All the lessons learned yesterday made this morning run much smoother.  As the news spread about the work we have been doing, additional requests were received for more.  Several team members pulled double duty today to accommodate the requests for additional transformation.

As my translator Anai and I entered our transport vehicle this morning, the driver told us we would be headed to a record store and sure enough, after about 30 minutes, we arrived at Casa Instrumental.

We walked into the office area above the showroom to await our coordinator and I honestly was unsure who we were to be training today.  Our coordinator greeted us and directed us out a back door.

What came next was the last thing I expected.  We entered the instrument academy.  The most amazing school for music I have ever seen.  We saw individual rooms for every kind of instrument.  Sound rooms with more electronics that I had ever seen in one place and décor so full of color and life that it made you feel like you were on a movie set.

We soon found out that we would be training teachers, managers and human resource staff at the most prestigious instrumental music academy in Guatemala.

The theme followed much like yesterday.  High engagement and high emotion.  The response was similar as well.  An incredible need for mentoring and leadership with everyone we worked with.

Some of the participants were hesitant to partake in the interactive part of our training.  With a little encouragement, they finally made it to the front of the class.  I asked them when we were done if they had been scared?  Yes.  Did they learn something about themselves?  Yes.  Were they glad they did it?  Absolutely!

Again, with an absolutely incredible job of translation by Anai, we witnessed transformation right before our eyes.  Several participants approached us afterwards to thank us and shared a unified new attitude of achievement.  “We will do this.  We will change our Country.  We will not let you down.”

I explained to them that their focus needed to be not to let themselves down.  Not to let their families, friends and co-workers down.  They understood what I was saying.

After the training session, we were able to tour some more of the facility and found out that the Guatemalan version of American Idol was filmed at this location in their auditorium.  We were actually able to see some of the contestants practicing for the taping next week that will be aired on local television.

It has added so much to this experience to see the environment that the locals live in every day.  Part of me will remain with the people of this Country forever.  The images etched in my mind will not be forgotten, nor will the lives we have seen changed.

Our team dinner tonight, was again filled with great stories of change and a soccer ball signed by the entire team that was presented to John.  “I will put this in my office where I can see it every day to remind me of the greatest leadership week in my life,” John stated as he held the ball in his hands.  He added that this week has been an “outward experience resulting in an inward journey.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Tomorrow, we train in the morning, followed by a stadium event with attendance predicted in the thousands celebrating transformation.  That will be followed by an event outside of the City which we are told is one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala.

We do it one more time tomorrow.  It will be difficult to sleep tonight knowing that the world will change again for so many once again tomorrow and that I will be blessed to be part of it.

“La Transformación está en mí.”

• Click here to read Day 1
• Click here to read Day 2
• Click here to read Day 3
• Click here to read Day 4
• Click here to read Day 5

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Barry Smith    6/14/13   photo by author  © Building What Matters 2013