was so unreal. I couldn't believe I was really there in that remote location. I was very surprised at how grateful all of the villagers were and how willing they were to be involved and take ownership of their new library. I felt like I was giving so little and yet they treated it like one of the most amazing events of their life. The organization makes it a big point to impact generations instead of a couple people for a couple years. I really like that. They make sure that the villagers are very involved and work a lot with us which is special to get to know them but also so that they truly appreciate it. Over all the trip was very authentic. We got to participate in their lives and culture. . . .

I had the wonderful opportunity to go on two trips with Village Book Builders. In January, I went to Mexico. In August, I went to Malawi Africa. Both of these experiences had a major impact on my life. These kids live in areas where education is a difficult thing to access whether for financial reasons or lack of resources. Those who do attend school, usually travel a far distance to get it. When these villages found out that they were going to receive a library filled with books and computers, they were beyond excited! By bringing these resources, we have given them hope for a brighter future. Village Book Builders mission is just that and I am the lucky one to have been a part of it! One of my favorite experiences was visiting the people in their homes. We brought books with us and read with the families to encourage them to do the same after we left. The excitement that was present on the faces of not only the children but the mothers and fathers will never leave my mind. For some, this is the first book that they have had in their home. I definitely recommend choosing this group to travel with! Be a part of something bigger than yourself and bring hope through books to deserving people around the world!