My Own Independence Day

I am finally enjoying some time off this week, as my site does not have programming due to the Independence Day holiday. Taking some time to finally breath, soak in my surroundings, and process everything that I have experienced this far has been very beneficial to me. It has been tough being away from family, as they are all reuniting back home. I have been going on lots of walks, journaling, and talking with family and friends on the phone. I at times need to remind myself of why I am here, and that God has a bigger purpose for me right where I am at.

Never again will I take for granted the comforts of home. Living in a church and now in a school allows me to fully appreciate how nice it is to have a house to call home. The school is great, and it’s actually pretty homey for a school after we have gotten all settled in. We even get to take advantage the projector we have (for our worship song lyrics during Club time for the participants) and have movie nights with a big screen in our staff room.

Our second week of programming went really well. We were all on our own with no help from our Area Director, and overall everything went very smoothly. We had four different church groups, all from the eastern region, and making a total of 63 participants. The weather was fantastic so we were able to do all of our outdoor activities and volunteer sites. Each week I feel will become more and more comfortable. Already I have seen a huge growth in confidence in each of my staff members, as well as in myself. Hopefully our last four weeks of programming will be able to run smoothly as we become even better at what we do!

I haven’t mentioned how our meals work or what our “evening activities” consist of yet. Each meal one of us staff is the “Total Meal Manager,” we get to wear a red apron and delegate tasks to prepare and set out the meal. We have a “Crew” assigned to each meal, who is responsible for helping the Total Meal Manager. Our breakfast crew prepares breakfast, and a pack’n’go lunch line. Everyone packs their lunch at breakfast and puts it into the cooler for their ministry crew. We have 5 ministry crews that volunteer at different sites, we create fun names for them; ours include: Deer, Otter, Moose, Beaver, and Pineapple. We have a different crew help us clean up from the meal (doing dishes, putting food away, etc). So that is how our meals work – a little bit of organized chaos and a little stressful, but it all works out.

After our dinner cleanup crew is done, we then have an evening activity Monday-Thursday. Monday we go to the Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center, where participants learn how to belay, then get to climb. This just happens to be right next the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream store, so almost everyone makes a trip there before we leave. Tuesday night we go to the Vermont Marble Museum in Proctor, VT where we have a scavenger hunt to make the visit a little more exciting. Wednesday evening we have a hike in Pine Hill Park (one of our ministry sites where they blaze and work on upkeep of the trails). Thursday evening we have a community cookout at a nearby park. We invite community members and church friends by word of mouth to come join us for dinner and visiting in the park, while the youth hang out, play games, and enjoy the company of some kids they know from Kids Club. We have a grill we bring to the park, and bring over the rest of the food as well. And there is a summary of how we spend our evenings. Following that time is Club time, where everyone comes together for a time of worship, skits, and a reflective talk.

The 4th of July we spent in Burlington, VT. Rob and Jenny (our community friends) took my team and I to Burlington to celebrate the 4th. We all hopped into their churches big white 12 passenger van and drove the hour and a half to Burlington. Upon arrival we made a stop for lunch at Al’s French Fry’s – comparable to an old-fashioned diner, and they are apparently everywhere in Burlington. We then checked into our hotel, and had the afternoon to relax. I scoped out the outdoor pool and enjoyed the sun for a while. Then we headed into downtown Burlington and walked around the open air market at Church Street Marketplace (it seems as every town here has a Church Street). We browsed the shops for a while then found a local burrito shop called Boloco (similar to a Chipotle) where we ate dinner. After we finished we hit the candy store, watched a guy playing the didgeridoo. We then wandered down to Lake Champlain. This lake is about 490 sq miles and is mainly on the border of Vermont and Ney York, but goes partially into the Canadian border of Quebec. We were looking out across the lake to the Adirondack Mountains of NY. We found a spot on some large rocks and hung out there until the fireworks. We got there nice and early, as there were thousands of people. All along the lake were food booths, inflatables, live music, and people meandering in their boats or along the waterfront. Before the fireworks started I wandered over to the Skinny Pancake for some iced tea. The Skinny Pancake is a unique creperie, coffee shop, and fondue restaurant. Savory and sweet, they serve crepes in all forms with a large variety of flavor combination, all products coming from Vermont – a wonderful place with a bit of a hippie edge.

Upon returning it was about time for the fireworks. The longest firework production I have ever seen – 25 minutes of straight fireworks over the lake was fantastic! It’s obvious why so many people come to witness this. Leaving was an adventure in itself. Weaving our way through the massive crowds to the street, then to find the big white van that Rob was picking us up in, was all pretty exciting. Eventually we made it, and returned to our hotel. After enjoying each others’ presence, and the fact that we were able to hang out in a hotel room, we all went to bed, tired from a long but fun day. And that’s when I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud – my first time sleeping in a bed for a month and a half; no need to say it was fantastic!
On our way back to Rutland, we took the scenic route and drove through Montpelier to see the capital, ate at a Chinese Restaurant called the House of Tang, went to the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Wilmington, VT and took the tour there – with free samples of their newest ice cream (pretty exciting).

This week our team has been working at the Kids Club with some youth from a local youth group. I love hanging out with the kids – they come for 2.5 hours, and it’s basically like a Vacation Bible School that runs all summer long. Tonight we were able to visit with Kori and Scott, some friends we made at Roadside Chapel. They are a wonderful young couple, and we absolutely love hanging out with them and their two girls who are 8 and 4. Not to mention they are both really great cooks! It’s been great connecting with their girls also, as I do miss my family a lot, and hanging out with my nieces and nephews.

And that brings me to now, hanging out in my classroom of a bedroom and getting ready to relax on my mat for a good night sleep. Tomorrow we head to the community gardens to do some gardening before going to Kids Club, then the Community Cookout.

A Breath of Fresh Air

My staff and I made it through our first week of programming. We could not have asked for a better group of participants and adult leaders. There were 54 people, with 12 leaders and the rest mostly middle school. It was incredible to see the Lord at work in all of the youth, the adults, and also how He worked through us as a staff to minister to others. They all really appreciated the community members they were able to work with and the bonds that happened between Church groups. The start of the week was tough, and very draining. We are "on" constantly, and we did a lot of learning and putting pieces together.

All of the ministry sites that we send our groups to are wonderful, and the community members we work with are fantastic. We send our ministry crews to dig at a hiking/biking trail, the Meadows assisted living home, Mountainview retirement center, parks and recreation projects, Open Door Mission, Camp Thorpe (camp for those with disabilities), and Kid’s Club (comparable to a long-term VBS for community kids). Rutland truly is a special place – that does need the work of Christ to shine through us and all of the participants who come and touch them in more ways than they know.

My team and I are now in the midst of a breath of fresh air. Yesterday after I sent in all of the necessary Friday paperwork, we headed to BJ’s, a wholesale food store in New Hampshire. We get to drive an hour long drive through the beautiful green mountains, with plenty of ski areas, gift stores, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and other tourist attractions. Though it is long, it is gorgeous and relaxing. We then do our shopping for the next group of about 60, and head back to the school. We unload, put away, then are done for the evening with a sigh of relief. The weekend does go much too fast; and still incorporates work projects, but not nearly to the extent of the week’s demands. Such an odd feeling to suddenly stop and look around on a Friday night, to breath in and out; and know that I am not needed to be doing 4 different things at the same moment; but to just be and sink into the moment and let time pass me by. It felt wonderful, and is something that I believe I will hopefully not take for granted again.

Walking New Roads

Lots of things happening at once in my life right now. I will begin with the sharing that I have chosen to accept a position working for the Notre Dame Volunteer AmeriCorps program. I will be working as a tutor and teaching assistant in a K-8 Catholic school in central Los Angeles. This program is 11 months long and begins September 1st. I am very excited for this opportunity to serve, and to walk this new road that God has placed in my life!

My staff and I have been busy preparing ourselves and everything else for our full summer ahead. We have been making lots of posters and signs, practicing music, skits, orientations, doing a lot of organizing, making pre-trip phone calls, some shopping for supplies, and the list keeps on going. The other part of our day/nights consist of keeping in touch with family/friends, going for walks, prayer/devotion time, exploring the city of Rutland, making "family" dinners to enjoy together, and hanging out with some awesome new friends and community members in Rutland! The hospitality here has been incredible. This past week we had 3 dinner invites, an invite to hike on a family's property and swim in their private pond, and a few invites for shower/laundry usage. We were even prayed for by about 18 middle/high schoolers at a youth group gathering last weekend, these kids amaze me, as they shine bright with an incredibly bright fire for Christ. It is really incredible how a community can show so much hospitality to 4 young adults who are here to work and serve the Lord for the summer.

I can't believe we only have 8 weeks left here - time is just crazy. it seems as though I get so caught up in planning and preparing, that I almost forget we have youth and adults coming in only 3 days! Then the real fun begins. Today is our big moving day. We are moving from the church we have been staying in for almost three weeks, to the Rutland Area Christian School, where we will stay until we leave in August. The nerves and excitement continue to build as we come closer to our move-in, and closer to people coming! We have about 55 people coming this next week, from 3 different churches. I can't wait to see what God has in store for all of them and all of us during this next week.

Keep on keepin' on

All is well on the Vermont front. We had a few chilly days but now it is warm and sunny again. This past week has been a combination of business in all of our preparation, meetings with service partners, and some awesome team bonding. I do really have a great team, which is going to make for a wonderful summer.

My group has been blessed with some time to relax and hang out with the community this weekend. Saturday we went hiking with Pastor Pete (the pastor at the church we are staying at, Roadside Chapel) at Pine Hill Park, which is a gorgeous area with hiking and biking trails. That is one of the sites where our youth will be working this year, and we will be going on weakly hikes there for the youth evening activity.

The rest of the afternoon we spent hanging out in Woodstock, Vermont - the shire town and capital of Windsor City. A cute, classic New England style village. The drive there was absolutely gorgeous: green and full of life and rolling hills. There were so many ski villages, bed and breakfasts, and quaint restaurants. We walked through the village, had a picnic lunch, and had coffee at the coffeeshop. We stopped at a covered bridge as we headed to New Hampshire to BJ's (the equivalent of a Sam's Club) to set up our account.

Sunday we attended the Calvary Bible Church, which is the church where our YouthWorks partner here is a youth pastor. Rob attended a YouthWorks mission in Chicago and fell in love with it. After having experienced one, he asked YouthWorks to come to Rutland, Vermont – and that's how we got here! This is the 5th year of YW in Rutland. He is a great asset to the program, and a wonderful friend. His wife picked us up Dunkin' Donuts coffee before the service – first time ever having coffee during a church service, normally we have to wait until after! It warmed me up though, as it was a little cold out this morning.

When we returned to the Roadside Chapel where we are currently staying, we were invited to the graduation party for the 5 youth who will be graduating from high school. That was a nice surprise, and some good food and fellowship. After some good mingling, we headed to a meeting room to start to work for the day. Sunday evening we performed our first Club, which is our equivalent to a youth group gathering that we will be facilitating every night for our participants. It consists of a skit, a fun mixer/game, worship songs, a talk, and a few other things. We were able to “practice” on Rob's youth group – it was great to get a practice round, they all enjoyed it.

Where are we...? Rutland, Vermont!

Rutland, Vermont welcomed my staff and I on Saturday. We had a nice drive from Delaware to here. Our 5 day training took place at a church in Delaware, right outside of Philadelphia. It was long and intensive, but all good. As prepared as we could be, we embarked on our new journey together as a team for the summer. My team consists of me, the Site Director, Kaity, our Program Coordinator from South Dakota, Brandon, our Service Coordinator from Ohio, and Ben, our Kids Club Coordinator from California. It's a great group - everyone brings their own unique characteristics, gifts, and humor - which makes for a fun and laid back group. Ben served on this site last year so that is a huge help.

Filling the role of the supervisor and leader in a place that I don't know and a job that I don't have experience in is quite overwhelming. My team has a lot of patience for me as I learn the ropes, establish expectations, and make a few mistakes here and there. We have already had some memorable times which make great stories to share and laugh about. One of those includes us locking ourselves out of the church we are staying in the first day we were here because we thought it would be a great idea to have a picnic lunch, and just assumed that people would stay around chatting for hours after the service like they do at our churches back home. Well everyone left and locked the doors by the time we were done eating - we just found that out the hard way. Not to worry though, the associate pastor lives right down the road so the problem was easily solved.

We have been building some great community connections so far. A couple who has been connected with YouthWorks for quite a while, Rob and Jenny, are our adoptive parents basically. They open up their home to us whenever we want to come over. So far they have taken us out for dinner, Ben & Jerry's, and had us over for a cookout (in which we got to meet the youth group that Rob leads). They have an adorable little boy, Jacob who is a bundle of energy!

My team has been having some great bonding experience: in planning, preparing, brainstorming, practicing, and all of the many things we have to do in our prep weeks. We have even sat down to a “family” style dinner each night that we have taken turns preparing for each other. It’s nice we can take the time to do this now, as we won’t be having nice peaceful dinners once the programming weeks begin. I have been learning a lot about leadership, delegation, team dynamics, finding my way around in a new place with new people, and dealing with emotional and mental roller coasters, and I have only just begun.

A new end, a new beginning, a new adventure

Two days after graduation I am gliding through this whirlwind of emotions as I hurriedly unpack and pack again for the summer. I will be in Rutland, Vermont this summer working as a Site Director for YouthWorks! This is a fantastic program that provides short-term mission trips to youth all across the United States. Check it out at http://www.youthworks.com/index.aspx. God has blessed me with the opportunity to work with hundreds of people this summer and help them grow spiritually and personally. I would love if you follow me on this adventure and exciting stage in my life. In the midst of this transition phase, I am also seeking out full-time employment or long-term volunteer work after this summer. I am trusting that everything will work out and that by the end of the summer, I will have a job to call my own, and a place to live while I’m there. I will appreciate any messages, phone calls, etc. during the summer – it’s always great to hear from friends and family, especially while in a new and unfamiliar place in this time of change.
“Be Different”

The End and the Beginning

Feeling a little sentimental after our last group excursion of our Guatemala 2010 Study Abroad. This trip was definitely a fantastic way to bring the trip to a close. We traveled first to Rio Dulce, Guatemala. After a few hours of classes in the morning and a ten hour bus ride, we had the pleasure of taking a boat to our hotel La Tortugal, right on the river. We had a nice dinner there (I ate the mandarin chicken salad and a licuado, so good). Sleeping was really nice since I was staying in a cabin that was like a porch, with only screens and a thatched roof. The fun part was that it rained most of the night, pretty hard to. So some of us got a little wet, but it was great listening to the wildlife when we went to sleep, and then to wake up to hear the rain.

For once we were able to sleep in the next day and have a nice relaxing breakfast. Then we went down the river to the ruins of the Castillo de San Felipe, where we had a tour of the castle ruins then went swimming with the locals in the river. After we left we went to a restaurant to eat lunch, which took two hours for them to serve our food, and it wasn’t even anything too exciting. Then we had a nice boat ride scenic tour of Rio Dulce, along the jungle and through a canyon to a hot springs where we went swimming for a little while. Then to arrive a little later at our hotel in Livingston, which is right on the water where Rio Dulce connects with the Caribbean. Our hotel rooms were like simple little cabins with two beds and lots of cockroaches. We went out for dinner at a nice restaurant on the water, and I tried a special dish that is only made in the Livingston area, with fish, shrimp, crab, coconut milk, and plantains – so good. The rest of the night we relaxed in the hammocks on the dock, talked, and stared at the stars.

Early departure the next morning for the island of Flores. Once there we took a hike through the jungle where we saw and heard howling monkeys! They are so loud and sound really scary, but they are so little! After our walk we went swimming in the lake then returned to our hotel to get ready for dinner. We had dinner on our own and scoped out a cute little restaurant where the food was good, not too expensive, and it was 2 for 1 happy hour! Later we went to a café called Las Puertas to see a singer/songwriter from Mexico, Jose Bernardo, perform. The best part yet is that John told him that I like to sing and play, so before he finished playing he asked me to come up and play a song, so I played three songs for the few people that were there. It was great! My first experience performing in which I introduced myself in Spanish (hopefully I’ll have more of those someday).

At one of my regular cafes right now where a few of my Guatemalan friends work, El Infinito, and something that really strikes me is that people here really take the time to stop and see how I am doing. It’s not that typical “oh hey, how are you?” as the person passes and doesn’t even turn around. Here it’s different, we greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and look each other in the eyes and ask each other how we really are, and then we both respond, honestly. This is something that I will really miss.

Sincerity, in all of their love, care, actions, and in every word they speak. Saying goodbye today to my family and those of others, I truly felt a pure and heartfelt care. At least 4 times I was told that I will always have a home here in Guatemala if I come back – which I am really hoping to do. Right now I am sitting in our hostel Guate City, the “Airport Hotel,” and this entire day I feel as though I am in a transition phase. The hard part of leaving teachers, friends, families, and my new “family” of everyone in our group is over, and now we are still in Guate, but I am not with my family or friends at home. I just said goodbye to a lot of people, but will soon be greeting many.

This past week has been kind of a blur, but I successfully went out every night. Starting on Sunday of last week we went out for dinner at a little meat comedor with Ronaldo. He was leaving early so he couldn’t come to our graduation – so sad. So that was great, then we went for one last stop at Micky D’s in central park. Monday night a bunch of us hung out at Smoothies Rum then I went out with Rach, Steph, John, and his friend Sam who was visiting to King and Queen then finished up in the empty Aguile, drinking Sam Libres – so good. Tuesday night we chilled at Ojala for a while. Wednesday night we went to celebrate John’s acceptance into an Indian fellowship program by going to Sabor de India, Pool and Beer and La Parranda. Thursday was our graduation at Celas Maya. It was a really great night. The theme was Guatemalan holidays, and the teachers had it all decorated with traditional decorations, candles, and they served us all sorts of yummy typical food. It was raining and chilly of course, but that was alright. We all gave a little speech when we received our diplomas, I spoke a few words, read a poem I wrote in Spanish, and sang one of my songs. Everyone really liked it – a few of the teachers made me play the next day during break in the garden by the fountain when John brought out his guitar. Anyway, after the dinner/ceremony was done, they cranked up the music and we danced for a while, then a few of the teachers and us went to La Parranda, Ojala, and Aguile.

Friday I went to class for a little while just because. I did go to my last day of yoga also. I forgot to mention that last week Kevin had told me that I should really think about becoming an instructor; he also said that if I was sticking around longer I could take over a few classes – wow, that means a lot. He is super good at what he does, and really knows what he is talking about, so hearing that from him was really surprising to me.

Friday evening a bunch of us girls went with our maestros Julia and Carolina out to Café de Luna (a really cute café very well-known for their chocolate drinks, I got a chocolate moka). After that we headed to Smoothies, to drink some mojitos and we met up with John, and Nora’s mom came out with us too. From there we went to Ojala, and I was absolutely drained so we chilled there for a while, then I hit the hay.

Saturday morning we made a last trip to La Democracia. I bought some underwear, sandals, and vegetables. I made a really yummy bean, tomato and avocado salsa/salad for lunch for my family. It was sad though because their dog, Corredor disappeared that morning, they were guessing that someone stole it. So they were all distraught, and I felt a little uncomfortable because I didn’t know what to do. In the afternoon I finished and sent in my paper for my last class, which marked the official end of my junior year – kinda scary. So I think that technically makes me a senior now!!??

My host mom, Karla, made a yummy shrimp lemon pasta for our special dinner on Saturday night. I gave them my card, the picture I printed off of us to put in their picture frame I gave them at the beginning of my stay, and a bottle of honey I bought in San Lucas. A little later those of us left in Xela went to Casa Babylon to drink, chat and chill for a while. Everyone was a little tense from packing and knowing what will come the next day. After that we went to a place right by Infinito for a live concert (this was a pretty cool place, it was a bummer we hadn’t discovered it before). Had a few cobra libres there, and then headed to Aguile one last time.

Up bright and early Sunday morning for our bus which left at 7:30 from our gate. Everyone was a mess of tears and emotions when we were saying our goodbyes. Then we all started balling when we were driving away – it was pretty funny looking back on it, a van full of 8 emotion-filled girls.

We made it to our hostel, the Airport Inn, literally right across from the airport, and were there to relax for the rest of the day. We watched a few movies, slept a little, relaxed, ordered pizza for dinner, and crashed for the night. Then only to the airport to attempt our flight out. Well we ended up waiting about two six hours for a flight that never happened. It was cancelled and they gave us vouchers to “the nicest hotel in Guatemala City” and two meal tickets. We were so frustrated at that point. First of all, they didn’t tell us right away that it was cancelled; they only told us it would be delayed. Then when they announced it was cancelled, we waited in line for over two hours trying to figure out what to do to get our flight changed, receiving absolutely no help, they finally sent us to pick up our luggage and go back to the check-in counter. We then waited there for over an hour while they changed our flights. It seemed like they really didn’t know what to do, what to do with us, or how to deal with the situation which was very frustrating. Then we seemed to have run-ins with unfriendly workers which is never a pleasant experience.

Sigh, then finally we took our shuttle to a hotel which was elegantly nice. In fact, a little too nice for Guatemala it seems. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very nice luxury to have a full, all inclusive stay at a hotel for a night, but we did feel that it was a bit over the top, especially after all that we have witnessed and experienced while we have been here. But we fully took advantage of our free services.

We went down to the dining room for our “lunch” even though it was 6 pm. I ate ceviche and drank orange juice and coffee. We made a friend, Adam, who was travelling by himself so he joined us to eat and chat for a while. Another lady came and talked with us for a while, sharing about her volunteer experience here with a mission group from her church (we made lots of friends who were stranded with us). Then we returned to our rooms to shower and relax, then back down for dinner, which was a buffet of course. I had some fish and a nice mixture of salad, then lots of fruit and some interesting desserts/tarts. Back to our room once again, for a nice relaxing movie of Alice in Wonderland, and some Chamomile tea.

And that brings me to now where we are once again waiting for our flight, which should be taking off soon…