We’re halfway through our trip in Colorado and Utah, and we want to share some thoughts from Johnatan, one of our resident Trekkers!

How did you get introduced to UrbanPromise Honduras (UPH) and UrbanTrekkers?

UPH began five years ago and it started on the same block as my house. It was started by Blair, Rachel, and Matt; I passed by the office one day and they asked me to be a volunteer with them- that’s how I got involved with UPH. As for UrbanTrekkers, I was selected by the staff of UPH to go on this trip to Colorado. This is how I got to know UrbanTrekkers.

What have been some of the challenges you have faced in the past?

One of the challenges in my life is my studies. It’s a challenge for me because I want to finish. As for facing fears; meeting new people is one of the ways I have done that.

In your community, what is one of the biggest problems you have seen?

Not having a good realization or conscientiousness….people are always throwing trash everywhere- contaminating everything-and I’ve seen a lot in Copan.

What does it mean to you to be a Trekker?

To be a Trekker means to face your fears and the challenges in your life, to always be happy and ready for whatever comes your way- to always be prepared for the good and the bad. To love, and to have a good attitude for whatever else comes your way. It means being a leader; a leader in your community, as well as for your time on the trip; to be a leader in every area of your life.

What are some of your dreams and hopes for the future?

One of my dreams is to graduate and to be a better person for Copan. Sometimes I think about working as a volunteer or something like that… a leader for an organization.

How would your life be different if you had never gotten involved with UPH and UrbanTrekkers?

In reality, my life would be very routine. My life would be staying at home and studying, school, home…really, it would be monotonous. But sometimes many people say that this is life…to go to work, go home, study, home again, but really if they don’t have incredible experiences or experiences where you can feel and experience different people and things-that force you to feel alive, and realize that there are a lot of people to meet and many experiences that you should have…life would be lacking something.

Up until this moment, what is one lesson you have learned on your trip to Colorado?

One lesson I have learned on this trip to CO is to always be active- never wait for others to tell you to do something- really, we have the capacity and character to be responsible for ourselves, and there is always a lesson for personal leadership. Sometimes we don’t look for ways to organize our life, but we can organize the things and time in our life- so we can make ourselves give 100%.

 -Johnatan Murcia