What it takes to break down teenage walls

We have officially arrived, and what a whirlwind of a first 24 hours it has been! If we had to summarize today in a few words, it would be: exhaustion turned into pure, beautiful energy.

Your kids are safe, healthy, and already doing incredible things. Here is the story of our first day, and let us tell you, you have every reason to be incredibly proud of them.

Our adventure started with some serious adrenaline back in Madrid. We met up with 25 of the kids (with our 26th superstar waiting for us in Lima). As we were waiting at our gate, we realized we were right next to the boarding gate for Buenos Aires.

To make things even more exciting, the boarding coincided with the final, nail-biting minutes of the Argentina vs. England World Cup semifinal. The game was completely turned around in the last moments, turning our boarding area into a wild stadium of cheers and gasps!

It was a beautiful, chaotic start, though we did have a minor heart-stopping moment when the passport control queue moved at a snail's pace. The Milan crew almost missed the flight, but thanks to a bit of sprinting and a lot of luck, we all made it on board!

Once we landed in Lima, we finally united with our last group member and checked in for our domestic flight to Arequipa. Even though it was 6:00 AM, the teenage stomach knows no time zones as I saw many of them immediately in line for McDonald’s!

From there, we took a short flight to Arequipa. Stepping off the plane is breathtaking; the runway is literally embraced by three massive, stunning volcanoes.

After a quick ride to our retreat house (casa de retiro), the kids got to take well deserved showers and we went over a few basic house rules. But we didn't come here to sit around! We headed straight to the elderly care home (casa de abuelos) where we will be serving.

We started with a classic Peruvian lunch: chicken and rice (spoiler alert: they are going to eat a lot of this over the next few weeks!).

Then came the heart of the afternoon. We took a tour of the facility and learned about the reality of this home, which cares for elderly people who are completely alone, impoverished, or abandoned. Seeing the kids interact with the residents for the first time was beautiful. Even with language barriers, the warmth was palpable.

Soon after, we met Flavio, our maestro de obras (construction foreman). He gave us a safety briefing, and then the kids rolled up their sleeves and jumped straight into the hard work diveded in teams: the brick crew, carried heavy bricks up to the roof for construction; the path crew, filled and leveled an embankment that will serve as a much needed walkway; the house crew, got to work organizing, painting, and cleaning up the common areas.

Working at high altitude is no joke, but this physical start was actually the perfect way for everyone to acclimate.

If you could have seen them on the plane, many of the kids were quiet, shy, keeping to themselves, or glued to their phones. Very few of them knew each other before this trip.

But manual labor has a funny way of bringing people together. Within just a few hours of carrying bricks and sharing laughs over dusty hands, those classic teenage walls completely crumbled. The quiet group we started with began to transform into a real, unified team. Watching them step out of their comfort zones to talk to someone new was one of the best highlights of the day.

After a needed rest and dinner back at the house, we gathered for our very first group reflection. We asked each of them to share their name and answer a simple but profound question: “Why did you come here? What is your motivation?

Despite their different backgrounds, a beautiful common thread ran through all of their responses. They shared that they wanted to: feel useful and make a tangible difference in the world; step away from screens and experience a raw, genuine reality; challenge themselves to see what they are truly capable of; show gratitude for the privileged lives they have by giving back to those who have less.

We did this tonight because we wanted to anchor these motivations in their hearts right from the start, ensuring we don't waste a single second of this precious mission.

The kids are now fast asleep, exhausted but with full hearts and a sense of purpose.

Sending you much warmth from Arequipa!