When others ask me what models they should study regarding community development in other countries, I tell them El Porvenir. They have the wisdom, the skill, the talent, the access to people with the technical knowledge and the country-based knowledge to figure out the best strategies that are going to have the most impact and lead to sustainable change. And, most important of all, they are truly "ground up" -- working with the community from beginning to end, responding to them, training them, being by their side, and avoiding solutions or decisions imposed or cooked up by "outsiders". The study/volunteer trip was an unforgettable experience.