Time Capsule Letter

We can’t believe it’s been so long since our trip in Costa Rica! Memories of the animals at the clinic and shelter are still vivid in our minds. You’re probably back to normal day-to-day life, but we wanted to pop in and say Pura Vida! The impact you made last summer has lasting effects. Reflect on the improvements you brought to the lives of animals and their owners in Pijije, the education you help spread during home visits, and the local kiddos you connected with. The services you helped provide improved the lives of those animals, and more.

At the Asociacion Voz animal shelter in Orosi, your assistance helped Antonio and his family improve their shelter and comfort for the dogs. Remember how excited they were to go on walks? Even scraping paint off the walls was a big part of improving the shelter, and we all recognize that elbow grease goes a long way.

We can’t forget how important it was for you to gain new knowledge on this journey. You have experienced professionalism beyond many of your peers and are able to be a leader in your community to improve the welfare of many animals abroad or at home. Remember to “OMG” One Meaningful Goal we created at the end of the trip? To spread awareness and education about animal care and encourage other people to educate themselves and become stronger advocates for their pets and wildlife. We would love to hear how your OMG has progressed. Have you connected with anyone about animals? Would you like to spread awareness even further? Share your OMG or personal goals with GLA and show us how you can Be The Change.

We loved the fun times under the bright sun on Playa Hermosa and also under the gray clouds at Montesky Waterfall. Thank you for sharing in these special moments and good luck with all of your future goals.

Sincerely,
The Animal Rescue Project Team

 

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Tuesday June 18, 2019

Hola from Costa Rica!

All of the students have arrived and are settled into their temporary home in Alajuela. Students who arrived earlier today got the chance to visit the neighborhood market, park, and plaza with the GLA international staff. We all enjoyed some delicious meals prepared by our hosts and are looking forward to the weeks ahead. Tomorrow we depart for our first community of Liberia and meet the volunteers we will be learning from. For tonight, we are resting and relaxing. Soon the action begins!

Thursday June 20, 2019

Pura Vida! Today was our first day in service. We went to a small immigrant community to make home visits with our partnership organization Vida. We talked to the owners of pets giving them advice on how to take care of their pets after an in-depth survey where we learned about their habits. We also talked to them about the new Costa Rican law for animal cruelty. We also administered flea and tick medicine and did deworming pills. We came back to home base and finished off the day with some leadership games and activities. We are going to start clinic setup and rotations tomorrow! Buenas noches!

Friday June 21, 2019

Heyo,

Here’s blog #3!

On the morning of June 21st we woke early for Circulo del Sol (aka morning meeting) and had an amazing breakfast! After that we went to our first day of clinic for service. We neutered and spayed dogs and cats with few complications and no one passing out. Phew! While waiting for our turns to work on the animals we played with the local kids and adorable puppies. After the service hours we got in the bus to head back to home base for down time and leadership activities.

It was an epic day of service, and we’re SO excited to do more!

Amelia Kerr☀️

Saturday June 22, 2019

Today we had our first excursion day! We started off by riding horses in the forest to a small waterfall cove where some people swam and put their feet in. Then we rode back and got ready to go on the zip lines. There were 9 lines, 2 rope swings, and a rock wall. By the end we were all tired and hungry.

After driving back to the home base, we ate a quick lunch and got ready to spend the rest of the day at the beach. The beach we went to was west of Liberia called Playa Hermosa. The water was nice and we were surrounded by mountains on two sides. While there, we got snow cones and some jewelry. After returning to home base, we met with our mentor groups to reflect on the service we’ve given so far and think about what’s yet to come.

Sunday June 23, 2019

Today was day two of clinics! We had so much fun shadowing the spaying and neutering of all the cats and dogs. All of the surgeries were successful and there was even extra time to play with the puppies! After the clinic we journeyed to downtown Liberia and had some ice cream and played games. We ended the day with a fun leadership activity and delicious food. Overall it was a great day!

Monday June 24, 2019

Today we woke up early ready for our last day of service with the amazing Vida organization! We had a very successful day and managed to spay and neuter 6 dogs. Afterwards, Vida represented their appreciation by gifting us a symbolic seed of their national Guanacaste tree (aka Elephant Ear tree). We then headed home for food and rest. Afterwards, we played on a local soccer aka futbol field. Overall it was a great day and we’re definitely going to miss Liberia!

– Duncan Barnfield

Tuesday June 25, 2019

After eating breakfast and departing from Liberia,we took a five and half hour drive to Orosi! After eating lunch and unpacking we explored the city! We got ice cream,smoothies and pastries at the local shop and took a walk over a bridge over seeing a beautiful river. A few dogs even followed us along our journey! One we arrived back to the hotel, we ate dinner and did a fun leadership activity. We discussed how the world be without borders and we able to express all our opinions and ask questions. Off to sleepy time. See you tomorrow!

-by Kate Haiman & Delilah Barnfield

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Hey everyone!

Today was another very fun day filled with a bunch of new experiences in Costa Rica. Our new service site in Orosi is Asiciacion Voz. We first worked in the morning at the shelter where we helped repair the building and walk dogs. This shelter is run by a family and our volunteer help is greatly appreciated. When our work was done we went to the Orosi look out where we were able to admire the amazing views of the mountains. After this very full morning we had a relaxing time at the Hot Springs which was more than we expected. Wonderful hot mineral water heated naturally by the volcanic action in Costa Rica. This day marks another part of our journey and we all can’t wait to see what another fun adventures Orosi has in store for us!
Pura Vida!

Thursday June 27, 2019

Hi everyone! Today was a fun day. Service was canceled due to aggressive rain. We visited the most famous basilica in Costa Rica, and learned all about the myth of the indigenous girls and Virgin Mary doll. We also saw the underground of the basilica. Afterwards, we visited the local farmers market and tried some exotic fruits. Then we went to the mall and after a short siesta in the hotel, we had a fun cooking lesson we made pico de gallo, refried beans, and plantain chips. After cooking we had a fun soccer game with Shampoo and Sylvia. To day was a lot of fun. Adios!

Nicki & Rebecca

 

Friday June 28, 2019

Hi! Today, we started our day off with service at a locally owned shelter. While we were there, we walked and groomed dogs along with some other housekeeping tasks to help keep the shelter clean. When we were done with our service for the day, we went to Montesky which was 30 minutes from home base in Orosí. In order to reach the gorgeous waterfall, we hiked up steep terrain for around half and hour and then it started pouring. It was definitely a bonding experience when almost every single person slipped going back down. When back at Home Base, we had a fun dance class where we learned a dance choreographed by a Costa Rican native, Sebastian. Our day ended with a leadership activity on stereotypes and how they can be prevented in our society!

¡Hasta luego!

Elizabeth and Kate🌎

Saturday June 29, 2019

Today at service we walked dogs, helped clean and painted the walls at the dog shelter. The teal blue color really helps the shelter look welcoming and bright. After lunch we went to National Park Tapanti. We took a hike in the rain forest down to a river where the whole group hung out and explored a bit. After an uphill hike back in the rain forest to the bus we arrived to the hotel ready for siesta and game time in the afternoon. It’s our last day in Orosi so we had a despedida , a farewell dinner, with pizza and dessert. Antonio, who’s family runs the dog shelter, Asociation Voz, organized a dance party which was very cool!
– Emma K.

P.S. Hi Mom & Dad ❤️

Sunday June 30, 2019

All good things must come to an end… Today was our last full day as a GLA familia. After heading back to the hostel in San Jose, we explored a local artisan market where we picked up lots of fascinating knick- knacks for ourselves and those back home! Then, fueled by some delicious Costa Rican cuisine, we visited Zoo Ave! Zoo Ave is a wildlife conservation with the largest collection of bird species in Latin America, along with many other beautiful creatures. We got rained on during our visit, but hey… it is a rainforest after all. On our way back to the hostel, we made a quick ice cream stop! All in all, it was a wonderful day and a fantastic end to an unforgettable trip. As always, ¡Pura Vida!

-written by Kaylyn

Time Capsule Letter

GLA China Program: We have some great memories!

When (almost) everyone arrived at the Hong Kong airport, Bridget and Rebecca greeted the group in matching shirts with a vibrant “hello!” and together you made your way to Kunming.

You unloaded your bags at the hotel, and it took 3 people to rouse Sam out of his slumber and get him to dinner.

The next day, went to the Stone Forest, where Emre took a most epic group selfie, something he’d do throughout the trip.

On the bus ride to Shaxi, we discovered some crazy local snacks and delicious roast duck, and everyone screamed as we went around the sharp turns that descended into the valley.

What a crazy time, right?

Remember when Andrew tagged the middle schoolers, and they suddenly grouped up and turned against him, chasing him around the playground?

Or when Nina found her hidden talent of Chinese jump rope?

And those kindergartners, they could dance! And make a mean paper airplane.

It was amazing when Gracie immediately identified herbal jelly during the food challenge, then just as quickly gulped it up.

And it was impressive to see Bridget, Rebecca, Sadie and Sinead dancing in the square, and picking up the moves so quickly.

Around every corner was a lurking evil, (a ghost, maybe?) and Isabella made sure to scream heartily at each and every one.

What about when we went to the market, or did the scavenger hunt, or did pretty much anything in China, and Ming and Rachel translated everything for us?

Jade bought a snazzy cap at that market, and got chased down by a different hat vendor that accused her of stealing!

Plant sure could tell a mean story. And how great was that story that Brandon made up about Uncle Liu killing us for too much food waste?

Sam definitely won the contest for best and most varied hairdos on the trip. And Dora wins for learning Mahjong so quickly, and getting really into it.

And despite the mentors best efforts, Lauren successfully pet every street dog in China and hopefully didn’t bring home fleas.

And what about Emre? Was it his freestyle rapping? Or when he and Turner were dancing with the local musician in Dali?

And Turner, thank goodness he got his bag in Beijing, right? Finally!

It’s a journey we’ll never forget.

Sincerely,
Jenny & Patrick

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Friday July 5, 2019

Ni Hao and Good Evening from Kunming, China!

This afternoon we saw most of our group arrive into the Kunming International Airport. Some were sleepy, some were rested, but all were excited and eager to get this program started!

After a short break to relax, we headed out for our first Chinese meal. We shared A LOT of new (to us) and delicious dishes before heading back to our hotel. Although it was a bit rainy, it seemed that everyone wasn’t quite ready to retire for the evening. We decided on a fun and quick communication activity outside before heading in.

We’re all looking forward to having our later arrival(s) here in China and uniting as the full group. Tomorrow we have a packed day of immersing in our new culture, exploring our new surroundings and enjoying more of the delicious cuisine!

Stay tuned!

Saturday July 6, 2019

This morning, we had our first breakfast in China, which got us accustomed to the other side of the world. Following that, we had our group orientation and went through all the rules. After, we hopped on a bus and headed to the NaiGu Stone Forest. Our bus stopped on the way to grab lunch at a beautiful traditional restaurant where the duck made us feel like V.I.P. visitors.

Then we continued onto the stone forest. While the ground was slippery, we stuck together and immersed ourselves in the ethereal forest of enticing stone structures. There was even one shaped like an elephant! At the end, we reached the top, earning ourselves a magnificent view of the entire forest. The essence of nature was so appreciated by the group. On the bus ride back, we played games and cracked jokes while enjoying the mountainous scenery.

We had our first true welcome dinner with everyone in the program, where we met Yuan, the local program organizer. After stuffing ourselves, we returned to the hotel in Kunming and recapped the awesome day, sharing our highlights with the whole group!

-by Emre and Bridget

Sunday July 7, 2019

Today was a big travel day! After a delicious meal at the hotel in Kunming, we all got onto the bus and began our long journey to the Shaxi village. After two hours, we made our first stop at a gas station. Out in China’s countryside where some unique snacks, like Italian red meat chips, were purchased. We had lunch in a traditional restaurant, where we were served all kinds of traditional dishes, including Chinese pancakes. Our final stretch took us all the way to the village and after a winding mountainside journey, we were able to settle into our rooms. We then took a quick tour of the charming town and finished with a delicious dinner.

Rebecca and Brandon

Monday July 8, 2019

Day four, our first day of service. After breakfast we walked to a temple that is being restored to a children’s center. At the temple we cleared overgrowth and helped tidy up to take some of the work off the locals when they go to furnish it. Around noon we came back for lunch and had our first Mandarin courses, we learned how to introduce ourselves and how to order ice cream in Chinese!

After dinner we relaxed with our first mentor meeting where we got to know each other better by doing an activity that had us recognize 13 things we each did great today. Afterward we took a walk and saw some amazing Chinese dancers, and we had to resist the urge to pet dogs!

Overall a great day, we can’t wait for tomorrow!

-by Andrew and Nina

Tuesday July 9, 2019

On day 5 of our spectacular China GLA trip, we all woke up ecstatic for the upcoming day. First, we had a nutritious and abundant breakfast composed of Chinese fried donuts and steamed buns.

Unfortunately, we had to walk in the rain to the local temple where we moved wood and sifted sand. Although the weather was gloomy, our spirits were bright. We finished service on a high note and returned to home base to learn traditional Chinese paper cutting.

Finally, we ended the day preparing for the kindergarten activities we will do with the on day 6.

Isabella and Turner

Wednesday July 10, 2019

Today we woke up and ate buns with different fillings.

After, we got on the bus and went to the kindergarten. We entertained the children, but not before they performed songs and dances for us.

While they were doing their morning dances, we joined in and took plenty of pictures. Walking back, we saw all the great views of the valley. When we arrived at Home Base, we ate an amazing lunch and continued with our Mandarin Classes.

Learning a new language has been extremely rewarding and challenging. We tried using it with the best of our ability while buying snacks. We came back and ate dinner then finished our evening watching a Chinese movie that our local director Xiao, picked out. It was a great movie and a great day!

-by Rachel and Sam

Thursday July 11, 2019

Lights out tonight marked the end of week one in China. For most of us, it was the longest we’d ever been out of the country, especially without a parent. Despite our short time here, we feel as though we’ve lived a full life.

From the grueling but rewarding work at the temple, to the joy of entertaining and educating the next generation, it has all been an experience that has changed us all for the better. We’re more cultured, and more aware of the similarities and differences we all share.

-by Dora and Lauren

Friday July 12, 2019

Right after breakfast we started our day with a market challenge. This was an interesting learning experience where we practiced our Chinese skills in real life. We had 20 Yuan (about $3 USD)to spend, and the challenge was to get the best deal, and impress Uncle Liu who is the owner of our home-base.

Uncle Liu would be the judge as to who got the best deal at the market. We saw many different things to buy, running from a wild range of Albino Rabbits, to fake 1000 dollar shoes. We mostly bought fruits. We then had the opportunity to go into a Buddhist Temple and explore.

After a short break we wandered around the plaza near the temple. Some of us went to the cafe, and some of us went to the jewelry store. The people there were very nice.

Later, we went back to the Buddha temple and listened to traditional music. The employee would have a short lecture in between the songs, but only a few of us actually understood.

We walked to a nearby middle school that was bigger than most schools in the US. They even had a lake in the school! In one of the classrooms we had a language exchange with the students. It was great to connect with them.

After our visit to the middle school we had dinner and played A few games which we led as the leaders of the day.

We finished this great day off with a mentor group meeting where we did an activity called challenging assumptions. Looking forward to tomorrow!

-by Jade and Ming

Saturday July 13, 2019

Today was day 9 of our GLA adventure in China. The day started off with a van ride up steep, windy mountain. We arrived at a trail head, awaiting the walk to a beautiful temple. We explored the area and saw giant Buddhist statues that were embedded in the side of a mountain and also saw many monkeys.

Later in the day, we arrived at a lunch overlooking an amazing view of a reservoir filled with donkeys. Lunch consisted of fish we barbecued ourselves. We even saw a woman butcher a chicken and had our own music performance. We learned some of the lyrics, despite not knowing what they meant or the proper way to pronounce them.

We later arrived back at home base for dinner, a game, and a leadership activity/debate.

-by Aleha and Sadie

Sunday July 14, 2019

Today, on Sunday, July 14th, our mentors were gracious enough to let us sleep in for an extra precious hour with an optional breakfast. Today signified the halfway mark of our trip. At 10am, we strolled the streets of Shaxi, talking to locals, buying food, and shopping for miscellaneous items. We were able to pick up the gifts our family desperately yearned for.

After our shopping excursion, we were spread out individually and discovered our inner spiritualities through intense reflection and meditation through journaling. Our self reflections will be kept with us forever as we frolick on our journeys of self-discovery. During Chinese class, we ferociously clapped to the rhythm of “If you’re happy and you know it” and learned about different ailments.

We thoroughly enjoyed learning about how to navigate our way through a trip to the hospita. For our leadership activity, we played reverse hide and seek at the park, and prevailed to have fun despite the pouring rain.

Our last activity for the night was met with passion and intensity as 18 intellectuals congregated to explore the game of Jeopardy. It was a euphoric experience that may be the peak of the week.

-by Gracie and Sinead

Monday July 15, 2019

On this breathtaking day, we embarked upon a journey to an organic farm, where we were met by farmers who kindly greeted us, and were excited for us to exhibit our youthful energy. They tasked us with instructions to gather compost in the area, which came in the form of plums and crabapples. We took a stroll around the farm, enjoying ourselves an elegant view of the mountains.

The group then congregated to make fertilizer with the compost we collected. The farmers displayed a form of the final product to us, which was an enzyme. We poured sugarcane waste into our collection of compost, which we expect to form into the final product over the coming days we return to the farm. While transporting the buckets of compost to a designated area, one of the buckets broke. With a great team effort, the compost was picked up and placed in a new bucket. Following this, we collected cabbages freshly grown on the organic farm, and took them with us on our journey back to home base. The cooking staff were very satisfied with our souvenirs from the farm and used the cabbages to include in our dinner.

After lunch, the staff members escorted us to a special surprise activity. We were greeted by two female dancers, who enthusiastically taught our group a traditional Bai dance. After mastering the dance, the group engaged in a mentor meeting, in which we discussed and interpreted famous quotes, and how they apply to the qualities of a leader.

Following the delicious dinner in which our self-picked cabbage was incorporated in, we split up into two groups for a food challenge. This competition was difficult for most, but was also entertaining for all, as we guessed which strange food was presented to us. Each student who completely ate what was displayed even got an extra point for doing so! The winning team won free ice cream! To end our day, we all went on a peaceful walk, where we were entranced by the beautiful sunset in the background of the illustrious mountains surrounding Shaxi. This day was not only successful, but was one for everyone to joyously remember and reflect upon!

By: Emre and Sam

Tuesday July 16, 2019

Today was a interesting day for the GLA China group. We first went back to the organic farm to cut grass and make compost. After finishing up the compost, the owner of the farm. Mr. Sunny helped us cut flowers he uses for his essential oils. We said our goodbyes and thanked Mr Sunny for giving us this opportunity (he thanked us back.).

We went on to have a full lunch, one that everyone was hungry for. After that, we prepared questions to ask locals of a nearby village tomorrow. Questions about life and how they are being environmentally conscious. Then, we all walked across the street to the girls’ courtyard to start game night. Most played cards while some learned Mahjong.

When game night started to wind down, most of us headed to the park to stretch our legs. After about 30 minutes in the park, I saw a man waving to me out a window. Low and behold, it was Mr. Sunny himself, owner of the farm and many other places in Shaxi. He beckoned us to come in his “guesthouse” (though I think it doubles as a cafe too) where he showed us his beautiful garden, his essential oils laboratory, and some bird nests that hang off the ceiling.

I asked if I could buy some honey (since I saw some beehives on the farm) and he denied my offer and gifted me a bottle. The honey isn’t fully ready yet and tastes bitter. But, it is locally grown (and free)! We said our goodbyes a second time and Mr. Sunny said he has a gift in store for us. We walked back to home-base, said our goodnights, and went to bed ready for whatever tomorrow gives us.

-by Turner Land

Wednesday July 17, 2019

Today began with a walk to Sha Ping village, where we met up with some kids and volunteer college students. We were split into 3 groups and we interviewed families about their everyday life and knowledge of environmental issues in China. It was very interesting to see the varying opinions. On the walk back to home base we picked up trash and litter that was everywhere around the roads.

After lunch we had our final Mandarin class, where we learned some of the most important sentence structures in the language and we learned about Chinese customs. After dinner we shared our interview experiences and went to the park to do a group activity.

Overall a very fun and productive day!

-by Sadie and Nina

Thursday July 18, 2019

In the morning after breakfast we made our way to a tea and souvenir shop by the river. We were to collect cookies and sesame powder that we’d later sell with the local elementary students to fundraise for their school. Although we tried our best, the students proved to be much more skilled salesmen.

We raised around 696 yuan for the school (about $100), which will definitely go a long way here!

We came back to home base to begin packing for our eventual departure. After lunch we headed to one of the kitchens staff’s farms and helped pick weeds at their green pepper plot. We worked for around an hour and a half before heading back out.

Later that night we practiced our dance for Friday’s farewell dinner, which basically just turned into a dance party. We played whichever music we wanted and danced away. After that we were able to explore Shaxi and pop into a cafe that had its own dog and local live music playing.

-by Lauren and Andrew

Friday July 19, 2019

Today was a sad day all around as we explored Shaxi for the last time and said our farewells. We started the day with our last visit to Shaxi’s bustling Friday Market. While there, all kinds of swag was bought and an addition to the GLA family was even made. We welcomed Miranda the turtle into our family and Bridget became a proud parent.

Miranda (the turtle) then moved into her new home in the pond outside the girls’ hotel and officially became the greatest farewell gift ever.

We then split into three groups and proceeded to compete to the death in a Shaxi scavenger hunt. Each group was given a list of objects or places written in Chinese that they needed to take a picture of. The competition was intense, but one group came out as the winner, rewarded with ice cream.

After our final lunch in Shaxi, we were given some final time to shop around the town. For our final meal there, everyone chipped help-wise and over 200 dumplings were made. The dumplings were almost as great a send off as the traditional Bai dance we were all fortunate enough to then witness that evening. After the dancers gave us a wonderful performance, we made all of America proud with our own rendition of traditional American dances like the Cotton Eyed Joe and the Cha Cha Slide.

All in all, it was a very memorable day and Shaxi will be missed.

Much love,

Rebecca and Brandon

Saturday July 20, 2019

Today marked our last morning in Shaxi, Yunnan, China. We savored the home cooked breakfast from the amazing kitchen staff and headed to Dali City. On the way, we learned how to tie dye and create our own designs.

Additionally, we had a delicious lunch at a local restaurant that consisted of rice, meat, and vegetable dishes. After dinner, we had to opportunity to explore Dali City and compare the busy night life to the serene life in Shaxi. Leaving Shaxi has been bittersweet but we are excited for our travels to Beijing!

-by Isabella and Jade

“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

Monday July 22, 2019

Today was a travel day for the GLA staff and students.

After a quick breakfast in the atrium we set out for the airport in Kunming. We had a nice flight over to a small airport that was nestled on top of a mountain.

We were soon to find that our connection had been delayed due to air traffic congestion in Beijing. After a few more updates we had found out that our plane would eventually be delayed two hours. The students took it in stride and started to buy snacks, play games, read and entertained themselves. The fact that they didn’t even realize that we were delayed showed how close this group has become over the last few weeks.

We finally arrived at our hotel in Beijing at about 10:30 PM where a dinner of various types of dumplings awaited us. We knew we had a couple big days ahead so we ate quickly and settled into our new rooms, ready to take on the remaining few days.

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Today, on July 23rd we woke up at 8:30, ate breakfast, and travelled to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

Despite the intense heat and humidity, we enjoyed looking at the architecture and learning about the history of the square. After walking for a few hours, we went back to our hotel where we ordered noodles and rested.

After the break, we went to the Beijing Capital Museum of Folk Classics. We split up into many different independent groups and roamed the museum for an hour. There were many interesting galleries of different types of crafts and arts, as well as a spiral staircase that made you very dizzy. After an hour, we proceeded to go to a local restaurant for dinner. We had the choice of different types of noodles and rice. We then roamed into the hotel and did an appreciation activity.

The mentors chose certain students to stand up, and asked all the others to close their eyes and faced the wall. They then said different traits and qualities and the students called up would tap people to recognize them for that certain quality.

It was a nice way to recognize each other after so much time together. After the appreciation we went to our rooms to rest for a big day at the Great Wall the next day.

-By Ming and Gracie

Wednesday July 24, 2019

We awoke early for an exciting last day to the Great Wall. After buffet breakfast, we hopped on our bus to head a couple hours outside the center of Beijing. The wall suddenly came into view and everyone was giddy with excitement. Our group had the fortune to take the chair lift up to the wall, instead of walking in the 100 degree humid weather!

The wall is more amazing and grand than in any photos. We slowly made our way up very steep stairs to a tower on top of the mountain, where we took a rest, cooled off and ate the Subway sandwiches we ordered near the bottom of the lift. The group enjoyed the wall for a couple hours and took in the sites, then made our way down the mountain in the best possible fashion: A toboggan down a mountain slide.

We cleaned up back at the hotel, and headed out for our farewell dinner to a nice restaurant, where we had duck as a main course along with

many other dishes. Around the tables, we reminisced about the highlights of the trip and laughed about our first impressions of one another.

Back at the hotel, local director Xiao played a photo slideshow he had put together of our whole trip, and we started to get sad that the trip was nearly over. After completing a survey of the program, we went back to our rooms to pack, clean, and prepare for an early departure home.

See you all next time!

Jenny (program mentor)

Please note the Time Capsule letter for session 2 of our Brazil: Rio & Amazon Expedition program will be posted in December.

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Sunday July 7, 2019

After a long day of traveling we were well rested and ready to get to work! We started off with a nutritious breakfast to get ready for our day which included eggs, fruits, and coffee as well as a special dish of guava jelly.

Afterwards we began orientation to gain a deeper understanding of the GLA program and values. We then played a dance game to help build a bond with our group.

We than embarked on our trip to the favela Vidigal to begin our volunteer work. When we got there we met two woman need Victoria and Tamires who are ambassadors of the Play Life program who help young girls who want to play sports gain those opportunities by building areas in favelas for the community to have a space to play sports.

We begun by moving trash out of the block as well as scraping paint off of a mural. While working we enjoyed each other’s company and got to know each other a lot better which made work really fun.

Later on after a lot of trash was moved and some painting had begun a dog wandered in that we all took a liking to who we named Kevin. After we had finished our day of volunteer work and were waiting for our transportation we decided to play a game of native chief to bond as a group.

When we arrived home we all had dinner which included pasta, beef, and salad. Afterwards we did our end of day leader circle where we gave shout outs to our fellow group members to show our appreciation for each other. Finally we finished off the day by writing in our journal about all of the days events.

-by Tyler

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Play life is a soccer club in the Vidigal Favela, today we went and finished cleaning and painting the facilities, walls, and play area. Afterwards we made friends with some of the local kids. We shared food and drink after a couple hours of Soccer. We stood no chance against them. It was a really cool experience to spend time with the kids and interact with everybody and to see how we were able to connect with and impact the community over the course of not even two days.

-Wyatt

Wednesday July 10, 2019

We began our second half of service work on Wednesday, in the Complexo do Alemão favela. Let me tell you, it was a LOT of work. We arrived around 10 at Abraço Campeão, a boxing center, widely known for the short film The Good Fight which revolves around Alan, the man who started the center.

The first thing we did when we arrived was watch the short film so we could get a better understanding of the backstory of this place. Alan created a safe space in the favela where people could go to learn self defense, have fun, or to have an overall feeling of family. He decided to create a garden to bring the community closer.

After that we got to work. The group before us got a lot done, so that was very helpful to us. We spent the first half of the day making cement and finishing the base of the garden. The neighborhood kids came out to help us and we got to know them very well, despite the language barrier. We had rice and beans for lunch, and we were very hungry because of the hard work we had done that day. After lunch it was back to work!

We left Abraço Campeão around four. Although it was hard work, we all left feeling very fulfilled with our work that day. Spoiler alert: we were very sore the next day.

That night we had Jeopardy night. All the categories were around Brazil. My team is ended up in last place, but it was fun anyway! We all learned a lot we hadn’t known before. Did you know that there is a Portuguese word that can’t be translated into any other language? Saudade. It means an intense sense of longing.

We had pasta for dinner, and soon after, we had our closing circle. We all named our rose, bud and thorn for that day. My rose was the feeling of fulfillment after our work, my thorn was doing the work, and my bud was doing more work tomorrow. We slept very good that night.

– Kaia Pelz

Friday July 12, 2019

I woke up to sunlight streaming from the open window of our room, although I did not have much time to enjoy it since we were in a hurry to get to the bus that would be taking us around Rio, meaning breakfast was hurried and limited, I settled for an Apple and a cup of coffee. It was also the other groups second to last day, they were trying to enjoy the last few moments they were gonna spend in Brazil, it was also our second to last day in Rio tomorrow, we spent most of the next day packing for Manaus and so we started our last fully productive day in Rio.

First we visited Rodrigo de freitas lagoon which was a lagoon in the middle of Rio, here you could see the silhouette of Christ The redeemer in the distance in surrounding you could see apartment buildings but because it was foggy, I couldn’t really see much in the distance, I feel that the fog made the the scenery more beautiful and gave a spotlight to the statue. Then we went to the leblon beach, this place was beautiful you could see people handglideing from a nearby hill and landing in the shores of this beach.

You could also islands off the cost of the beach, these islands, i learned were bird sanctuaries in which humans were not allowed in. The toure guide had also told us that this was the richest neighborhood in Rio. Next we went to the tijuca national park which is Rios central source of clean water. there was a little hike to the water fall there one thing i really enjoyed in the park was the fresh air and the refreshing smell of the waterfall. We got to see monkies, one of them named Chico had a missing arm and leg, one point Chico stepped on a caterpillar which was weirdly hairy had his hand got irrated and he kept scratching it. We met Chico in a spot with a great view of Rio him and the view made for great pictures.

After, we went to the Chinese view when gave us another incredible view of rio. We then moved on the the esteemed Christ The reedemer, it was very crowded and from here you could see the whole of Rio De Janero. Next we went to the Lapa Steps the was my favorite place we visited in the day. It was just very lively and vibrant, there were tiles from all over the world as we walked up the stairs we met a cat who i thought was very adorable at the very top there was a man playing the Beatles. Lastly we went to sugar loaf where we saw the sunset from it was very hard to see past the crowd being extremely short but i was able to get a couple of pictures i really enjoyed the view when it got dark all the spotlights were on the Christ the redmeer. In my opinion this was one of the most fun days we spent in Rio.

– by Ananyaa S.

Saturday July 13, 2019

We awoke to the sound of tears and goodbyes, the group we had shared the hostel with for this past week were about to depart. Although we had only known them for a short while we all knew that the hostel wouldn’t be the same without them. After the goodbyes we had breakfast, once everyone was finished we discussed the schedule and what our final day in Rio de Janeiro would consist of.

First on the list was to go to the beach for a much needed time of relaxation. By the end of our fully packed volunteer work week everyone was thrilled to have a day off at the beach. The water was the perfect amount of cold for the beating sun. Although not everyone had an amazing time we all learned a very valuable lesson at the expense of well, me. I was careless and distracted and my cellphone was stolen. Hopefully now everyone will be a lot more careful with everything. After that we played a game where everyone is dancing and then has to get with a partner and answer questions which helped distract from the sad turn the day took. After the game some got ice cream and we headed back to the hostel.

After the beach we had a very delicious lunch and got washed up. Then we had a mentor group in which we wrote poems about where we’re all from. After this activity we packed for our flight to Manaus which we have to leave at 4am for. Once everyone was all packed we were headed off once again, this time we were set on going to the markets for once in a lifetime purchases.

After the markets we returned to the hostel for a delicious dinner. After dinner we had an appreciation circle and proceeded to write our daily journals. Then it was to bed to try and get as much sleep possible before we’re off to Manaus bright and early tomorrow.

~by Katie Tanner

Sunday July 14, 2019

Trip to Manaus, 3:50 Am as feet start to hit the floor we tried to be out the door as soon as possible. Faces that only got a couple hours of sleep occupied the bus, although sleepy to the airport we went. Tired still? Yes we were, as we departed from Rio and the city life. The life we were all getting use to, we were all ready to go onward with our adventures.

After the flight we came to the hostel and chilled out for an hour before leaving for lunch and then going on our city tour of Manaus. Hot and humid but we still trekked on struggling but seeing who would drop first from a heat stroke. As we came back to the hostel we did an activity which covered how to handle situations that make you mad and how to stay calm and handle them. Not only that but talking about humility and staying humble because being outside your comfort zone can make you mad so we have to take a moment, step back and realize that we’re in someone else’s home and we need to respect that.

After the activity we had about an hour to chill out till the pizza came. Then after we ate we rested in our rooms getting ready for tomorrow’s adventure. I’ll leave you with a quote that I personally favor. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” – Mahatma Gandhi

-Jp George

Monday July 15, 2019

Today was mostly a travel day. We woke up and had a quick breakfast after breakfast we played a game. The game was to try and name all the animals in the paintings at the hostel. Which was hard because all the walls were covered in paintings. After the game we left for the Amazon. It was about a three hour drive but it went by pretty quickly and the views out the car windows were beautiful.

Once we got to home base we had a quick lunch and spent some time in the hammocks. We also went on a tour of the property and got to see some pretty cool views of the forest. Later we played a game where we all stood on one blanket and tried to flip it from one side to the other. It took us a while to figure out but eventually we were able to do it.

After a few other games we went down to dinner. The food was really good. We ended the night by doing our circle and reflecting on the day before heading off to bed. On the way back we also saw a really huge tarantula. All in all it was a pretty grate day.

-by Celia Schwietzer

Tuesday July 16, 2019

Today all started with the cries of howler monkeys outside. Then we went down to breakfast where we were greeted by various fruits and a special tapioca.

Our first activity was a presentation about the Amazon, deforestation, and the animals native to the region. We saw how the Amazon is spread across 7 countries. How the large companies are gaining land and causing deforestation. We also learned about things like how piranhas are not a problem unless there very hungry or you’re bleeding.

Before lunch we were given Portuguese lessons by Kinan, one of the children living at the lodge. He is fluent in English and Portuguese, and he is learning Japanese and Italian. We learned a lot of basic words and phrases that could be helpful in the future.

After lunch we walked around the property were on to see what were working. We were introduced to many exotic plants that are edible to humans. We were shown the pond there the fish are. finally we were lead to a small campsite in the middle of the jungle where we were all able to swing off roped tied to tree.

For dinner we had a roasted chicken with noodles and acerola juice. The meal was overall very delicious.

– by Matthew Kintzele

Wednesday July 17, 2019

Waking up to very humid mornings are almost getting bearable but the monkeys really get ya. We headed down after much needed cold showers and had one of the best breakfasts of this trip so far, frikin guacamole toast. After we had happy tummies we learned how to extract oil from different kinds of plants with a homemade extractor which is mildly genius.

Then lunch was something completely new to everyone, it was pirhana soup, teeth and everything included. And yes, bets were made on who would eat the head. To top the afternoon off, the man, the myth, the legend Leo taught us about cameras and how to use them for animal photography. He captures videos of animals in the forest by motion sensors. On one of the cameras, we got to see a video of a jaguar just walkin through the trees like it was no big deal.

Just knowing I walked on the same path a jaguar did recently was the coolest sensation. Towards the end of the hike we saw monkeys high up jumping from tree to tree and heard all different kinds of birds. Dinner was amazing as usual thanks to our amazing cooks and then we hit the hay to get energized for the next day.

-by Anna Pendleton

Thursday July 18, 2019

This morning we started our day with a mentor group in which we all drew an image of an important symbol or object in our lives, and then shared stories about it with the group. I liked learning new things about the individuals in our group. Then we had a cooking class with Marisa and Mayara, our two amazing chefs. We split into three groups, learning to make flat bread, omeletes, mousse dessert and juice. I helped cutting cheese to eat with the bread and cracking eggs for the omelette. My favorite part of the meal was the bread and the graviola juice, which is called soursop in English.

After lunch we got to talk to some folks who were here at Amazon Emotions collecting and researching different mushrooms. They had collected 52 different species in just 1.5 hours walking in the forest! We learned about the importance of fungi to the ecosystem of the Amazon, and how we only have discovered an estimated 3-6% of all the fungi in the world!

Then the group went on a jungle trek with our awesome guide, Samuel. He showed us some ants that we let crawl all over our hands (which we smashed) to act as a natural insect repellant. We also saw giant bullet ants and learned about a traditional coming of age ritual which Samuel had to endure the pain of the ants biting his hands for hours, multiple times. Samuel also showed us how to make bow and arrow from a tree, and a shelter and mat from palm fronds. He is the survival expert! The trekking was hot and humid but totally worth it.

After a delicious dinner Leo showed us some footage of jaguars, cougars, and peccary pigs. It was pretty cool to see these wild animals on cameras right near us on the property. Overall it was a good day!

-by Jeremiah

Friday July 19, 2019

In the morning we were all packed and ready for our weekend excursion after a breakfast of fruit ammeters and a fruit cake we all loaded into 3 taxi’s in which we drove 30 minutes to Presidente Fueguero.

Once we settled into our hostel, we left for the markets. We first stoped at a store with handcrafted native art. The store consisted of things like woven baskets, ceramics, and wood carvings. Then we went to a fruit market where we did a scavenger hunt. During the scavenger hunt we had to take pictures with different Brazilian fruits.

After lunch we went to the river rapids. At the river rapids we swam and rode the current. We set up a system in which people would plans themselves in the rapids to catch others. It was really fun. We finished at the rapids and weren’t back to the hostel, we played with the kitten who lives there and played pool.

-Matthew

Saturday July 20, 2019

We started our day off by waking up after a restful night at a hostel we stayed at called Parque Hotel. After breakfast and packing we began a warm hike to the waterfall where we saw a beautiful forest. Along the way we met an officer who worked with tourism and we all took a picture with him and we met a bunch of puppies that were on the property with him. Then we reached the waterfall and we were all exciting to jump in to escape the heat. The waterfall had a raging wall of water crashing down so we decided to explore it.

It was thrilling however we had a little trouble getting back so our fearless mentor Beca came to the rescue. Afterwards we sat in a calmer part of the waterfall and enjoyed telling each other a variety of puzzling riddles. We then traveled back on our path to head to a river for lunch. On the river we enjoyed a picnic of sandwiches and pineapple. Afterwards our survival guide Samuel and Kinan helped set up an awesome rope swing for us. We swung for a while and enjoyed each other company.

After a day of swimming we were ready to return to Amazon emotions. When we returned we waited for the preparations of one of our amazing cooks Marisa’s birthday dinner so in the meantime we played a game of hot seat to learn more things about each other. Later the party preparations were ready and we found out we were having a pizza party with homemade pizza. The pizza was all delicious and we danced to music and enjoyed the beautiful celebration.

Eventually it became time to sing happy birthday and eat cake which was a wonderful moment where we all came together. The cake was a scrumptious glazed coconut cake that we all enjoyed together. After the festivities we were all extremely tired from a long day of fun and immediately went to bed to be rested up for our first service day tomorrow.

-Tyler

Sunday July 21, 2019

We woke up to the beautiful music of the birds of the Amazon, this was a lovely thing to wake up to. It’s very peaceful to see the sunrise in the hammocks and listen to their voices. After getting prepared for the day we head downhill for a delicious breakfast and the best coffee I have ever had. Then we get ready for our first day of service work where we helped mover fire wood up and down a hill as well as helped in the garden. Although the whole time we were just really excited for the camping night. As soon as we were done with the service we went back to pack. We got our hammocks and blankets. And headed to the area where we would be camping out.

After setting up our hammocks outside we started to build fires to cook food. We went inside the oca to play a couple of games. All while we got a lot of visitors mostly spiders and very large ones. One thing I found very cool was how Samuel our guide to everything Amazon was able to anticipate the rain without even clearly seeing the sky since it was covered by high canopies. Which meant we had to go get our hammocks. While it was raining we played games and tried to solve riddels, the key word being tried inside the oca. Eventually it stopped raining but only some people hung their hammocks outside again the others decided against that and hung their hammocks in the oca.

Later we had a delicious dinner made in a open fire by Samuel. After dinner we had our stomachs full and we all were really tired. So we went to sleep in our hammocks in the FREAKING AMAZON RAINFOREST!!!!!!!!! surrounded by jaguars and ocelots and panthers and pumas although it was incredibly unlikely that they would come to the camping ground. So I fell asleep to the sound of light rain falling in the roof of the oca making today one of the best days on the trip.

-Anayaa

Monday July 22, 2019

Today we woke with the sound of howler monkeys from our hammocks. The previous night, we went camping and learned survival tips from Samual. It was a really special day, not just because we woke up in hammocks. It was also Katie’s birthday!

We returned to homebase and ate breakfast. Next we had a full day of service work. We worked from 10-1 in the garden, practicing sustainable farming techniques. It required a lot of energy, and we were all tired when lunch came. Nevertheless, we continued on with our work after lunch until 4:30. We were dirty and a little bruised up when the work ended, but we were completely satisfied with what we had done.

We had our last leadership curriculum at homebase in which we practiced debating. Our topic was whether or not whaling should continue on the island of Becquia. Then dinner time came around. There was a little surprise for our dancing queen Katy (she was turning 17). A display of flowers and sticks which spelled out HAPPY BIRTHDAY K. We had lots of really good cake that night. We slept soundly in the Amazon rainforest that night.

– by Kaia

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Another beautiful day with the sun rising.

As we got ready for the day we ate breakfast and talked about the schedule for the day. We did an activity and talked about what we would do different next time, and if we had any regrets from the trip so far. Today was our last service day and before we got started I talked to everyone about how it’s our last day of working. My little speech wasn’t too much, but it was something that gave me a push when my wheels started to spin. It was the fact that today was our last day working from 10:30-12:30 and from 2-5. That we will never be back here doing what we are doing ever again. That even if we signed up again that we wouldn’t be with the same people, how people you’re with makes the experience the experience.

How we want to go home and be tired. When we get back and don’t feel like doing anything and when we lay down in our beds that that’s when we can be tired. Having us feel like we did all they could the last day and not for to go home and lay down and say “wow I should of done that” but for us to feel complete. Then we did our work and made it through the heat, but only for another round. First we ate lunch and chilled out. We started back up and we worked and worked. Even harder the second round because everyone was tired, but still singing songs and getting work done. The service time ended and and 11 students out of 11 students were tired, dirty and ready for a shower. After a break was the talent show and everyone seemed to have a blast even when super tired.

Everyone had to present so no one was left out. Then we had dinner and the day was done. But we also talked about how time seemed to fly and how we were sad to leave but also happy. But we still have a couple days left and want them to make it the best. With that being said I’ll leave you with a quote about time. “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” – Harvey Mackay

-JP

Wednesday July 24, 2019

Today was the first day of tree climbing it was also felt like one of the hottest days here. We started off the day off with breakfast and a member of the staff tried to teach us how to climb trees with a rope .
Later on we learned how to make some hand crafts like bracelets and keychains and after a few hours we headed back up for lunch.

After lunch we left to climb the tree. It took about half an hour or so to get to the top. The view from the top of the was amazing and we were able to see a number of birds including a small toucan.
We all made crafts for a little longer and then had dinner. After dinner we spent an hour or so playing card games and headed off to bed.

-by Celia Schwietzer

Thursday July 25, 2019

Today we and went down for breakfast at 8:00 and had very delicious pancakes. After, we had a mentor group about leadership. We watched videos from the first week in Rio about ourselves talking about what leadership is. Then we watched videos of each of us talking about what leadership was after 3 weeks on this trip. Peoples answers were all different from one another because there are so many different definitions for being what leadership is.

Then we had lunch and after we had another mentor group discussion about what we have learned on the trip and how we can apply it to our everyday lives at home. We also wrote down goals for our future and explained how we were going to accomplish them.

Next, my group went to climb what is known as the princess tree while the others made pots for planting seedlings out of leaves. The tree climbing was a great experience for me. It was a lot of fun pulling yourself up the ropes to the top of the tree. Once you got up it was a great view of the forest and you could see the guest house in the distance. When we got back we got to ask the family any questions we wanted to about their life in the Amazon.

Later after dinner we did an activity where we sat in a circle and closed our eyes and 3 people were picked to go around the circle and choose people to appreciate going off of a question that was asked. For example, it would be like, tap the person or people who are very friendly and no one would know who was tapping you. It felt nice when you got tapped and it made everyone feel happy. That concluded our day.

– by Jason

Friday July 26, 2019

Today was our last day before leaving, and was an emotional time where we reflected on our service, the friends we have made and the good times we have shared. After breakfast, we went to pack, and were panicked when one student couldn’t find her phone. We spent hours looking for it, but luckily it turned up literally 10 minutes before we left! After chicken soup for lunch, we had a talk with Leo about the work we had done at home base, where he thanked us for our work, talked about it’s importance to the conservation of the Amazon and encouraged us to apply the lessons we had learnt in our own communities.

We then read our letter that we had written to ourselves at the start of the trip and compared our expectations to the reality of what had happened. Although they were often very different, everyone felt they had had a really positive experience. We then watched a Ted talk about lollipop moments, when we have made an important impact on someone’s lives. We used this idea for our last appreciation circle, lighting the candle of someone who had done something special for us and passing the flames throughout the group. After our celebratory supper of delicious tambaqui fish, we then had a giant bonfire and thanked the beautiful local staff for taking such good care of us during our stay before we went to bed for an early start tomorrow!

Kelby & Dafne
(Mentor & Director)

Time Capsule Letter

To our dearly beloved Session 1 students,

We miss you already! Can you believe it’s been six months since we were all crying in the airport singing “I’m leaving on a jet plane…”and waving good bye to Cristo Redentor with the sounds of the Amazon birds and bugs still chirping in your ear. As we write this letter, we are reminded of just how lucky we all were to be a part of such a special program and group. Since day one, everything ran so smoothly, and that wasn’t us, that was thanks to you. We never had to beg you all to speak up in activities, or lead a game, or be on time.

You all took it upon yourselves to focus on your individual goals and the group as a whole. We were so impressed with the way you looked out for each other, your maturity and flexibility, and enthusiasm for learning and life. The way you helped each other navigate through the forest’s slippery bridges and paths. The way you decided as a team which campsite you would spend the night in, took everyone’s opinion and comfort into consideration, and challenged yourselves while always supporting each other.

The way you danced like crazy in our dance class even though you didn’t know the samba steps until Jorge showed us what was up in Rio. You were an ideal example of how eleven individuals from all different backgrounds and lifestyles can come together and with a little Bunny Bunny and deep conversation can bond and unite like no other. One mentor group activity that particularly stood out in deepening our family was Five Categories, where we all had to choose one most important person, place, thing, memory, or dream to keep and discard the rest.

Each of you allowed yourselves to be vulnerable in front of each other, to be open and share your life stories. It was admirable and touching to see the way you allowed each other in while at the same time standing firm in your decisions and values. Throughout our three weeks together you all constantly did your best to live the GLA values. Not only did you show each other respect and compassion but you embraced everyone you met with the same love and open mindedness. Remember playing futebol with the kids at Abraco Campeao in Complexo Alemao? You had such a blast even when you didn’t speak the same language or know the first thing about those kids.

How are your goals coming along? We hope you are continuing to work on your goals to listen to your inner self, and focus on having a healthy mind, spirit and body. Yoga became an important part of our routine, and it was amazing to see many of you embracing the practice as a pathway to personal growth. Always remember ohm, shanty shanty shanty!

Peace out, love, beleza!
Beca, Kelby and Dafne

 

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Sunday June 23, 2019

Arrival Day #1! Today we welcomed 7 out of 11 of our students to Manaus. After the long journey and various arrivals throughout the night, the students slept in as long as they wanted and enjoyed a lovely fruit- filled breakfast at the top veranda of the Hostel, overlooking the city skyline. Then we walked around the city center, saw the famous Opera House, colorful colonial houses, and walked through a local market.

We tried some local foods: tapioca, which is similar to a crepe made from ground manioc, filled with various fillings such as ham and cheese, banana, cheese and nuts, and egg. We tried delicious fresh natural fruit juice of various local tropical fruits: goiaba (guava), maracuja (passion fruit), taperebá, and cupuaço. And fresh coconut water! So refreshing especially in the humid heat! Then a much needed afternoon break for napping, socializing, and watching the Brasil vs. France Women’s World Cup game.

Dinner was a traditional plate of rice, potato salad, fish & farofa (also made from manioc— a staple food in Brasil), and skewers of juicy grilled chicken, beef and sausage, coupled with a sweet soda made from guarana, a local fruit. We happily took advantage of the evening breeze to walk around the city square and caught a glimpse of a street clowning performance, which none of us understood 😛

We returned back to the hostel for a chill evening of ice breakers, games, and lots of laughs! Students slept soundly and staff made runs to the airport to welcome the rest of the group! We are all soaking in the sights & sounds of the city and also excited to head to the home base in the Amazon tomorrow!
Abraços! Hugs!

Beca (Mentor)

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Hi, parents and friends and people we love!! These last few days in the jungle (“a floresta”, or “mata” in Portuguese) have been amazing. Last night we were “serenaded” by the monster-like roar of the howler monkeys while we fell asleep among lizards, moths, and all of the rainforest life in our cabin. In the morning, some of us embarked on an early hike with Kelby, one of our mentors from Australia, and he educated us about some of the ecology of the ecosystem.

Then, we had an incredible breakfast of fresh fruit, cuzcuz (a dome shaped loaf made of cornmeal), bread, fresh butter, and fresh cheese. We spent the morning talking with Rafael (a local guide originating in Manaus) and Vanessa (an activist and the owner of the lodge that we’re staying in) about the rainforest and their mission to conserve it and educate as many people as they can about the widespread impacts that the Amazon Rainforest has on the rest of the world. We viewed satellite images of deforestation, damming, farmland, and indigenous regions to better understand how far the destruction of the forest is really reaching.

We tried Ingá, which had fluffy, sweet, white flesh and large, purple seeds which we tossed into the forest to grow new plants. The flesh was mild and sweet, and our lovely guide, Kenna (Vanessa’s daughter), taught us that eating the GRUBS that live in the beans is good for you! So we ate the ones we could find (it was chewy). Later, she brought us fresh ant heads to try, which tasted like pungent lemongrass. Who knew fresh bugs were so delicious!? Muito bon! Although we ate bugs, we also had a larger lunch of fish and vegetable soup. Fish is a staple here, and it’s so decadent! Following lunch, we had a Portuguese lesson with Kinan, Vanessa’s son, who taught us how to say things like “Hello!” (“Oi”), “good friend” (amigão), and “delicious!” (muito bom). Obrigada, Kinan!

Then, we set off on a trek into the rainforest with Leo, activist, owner of the lodge, photographer, and forest friend. We visited his gardens (experiments), where he showed us different edible plants and shared his experiences and intentions with his gardens and projects. As he describes it, his gardens are “edible forests” which he is only tending so they can grow as healthy and big as the forest around them.

We hiked further into the forest, after trying many different plants, and visited the pond which is intended to provide a sustainable source of fish which can be fed by the surrounding trees. And we all jumped in and splashed around in the water! It was so refreshing. We talked about relaxation, and how central it is to indigenous life (and a healthy life!), and how the rainforest provides everything we need for daily life without having to participate in a more commercial system of living. Independence and a sharing community are central!

Once back from the forest, we ate rice, salad, fish, and farrafa, a crunchy side dish made from dried tapioca pellets, and seasoned with tangy and spicy ingredients. Muito bon! We had an appreciation circle and spent some time exploring the values of compassion, integrity, innovation, optimism, respect, personal growth, and cooperation, by performing skits in groups based on which value we felt the most connected to. In the end, all of the values lean on each other and build each other up, just like we’re doing on this trip! We can’t have a whole if one is missing, just like in the rainforest ecosystem. When one piece is damaged, the rest struggles to stay healthy. It’s a community!

Love, Beyla

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Bom dia todo mundo! Today several members of the group started the day with an early nature walk, although we did not see any animals, we did see a huge snail! Then the day continued with the word of the day, community, in Portuguese this word is “comunidade”. After breakfast we participated in an activity called “Where I am from”. In this we wrote about special characteristics of our life that indicate who we are. Next on the schedule was a cooking class in which we made brigadeiro, creme de cupuaçu, and macaxeira frita.

Following this activity, we had some down time and took a yoga class in front of our gorgeous view of the forest. Next our courageous group walked among the animals and medicinal plants of the amazon. We eventually ventured off the trail, went off into the jungle and walked for almost 5 hours! On this walk we learnt about an indigenous tradition where boys between the age of 8-15 must put gloves on both hands covered in bullet ants and endure the pain without crying.

Just seeing these huge ants was pretty scary! After this adventure our sweaty and tired group ate dinner and ate our sweet Brasilian dessert, creme de cupuaçu. Finally, our team had a valuable discussion about the important pillars of life and leadership, slept outside our room in hammocks, and enjoyed the fresh, crisp, night air of Brasil. Thank you for reading, até mais tarde 🙂

⁃ Alexa Fernandes ❤🇧🇷

Thursday June 27, 2019

For those of us that had the energy, we woke up early enough to see a beautiful sunrise. Our energetic, eager, and still tired-eyed group set off on a bird watching trek. With our incredible and knowledgeable guide, Rafael, we walked for two hours searching for birds. We were a big loud group, not great for bird watching, but were still fortunate enough to see some birds. We saw a bird that was a warning signal. This bird makes a distinct noise when a large predator, including human, is nearby, to let other birds and animals know that danger is nearby. We were also fortunate enough to see native and large humming birds, toucans, and these cool birds that danced on trees and made a sound similar to a drum.

The bird watch was very cool, but the coolest was yet to come. Our entire group, walked into the woods with the amazing guides, Rafael and Samuel. When we finally arrived to the camp we were drenched in sweat. Luckily for us there was a natural stream that was right by our camp. Some of us jumped in to clean off and get comfortable. The cold water was the most refreshing feeling I had felt in a long time. After, we were responsible for ourselves, including our stuff.

Considering there were scorpions and bullet ants lurking we had to keep our stuff up when we slept. We, with Kelby, went into the woods to cut down small trees to use to hang our stuff while we slept. Once we got back we relaxed, socialized, told stories, and continued to bond. While we had the luxury of doing nothing, our lovely guide, Samuel, was hard at work. Samuel was cooking fish, chicken, and vegetables. We showed our appreciation by thanking him in Portuguese, “Obrigado”, and eating everything he cooked. It was an amazing adventure with amazing people and we have many more memories to come.
Shout out mom, dad, Andrew, Sarah, I love you all!

-by Ben

Friday June 28, 2019

Today was a very relaxing recovery day after a fun night in the Amazon, but nevertheless it was still productive. After returning from our overnight we enjoyed a regeneration period to catch up on sleep or just relax and chat. After which, we enjoyed an impromptu yoga session and achieved savassana with a new friend Brynn. Following a much needed lunch we enjoyed a surprise break before evening activity. Personally, this time was my favorite of the day because I was able to listen to music and enjoy a long conversation with others. When the rest period ended we began a group activity named “value lines”. We would shift to one side after making a quick decision as to how we felt. When we finally wrapped up our decision making we had a fine conversation. It consisted of justifying our reasons for which side we picked, but also provided some nice time to find out the deep values of the group. Currently, we are winding down a great day with some post dinner games and then transition into tonight.

-by Bennett Brosnan

Saturday June 29, 2019

oday was a huge change of scenery for our group. After eating a lovely breakfast this morning, we gathered our bags – filled with clothes, hygiene products, our journals, and other essentials – and loaded them into three vans that were to take us to the Onça (Jaguar) Waterfalls. Once we arrived, we gathered our belongings and were lead by our wonderful guide Samuel for about 15 minutes down a sandy trail that lead to an incredible, beautiful waterfall. Almost as soon as we entered into the clearing that held the waterfall, all of us had dropped our bags under a small manmade canopy and raced to the water. We were able to walk up into the base of the waterfall, and swim in the beginning of the shallow creek that began at its feet. We had so much fun riding in the small slide made by the winding current, walking across a log which connected both banks of the creek, feeling cool water on our skin, and just enjoying each other’s company.

After spending about two hours at the waterfall, Samuel took us back down the trail to the river we had to cross on our way there and explained to us that we would all be able to swim in the river. We put our bags in another shelter on the bank, but before our river run could commence, we saw a group of monkeys climbing the trees on one side of the river and jumping to the trees on the opposing side. This spelled was just the beginning of a good I Sérgio time at the river. We had a very tasteful lunch of sandwiches and fruit before we could enter the water. Next, Daphne said that we had to take a swimming test in order to swim for the next two hours, which included swimming from one bank to the other and then floating a certain distance. Thankfully we were all able to pass, with varying degrees of difficulty, and allowed to swim. During our time eating lunch and taking our swimming test, our guides Samuel and Raphael set up a manmade rope swing for us to use. Honestly, it was so much fun, and entertained us all for almost the entire time. As it was time leave, we then picked our bags and readied to leave, but Raphael decided to take us on a small bird watching trek for about 30 minutes.

During the trek we were fortunate enough to see one of the treasures of the Amazon, the Musical Wren. A small bird that symbolizes that the Forrest is healthy, began to sing its otherworldly tune. It was such a wonderful sound to hear – a beautiful, fragile sound – only a few feet in front of us. It truly was incredible. After our closer, Raphael took us back to wait for the vans where we played with 5 puppies until their arrival. The vans then took us to the hostel that we will be spending our next two days and two nights. It was nice to be able to relax and enjoy each other’s, as well as our phones as the hostel has WiFi, for the night. It was only fitting that our great day would be ended with a movie that we all watched together. It sure was a day to remember.

– by Austin Lichtenstein

Sunday June 30, 2019

Today is Jun 30 and we are at Presidente Figueiredo. The town is very beautiful and authentic and everyone always has somewhere to go. Which reminds me a little of New York City a little because people are working hard to live to a better life.

Around 7am, everyone woke up and had a delicious breakfast. After we ate, we walked to a market that sold fruits and vegetables for the local people. We were assigned a scavenger hunt. There was a list of different fruits and vegetables such as avocado and passion fruit in Portuguese. Luckily the group I was in, Alexa, could help us find the items by speaking to the people there in Portuguese. We had to take a picture with the items and we came in first place. The feeling was rewarding as well as I felt like I learned new words in Portuguese. Also, learning how kind the people in the market were by helping us find items on our lists and taking pictures. The experience was exciting and I respected their language and culture even more.

After, we hiked for about fifteen minutes to the Urubuí River Rapids to go swimming. Though we were all sweating bullets, the town around us was open and beautiful. We had time before lunch to go shopping for homemade chocolates and sweets. Most of us bought cupuaçu candies with sugar or nut. Cupuaçu is a traditional and popular Brazilian fruit. They were very delicious and savory. We ate lunch and fed a stray cat on the street which was very cute. Then we crossed the river, found a shady spot, and got into the cold stoney water. At first, the water painful but after feeling the sun it felt like heaven. We swam with the rapids, had chicken fights and took turns throwing each other in the water. Later, we all became tired and happy when a man came by selling with ice cream. We dried off and laughed about each other’s falls.

After a shower and rest break back at the hotel, we played an activity called hot seat. It was very intriguing to see people in our group open up to us. I felt in the activity we bonded in a deeper level. Dinner was ready by the time the activity ended, the food was incredible per usual. We all exchanged laughs and memories with each other about our day. After finishing our barbecued food, Alexa kindly cleaned all of our dishes.

A little later, we did an activity with five different categories, that listed about your favorite people, memory, things, places and dreams. They were in a form of post it notes and we had to take out five items at a time then two items. The point of the activity was to narrow one part of your life that you want to keep. By the end, we all had one post it note that meant the most to us. When ask to explain the significance of the post it note, some of us including me got emotional. A few people talked about how much they love their mothers, fathers and dreams. Though we have only met about a week, tonight was the most we connected without the feeling of judgment or embarrassment. So happy to be apart of this group and to call them my friends.

Love, Winnie

Monday July 1, 2019

We spent our last morning at the hostel in Presidente Figueiredo packing and getting ready to go back to home base. But we first made a short stop into a store that sold jewelry and woven goods made by indigenous Amazonians. Many of us bought beautiful rings and bracelets made from nuts and seeds and other materials from the rainforest.

Then we loaded up into taxis for the 30 minute drive to home base. I rode in the smallest cab with Winnie, Ben, and Dafne. Our driver was really cool when he gave us the aux cord to play our own music. We were jamming so hard with the windows down to Travis Scott, that everyone was dancing, even our driver! Ben and I stuck our heads out of the windows and danced, and when we were stopped and waiting for someone to open the gate to home base, we all jumped out and started hardcore dancing to Cardi B. It was soo fun.

Getting dressed for our first day of service work was a little difficult because we were so used to the A/C in the hostel. We were all sweating so much!! We started out by helping Leo with his bio-charcoal. Basically, we climbed up and down hills to gather thick branches, and threw them around this hole in the ground where he would burn them to make the bio-charcoal for composting. We took a lot of breaks, but it took a couple of hours to completely finish. Thankfully it was raining most of the time, so it wasn’t too scorching hot.

Then we split into groups: one would continue with the branches and cutting them into shorter pieces, while Shannon, Winnie, Thomas, Amber, Kelby, and I helped hands on with the compost. We gathered up fallen and rotten fruit around the property to throw into the compost, cut up branches and sugar cane and put them into a grinder, and then shoveled the pieces into the compost.

We were done just before 5, and we all ran up the hill to take showers, because we were all extremely sweaty and covered in orange tree sap. Probably the best shower this entire program.

We did another simulation about whaling and whether or not it’s okay when it’s apart of a culture which sparked a really near discussion about commercial whaling. During dinner, we sat and had a really interesting conversation with a couple people from the yoga retreat next to us.

Afterwards, Vanessa gave us an amazing dance lesson with Brazilian music. We had so much fun and starting sweating all over again. It was a great way to end the night!

Your favorite leader of the day,

Hannah

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Hello! Today we took a morning trek with Leo through the jungle to check the cameras. We saw many cool animals including a couple ocelots and a jaguar! We had a lot of fun getting to know each other more while walking through the forest. Something that stood out to me during this activity was the groups interest in animals. Personally I love animals and I found that many others have a love for them too.

Another thing we did today was our community service. Today was our second day of community service. We participated in planting new trees in part of the secondary forest. This piece of the forest was cut down by the previous owner. Now Leo is trying to convert it into an edible forest. Partly for us but also for the fish in the pond next to the plot of land. This was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to experience more of these awesome activities!

-Jaden

Wednesday July 3, 2019

This morning, instead of an early morning activity we surprised Kelby by decorating the breakfast table for his birthday. We all had fun making a card and signs, and decorating the breakfast table with barnyard themed plates. After breakfast and a game break we got another “surprise” in the form of unscheduled service work. We planted more trees around the home base and helped with more compost while a few of us worked on making a stovetop birthday cake for Kelby.

After a break and lunch, we headed for the posada to get ready for climbing the princess tree. We were split into three groups that rotated between climbing the tree and learning to make handcrafts with Samuel at the campsite. Two groups went today, ascending inch by inch into the canopy 55 meters into the air. It was definitely work to get up there, but we were rewarded by the beautiful panoramic view once we made it. We could feel the breeze and the branches swaying, and we were able to see a lot of tropical birds up close, including the bird of paradise and several species of hummingbirds.

When we weren’t in the treetops, Samuel taught us how to make bracelets, anklets, and necklaces using string and beads made from vines and fruit pits. Weaving the bracelets together was difficult at first, but as always, Samuel was a good teacher, and by the end of the day we were all able to make our own souvenirs from the jungle.

When the second group reached the ground, we headed back to the posada and put away our harnesses and helmets. Some of us ended up sitting on the bench before dinner, overlooking the jungle in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. We sat there as the jungle grew dark, and then rejoined the rest of the group for dinner and cake before we ended another amazing day.

-Shannon

Thursday July 4, 2019

Today we did an activity called trust yourself and others. The activity was about values and receiving and giving feedback. We wrote down what 5 words best describe us and then 4 other people wrote what they believed were the best 5 words to describe you. In the end of the activity, you talk with a partner and give and receive feedback.

After lunch, the last group climbed Princess (the tree). Everyone else did handcrafts with Samuel. We learned how to make a belt to carry people with, how to make string and made bracelets.

After the last group finished climbing we went back and waited for the pizza party. When we we came down, we were surprised to find a bunch of dough and toppings but no finished pizzas. Then Kinan started throwing pizzas in the oven left and right. It was some of the best pizza I have had. After the pizza party, we asked questions to the family ranging from what’s the coolest thing you have seen in the Amazon to what global issue, other than climate change, is most important to you. It was an awesome end to our experience in the Amazon!

-by Tommy

Friday July 5, 2019

For our final day at Amazon Emotions we were given the opportunity to speak with Vanessa and her son, Geo. We spoke about all that we had learned over the past two weeks, and how we can continue our sustainability efforts once we get home. Everyone came to the conclusion that we need to try and be more conscious of the chemicals we are putting into the environment. After this conversation, we headed out for the airport to go to Rio.

-by Amber

Saturday July 6, 2019

Today was long. We said a sad goodbye to the rainforest, our lovely hosts at Amazon Emotions, Kena, Igor, Mayara, and Samuel last night at 7 p.m. to drive two hours to the airport in Manaus, where we waited for our flight to Rio to take off. Obrigada/o, Amazon Emotions! At the airport, We occupied ourselves with a fair that was happening in the parking lot! Our flight landed at 6 a.m. today, and we were exhausted. But the view in Rio was amazing, so our moods were lifted instantly. We drove past Christ the Redeemer, some old cemeteries, a bunch of favelas, and the beach.

We had a chill day at the hostel filled with naps and movies, and then we talked with some of the local staff from Community in Action, an NGO working directly in Rio to support the favela communities. We learned that about 50% of Rio’s residents live in favelas, but that doesn’t mean they’re all impoverished! Favela doesn’t mean “slum”… it’s actually the name of a plant that grows native in the mountains here.

Many of the residents are middle class, and each favela is a fully functioning community due to lack of government oversight. They’re built, maintained, and lived in by every resident! Then, we went to a market at Copacabana beach for a few hours, and bought shirts to wear for the Brasil vs. Peru game tomorrow night. The night was filled with Hide and Seek and ice cream.

Beyla

Sunday July 7, 2019

Bom Dia todos! Today we lived our first full day as a Cariocas, a Brasilian term for the locals of Rio de Janeiro! We started this day off with sharing our breakfast with the city monkeys. After this, in rain or shine, we stepped outside onto the beautiful black and white wave streets of the famous beach, Copacabana and continued to walk to the other marvelous beach of Ipanema. During our ocean day we visited the little artisan markets, played soccer, ate queijo com oregano, and açaí- popular Brasilian seaside snacks.

Later in the day, we had a simulation group activity where we acted as the four different contributing groups that make the decisions regarding human/children rights involving the gentrification of following mega sporting events. We then put on our Brasilian jerseys and walked down to a little Copacabana restaurant and watched Brasil v Peru in the Copa America. As expected, Brasil won the game 2:1! VIVA BRASIL!! As always, Até a próxima vez…

-Alexa Fernandes 🇧🇷💕


Monday July 8, 2019

We started out today eating breakfast with the other group and getting to know each other’s names. Then we went to Abraço Campeão to begin our community service. We met Alan, the one leading this community center, and his team. We were fortunate enough to watch an inspirational video explaining Alan’s goals and motivation. Our GLA students and staff began a four day process of cleaning an area, making the land good enough to plant, and then actually planting. After hard work and an amazing lunch, we played soccer with the kids and listened and danced to music. I’m excited and hopeful for the future and I’m glad I’m able to be part of the change.

Shout out mom, dad, Andrew, Sarah Love you all!

-BEN

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Started out with some morning jazz at breakfast. Then took the bus to the service site. We did our second day of service at Abraço Campeão. We continued building the garden and making sure everything was ready to be planted. Around 1 we stopped for lunch. After lunch we went back to work and finished our part of the service. Then we talked, danced, boxed and played soccer with the Brazilian kids. Then we said our goodbyes and thanked everyone who helped us with the service we did there.

When we got back to the hostel, we showered and then split our group and the other into three separate groups and played Brazilian Jeopardy. There were questions about sports, history, culture, geography and Portuguese. After Jeopardy, the two groups separated and we did an appreciation circle. Then we were able to hangout or have a movie night and watch Rio. It was a very productive service day which we all really enjoyed. Tomorrow we are will switch service sites and although I’m sad that we won’t see the final product of our work, I’m excited to work on the next project!

-by Tommy

Wednesday July 10, 2019

Today, July 10th, began with a wonderful breakfast made by one of the many employees of the hostel we are currently staying at. All of us ate a hearty amount and were ready to face the day. Before we left for the service site at 9, both groups (ours and session 2) played a fun game of dance imposter which was a nice addition to an already pleasant morning.

Next, our group loaded into a van and drove 30 minutes to the Favela Vidigal. In the favela, we had the opportunity to work at a place called ‘Play Life’ which was a run down miniature soccer stadium for kids that was being renovated by a local group in order to allow Tamires, the woman leading the renovation, to host a girls soccer program there for young girls in Vidigal as well as teach them English.

It was also for another two organizations that used the area as well. We arrived at about 9:30 and after quick introductions began our work. Our work consisted of panting the concrete seats that lined two sides of the stadium and covering the graffiti that was there prior, panting the walls of the rooms that would house the classrooms, and doing overall maintenance of the area. It was hard, but rewarding work that while physically taxing, felt good as we knew that we were making a difference in the lives of many young children. We were very efficient and got a lot completed as our work took us all the way to lunch, which began at one o’clock.

A lunch of chicken, pasta, eggs, rice and beans, and other assorted items while looking over an incredible mountainous view was spectacular and just what we needed to fuel us for the rest of the day. After lunch, a large group of kids came to Play Life and we played a variety of games with them. It was so much fun to interact with all of those kids and to see the joy that Play Life brought to them. We played until four when our van came to pick us up and we arrived back at the hostel at 5. After showers, Dafne gathered us all in the living area and we discussed how our views on leadership had changed in the last two and a half weeks and how we can apply that to our lives outside of Brazil.

It was a very enlightening and enjoyable experience for us all. Lastly, we all participated in a talent show that consisted of a dance to the song Tequila, bad pick up lines, fake conspiracy theories, and High School Musical lip syncs. It was a lot of fun to see what our groups came up with and performed. Followed by another wonderful meal, it was time for bed and to rest for the rest of our trip.

Austin Lichtenstein

Thursday July 11, 2019

Today we finished our last day of service in the Vidigal favela. An artist from a neighboring favela guided us through spray painting a wall mural of the favela, and we chose to write the words “pride”, “passion”, and “empowerment” on it to represent how we felt making the mural and how we wanted others to feel looking at the mural. Aside from the mural, we finished painting the stairs and fixed a wall with cement.

Later that night, both groups went to a well known sushi restaurant that had chocolate and caramel pizza, but I stayed behind with Dafne and Amber and ate really amazing vegan food!

It was a really fun day and I’m already starting to miss everyone!!

Leader of the Day,

-Hannah

Friday July 12, 2019

Today we took a city tour around Rio and visited many different sights including the Christ Redeemer and the sugar loaf hill. We had a lot of fun going around the wonderful city of Rio embracing our last day together. My favorite sight was the sugar loaf hill where we got to watch the sunset fall over Rios beautiful skyline and mountains terrain.

During our time in the urban forest, we saw a waterfall and a lot of different types of monkeys. We also learned Brazil got its name from a tree will red sap. This whole trip from the Amazon jungle to the city of Rio and everything in between has really been a life-changing adventure full of new and amazing friends who I will cherish for a long time.

-Jaden

Time Capsule Letter

Boy, time sure flies when you’re making an impact on the world (and having fun doing it)!

I know we said this a lot, but you guys left some big shoes to fill. Through these past 21 days every single one of you made such a lasting impression on us mentors, Mrs. Emily, and the students at Helping Hands, not to mention every other person you connected with! From the excursions to the classroom to snorkeling on the Caye, you truly embraced what it means to be a global citizen and exemplified appreciation and gratitude for life. Never forget the tiny hugs and huge hearts of the students. You affected them in such a positive way; just as much- if not more- than they affected you. Side note, I have a suspicion that RayJey’s pants peeing was his way of showing affection.

I sincerely hope that once the dust settles y’all have a chance to not just reflect on the experiences you’ve had here, but to also apply what you’ve learned and be the change. Open the next chapter of your life with your group’s One Meaningful Goal: “Be present, engaged, and productive; seek out opportunities.” Make small changes like making your bed and using your phone less, but also push yourself to find new adventures & give your time to helping others. Remember that whatever you do, be sure to give it all you’ve got, because #yolo.

Remember how quiet Cruz was at the beginning of the program? How Pryanna was horrified of every bug? How reserved you all were? Holy smokes! Y’all came out of your shells with your souls ablaze! You guys started trends with your glue hands and lime juice hair. You trapped tarantulas and swam with sharks. You broke down barriers and traded weird slang. You formed bonds and friendships that can’t be shared by anybody else in the world. From valley girls to Virgin Islanders and everywhere in between, you guys make up the best of the best. Stay rad.

Written by Layni, sentiment felt by all.

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Friday June 28, 2019

Greetings from Belize!

All of the GLA team are so excited to finally meet the 14 students on the Belize: Initiative for Children program. We all started to get to know each other while we waited for everyone to arrive. After a long travel day (or two!), the students arrived to their new home for the next 21 days at the gorgeous tropical paradise T.E.C. Homebase.

The sounds of birds, the scurrying of iguanas, and lush jungle plants greeted the students upon arrival. The next 21 days will be filled with all kinds of new sights and sounds, teaching summer classes at the local school, leadership activities and discussions, fun adventures, and new friendships. Speaking of new friendships, the session was kicked off with a round of making friendship bracelets!

After a delicious dinner at Homebase and letting everyone know what to expect for tomorrow, students settled in after a long day of travel, to get a good nights rest amongst the sounds of the forest, ready for a full day of Orientation and games tomorrow!

June 28, 2019
By: Erica Wrona
International Director
Belize: The Initiative for Children
June 28-July 12, 2019

Saturday June 29, 2019

Hello!

Today we had our first official day on the program. Starting off with orientation and ‘get to know you’ activities, we learned a lot about GLA and each other! For lunch we had the most delicious quesadillas. After that we had a full tour of the beautiful home base (complete with iguana sightings!) and some chill time in the pool.

There was a bug apocalypse during dinner, but we were protected inside the dining room as we enjoyed our stewed beef and mashed potatoes.

Looking forward to a busy day tomorrow out and about in Belize!

Written by Layni (International Mentor)

Sunday June 30, 2019

Today was a great day. we started off the day at 7:45 and for breakfast we had fried dough, eggs and ham, beans, and other fruits. then we headed for Xunantunich mayan ruins which we hiked up to and they were beautiful. after the hike down we got some time to go shop and then we went to lunch. for lunch we ate some delicious rice and beans with chicken and potato salad. after lunch we went to the green iguana project over there they help injured iguanas and we even got a chance to hold, pet, feed them. we ended off our excursions with some ice cream at an adorable little ice cream shop. after returning back home we had dinner which was spaghetti with sauce and bread. for dessert we got chocolate cake. we ended the day with some leadership activities, mentor groups, and shout outs. finally at 9:45 it was lights out.

By: Araba & Aishi

Written by: Pryanna Alper & Jahan Daswani

Monday July 1, 2019

Today was the first day we got to work with the kids at the school, Helping Hands. It was an amazing experience. We all worked with different ages and types of kids and got to get a really good idea on who they are. Today we also got told our after service activities. Half of us went to the pool to relax and swim. The other half got to cook the dinner for the day. It was rice and beans, veggies, beef, potato salad, and orange juice made from squeezing 100 oranges (we made everyone drink the juice). After that we did fun activities that taught us how to manage and conduct an activity with a group of people. Then we ate dinner, which was extremely delicious, and talked about our experiences with the kids for that day. Lights out was at 9:30, but as always the girls did some more bonding in the cabins 🙂

The food today was some of the best we had so far so we called Juan Carlos into the dining room to thank him. For breakfast we had pancakes, oatmeal, bacon, oranges and papaya with orange juice, Nutella (thanks to Araba), butter, and Aunt Jemima syrup. For lunch we had corn tostados with chicken and beans inside with tomato paste and cabbage salad. It was an all around super good food day. As a group we are really thriving and we’re all super excited to continue working with the kids and go on exciting adventures together.

Written by: Pryanna Alper & Jahan Daswani

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Today we woke up, and had some delicious eggs, toast, and sausage. After breakfast, we left home base and headed to the school. We worked with the kids for 3 hours. Last night, we came up with some learning strategies for our classes, so we did our best to apply those. After school, we came back to a delicious lunch of fish sandwiches, and french fries. After lunch we tuned in to the woman’s world cup soccer game!

In the afternoon, we focused our attention on improving our leadership skills with a heated role playing activity. We then were able to relax and cool off in the pool after a long day and had yummy chicken, rice, and cake. To wrap up the day, we met with our mentor groups and did service trip for the next day!

By Alina & Abby

Wednesday July 3, 2019

Early today, several of us enjoyed a morning run and yoga. For breakfast we ate biscuits with beans, cheese, and ham and pineapple juice. We took the bus to school and started our day of service; a day filled with the Little’s peeing their pants and the Standard 4’s learning three-digit multiplication.

We came back to home base for lunch and had nachos with all kinds of toppings. After lunch, we participated in a traditional dance class and learned 3 dances from all over the world. We learned that Brad was the best dancer in the program and Pryanna and Bella can get really into Belizean dance too. After some service prepping for tomorrow, we got to relax in the pool for a while and then met up again in the classroom to continue planning our lessons.

We had diy burritos for dinner and then brought out cake for Erica because TODAY WAS HER BIRTHDAY!
Following dinner we did some exercises to advance our leadership skills and concluded the night in our mentor groups. Overall, today was amazing and we continued to grow our relationships with each other.

Written by Izzy & Ale

Thursday July 4, 2019

Today we had a busy day starting off with an early morning breakfast of eggs, tortillas, and bacon. We then went to service from 9-12 and had a sack lunch with chicken and rice on the bus afterwards. After that we went on an hour and a half drive (including lots of music) to the hot sauce factory which is owned by the only woman in the hot sauce hall of fame. There we had a chance to browse the gift shop and buy an assortment of hotsauce. “Back on the road again” to base camp and on the way we got some amazing ice cream and stopped at “the mall” for snacks. Although we weren’t home to celebrate the Fourth of July we still had an amazing day.

By: Belly
(Isabella von roenn)

Friday July 5, 2019

Today was an interesting and fun day. We started with a breakfast of eggs, sausage, bread, refried beans, and papaya. We were on the bus and left the TEC by 8:15 and we got to Helping Hands a full fifteen minutes before the start of classes. Today we had the parent of two students at the center play the drums for a demonstration which included group songs and dances. After running the classes, we ate tamales for lunch on the bus. After the sack lunch, Mrs. Emily taught us a little about the history of Belize focusing on culture and the education system, including why our service at the center is so important.

At about 2 o’clock we began cleaning the shelves in the back corner of the center, uncovering many cockroaches which were killed with a fly swatter, a belt, a broom and pieces of plastic pipe. We also found a small jean jacket which Jahan tried on and a tarantula hidden in the back corner of the room. To keep it from being smashed by the boys, Bella trapped it in a bucket and Whitney took it outside to set it free.

We did manage to get the shelves organized and the rest of the center swept and clean by about 4 o’clock. On the way home we stopped at Art Box for souvenirs and coffee. For dinner we ate pasta salad, potatoes, baked chicken, vegetables, and flan. Then, after writing some journal questions about service and making service flags to hang at home base, lights were out by 9:30.

-By Carmen

Saturday July 6, 2019

As today was a Saturday, we did not have any service. Instead, we spent the day rotating through different activities. First, Whitney led us on a nature photography hike. We walked by countless trees and plants, stopping at several look outs to take photos with the gorgeous scenery. We learned about rule of thirds, the golden ratio, and other photography essentials. Overall, the hike was very beautiful and we got a great look at the nature of Belize.

Our next rotation was with Erica where we watched a Ted Talk about happiness and then proceeded to make art with nature. The Ted Talk was very interesting and gave us tips on how to be genuinely happy from the inside-out. Next, we went outside to explore nature and make art with varying pieces of nature. For example, we used leaves, sticks, and pinecones to represent different ideas.

Our last rotation, with Layni, was a field day. We played different games such as balancing a lime on spoons in our mouths, a three legged race, and a water balloon toss. The two teams competed in a number of games and it was a great bonding experience.

Finally, we took a trail to the Belize zoo and got to see incredible animals. We got a tour of the zoo, seeing countless animals such as cougars, crocodiles, jaguars, and vultures. Overall, even though we were not doing service, Saturday was extremely fun. We got to walk gorgeous paths, play games, and see exotic animals!

-by Emme Shaffer

Sunday July 7, 2019

Today at GLA, we went on an excursion to the ATM Cave. Before the Mayans disappeared, it was used as a Church for various events. It was about an hour and a half car ride there. When we got off the bus, we went straight to gearing up for an educational adventure! To get to the Cave itself, we had to walk for about 40 minutes through a forest like terrain, which also had 3 rivers.

Once we got to the entrance of the cave, we split up the group into 2 groups of 7, with 1 mentor per group, and 2 mentors getting their own private tour with another guide. The cave itself was 5.5 kilometers, but we only visited 0.5 kilometers of it. In the cave, we had to swim, climb and hike, to get to the “main hall” of our tour. In this part of the tour, we saw many artifacts including clay pottery, remains of sacrificed Mayan’s, and some beautiful stalagtites and stalagmites. There are no cameras allowed in the caves, so we could only get the one picture for today on the way to the caves.

After a long hike back from the ATM Cave, taking the same route we took heading there, we had lunch at the rest site and enjoyed chicken salad sandwiches, plantain chips, and cupcakes. On the drive back, we stopped at “The Mall,” aka the supermarket, to grab some snacks.

Back at home base, we did some brief service prep for the next day and had dinner. After dinner, we did a leadership activity that was definitely a favorite so far. We did an anonymous compliment circle that left a lot of people in tears from feeling so loved and appreciated. To end the night, we met with our mentor groups and then the lights were “out” at 9:30.

By Jahan Daswani and Izzy Werdesheim

Monday July 8, 2019

Today was a special day because we had two birthdays, Aishi and Whitney! We started the day doing service at Helping Hands. We all ran our classes smoothly despite it being a Monday and the kids having so much energy. A radio show even came by to take photos of our classes and talk to some of us.

After service was over, we headed to Home Base for lunch, followed by a birthday surprise. We went to a cool ice cream place called Mooncrust where everyone got drinks called “cholis” (which were basically frappuccinos with ice cream).

After Mooncrust we went back to home base, where we saw Erica in the pool area jumping up and down extremely excited with balloons everywhere. The councilors had surprised Aishi and Whitney with a pool party! We all went to the pool and payed lots of fun games of tug o war and just swam around.

After the pool party we had some time to ourselves to shower, call our parents, etc. Then we headed to dinner and did some very helpful service prep like we do every night before service. Then we ended the day with some time before to hang out and call friends and family, and went to bed.

By: Emme Shaffer and Ale Sigg

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Today we started off our day with a delicious breakfast at 7:30. After that we continued to our daily routine of going to Ms.Em’s for service and after service we had a sack lunch and headed off for the blue hole national park. The national park was beautiful although the water was really cold it was still a highlight of the day.

Over there we also got to see into this dark cave where the longer you looked into it the deeper it got. After the Blue Hole we dried off and were on our way back when our bus broke down. However we did get a new one and finally reached home base. Later that afternoon we had some activities then dinner and finally ended the night with mentor groups.

By: Aishi and Bella

Wednesday July 10, 2019

Hello ladies and gentlemen all over the US! Welcome to another blog 🙂 Today was a pretty chill day to be honest me (Pryanna) and Brad where the leaders of the day. It was a good day of service and after that we broke into two groups. One went to the pool and the other cooked dinner. The pool was much much needed, because it is extremely hot down here.

After that we all got together to do our daily activities. Then we had dinner and played jeopardy!! My team almost won but in the last round we didn’t bet enough money (I really should’ve went with Carmen’s idea because then we would’ve won), but there wasn’t really a prize so we’re chilling ;). Any who, overall great day and great mementoes made as always. Tune in tomorrow for another day with another blog. 👍🏼

By: Pryanna

Thursday July 11, 2019

Today we had service from 9-12. After that we went to the grocery store and stocked up on snacks. Then we went back to home base and swam in the pool. We did service prep and a leadership activity before dinner. After dinner we had mentor groups. We ended the day with a super fun movie night. We watched Rio (one of the greatest movies of all time). That was the day!

– By Alina

Friday July 12, 2019

On July 12th was our last day of service at Helping Hands with Mrs. Emily. First we started out our day with a 7:30 breakfast and then we headed out to Belmopan for service. Since it was our last day we were all very sad to let go of our kids but we all got things to remember them by. We all took pictures with our kids also. After we said our goodbyes to helping hands we headed back to TEC for lunch.

After lunch we changed and got ready for cave tubing. Cave tubing is basically a hike up to a cave and floating through the cave in this gorgeous water. It was honestly so relaxing and refreshing and the water was so blue and clear. After cave tubing we left and showered ate dinner and then had a leadership activity. We also got ready for the Parent empowerment workshop that was on Saturday. Overall it was a great day.

-by Araba & Abby

Saturday July 13, 2019

This morning we had a nice and early breakfast at 7:15. We had a hearty meal of fried dough, eggs, and beans. Then from there we headed off to Helping Hands for the Parent Empowerment Workshop.

Once at Helping Hands we set up for the workshop by cleaning the room up and welcoming parents. During the parent workshop there were multiple inspirational guest speakers who gave all of us a boost of confidence. We also sang the Belizean national anthem and did a skit on the ABC’s of parenting. After the successful workshop we cleaned up and took pictures with Mrs.Emily and the local Belizean volunteers. We then took Mrs.Em our for cholis, ice blended coffee, for a celebration of her success with the parent empowerment workshop.

After the long and hot day we went swimming and hung out before getting ready for Caye Caulker. After a yummy dinner of Mac&cheese and chicken fingers we made informational letters to the next volunteer group about our students. Ending the night we packed for Caye Caulker and went to bed for a full day tomorrow.

-by Hannah and Carmen

Monday July 15, 2019

Snorkeling Day!!! On this wonderful Monday morning we had a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant in Caye Caulker. Next we went to get our snorkeling gear and headed to the boat. Throughout our trip we saw sea turtles, nurse sharks, and even an octopus. Halfway through the excursion we had a yummy lunch of rice and beans with chicken.

After the long day we washed off and split into groups to do different afternoon activities. Some went to see pelicans, sting rays, and seahorses in the wild. Others waited later to see the beautiful sunset. After dinner we all crashed after a long day in the sun.

Thursday July 18, 2019

Last night was an epic evening of sharing memories during the Capstone Showcase, shedding tears, feeling all the feels, an extra long shout-out circle, and an unexpected visit from a bat who joined us in the classroom to bid everyone a fond farewell. To say we will miss the students is a vast understatement. This group is well on their way to change the world for the better. Their positivity, inspiring ideas, laughter, kindness and compassion, and understanding of what it means to be a global citizen, creates a ripple effect out into their communities.

These 14 change-makers have visibly transformed in the 21 days they spent in Belize, and today we send them off knowing that the change starts from within. We witnessed them transform, step up, step out, push past their comfort zones, sing songs from their souls, lead with their hearts, teach with passion and patience, and laugh and laugh and laugh into the stillness of the night. We staff can’t thank this group of students enough, for the way they transformed our own hearts and souls, and took loving what we do to a whole other level.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! We miss you already.

Much love,
Erica, Emma, Layni, Whitney, and Kelli