Time Capsule Letter

Wow! Can you believe it has already been a few months since we were all together in Bali? I feel like it was just yesterday that we were eagerly awaiting your arrivals at the airport and see your jet lagged faces ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime! I wish we were back at EBI sitting by the fire and roasting some roti bakar. Who knew grilled bread could be so good!

We all can still remember the kids smiles on their faces every morning when you stepped foot out of the vans.  We all really admired the work you did and how amazing you made the trip for all of us! I hope that you have had an amazing start to your new school year. I have no doubt that you have stayed true to your OMGs that you left with at the end of the program and that you have a new understanding of your role in the world. Stay strong and follow through no matter how difficult it may seem!

Keep traveling and keep taking risks, I know that each of you is going to make such a difference in the world!

Miss you all and stay in touch!

Much Love, Gita, Meg, Sita and Dr. Nicole

PS. Here are just some of the things we remember from our summer together:

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Sunday June 16, 2018

Hi everyone!

We have arrived in Bali!! Every student is accounted for and present in Bali! Each student has come with a smile on their face and hop in their step. The start of our wonderful program has begun. All students arrived safety through customs, immigration, and baggage claim. One by one the students came out with their blue “be the change” T-shirt’s and immediately found their new friends. This is my personal favorite part of the program, watching all the students meet for the first time and knowing in my head that their friendship will soon blossom into being there new best friends.

Once the students got to home base and we showed them their rooms and allowed them to unpack and get situated. We then meet up for dinner, we had typically Balinese food. Many students tired all the new foods, I was pleasantly surprised. Once dinner was done, we meet upstairs and re-introduced ourselves and went over the schedule for the next day.
We are so excited for the students to be here! We have prepared many days for this moment. We are all looking forward to connecting with each students.

-Megan Quinn (GLA Bali mentor)

Monday June 17, 2019

We went to the Banjar today in the town. A Banjar is a local community center where people learn about Balinese traditions and partake in them. We learned about their music, legong dance, woodcarvings, and how to make an offering. Then we walked to the Prince of Peliatan’s Palace. We had a tour of the palace and had dinner with him. We talked about tourism and technology affecting Bali.

He was very well educated and wanted to tell everyone about the love of Balinese culture he has. He was really nice and open minded. After dinner we had a private cultural dance showing!! It was so beautiful. This is our last day in Ubud and we’re packing for Singaraia tonight. We love Bali and we are so happy to be here!

Tuesday June 18, 2019

Salamat Pagi friends! Today we had an adventure like no other. To start off the day, we had breakfast In a box at 6:45 and headed to rice paddies for an herbal tour. While on the tour, we saw amazing views of the rice paddies and tried some of Bali’s local fruits and herbs. Stopping at a local cafe along the way fueled us up for the day. Later we went shopping at the herbal shop and collected souvenirs.

After shopping, we made our way to the Tirta Empul temple where the purification process is held. We toured the purification pools and then entered the inner sanction where we prayed with the other priests of the temple as well as other locals. Then we packed up and headed to lunch. At lunch, we enjoyed a buffet styled meal along with the beautiful views of the Batur mountain and lake. After, we headed back to our home and settled down for the day.

Salam sayang (With love),

Ryann and Jack

Thursday June 20, 2019

Hello love ones back home,

Today we moved into a new home base. While traveling we stopped for lunch, and visited a very scenic temple. Named the Ulun Danu Bratan temple. When we arrived in Singaraja, after a three hour voyage, we toured around the town. The town is located on the coast of the Bali, and is the old capital of the island. After familiarizing ourselves with our new home we started to lesson prep for our first volunteer day. We can’t wait to meet the kids of this community and teach them English!

Friday June 21, 2019

Today we started our morning with our first day of volunteer work. It was very fulfilling! We were all excited because we prepared many hours for this. We taught third, fourth, fifth, and six graders colors and numbers. Once we got to the school, all the children greeted us with happy smile’s. The children were so happy to see us and we’re so excited for us to be there. That made us happy to be there with them too! After that we went back to home base to eat lunch, de brief, and plan our lessons for tomorrow.

When we finished we all went upstairs to relax and get ready to go to the beach for our swim test and sunset boat ride! We had an amazing time. We all loved being on the water and seen the sunset in Bali. We had to pinch ourselves of our reality. They then surprised us with hamburgers and french fries which was AMAZING!! We finished the night at the beach with a bonfire, live music, singing, and dancing.

Love- Alex and Ryann 

Saturday June 22, 2019

Hello Everyone! Today we had our second day of teaching at Sekolah Dasar Neheri Dua Kaliasem, the topic of today was animals and fruits. We think that because it was the second day the kids were more engaged and excited to learn. A lot of the kids were more eager to form connections, and talk with us. After teaching we did a team building challenge when we got back to the home base. It was very frustrating for many of us and it was a good way to lead into our discussion on collaborative leadership.

The game was frustrating because everyone was good at different aspects of leadership than what they were assigned. After our discussion we took a survey to figure out what type of leader each of us is and we split into groups based on our results. The groups were action, vision, empathy, and analytical and we had discussions in our groups about our strengths and weaknesses.

Then after dinner we got introduced to an array of tropical fruits. We tried sawo, snake fruit, dragon fruit, jack fruit, star fruit, and mango. Later today we will split into our mentor groups for an evening activity. We are missing all of you but we are having lots of fun here in Bali.

— Samaya and Sophie

Sunday June 23, 2019

Hi Fam!

We went to the school for volunteer work in the morning. We taught the students body parts and clothing. Every group came up with great ideas on how to teach these subjects. We noticed the kids were more excited to see us and ready to learn. That was encouraging for us to see how happy they were that we are here. We had lunch at the school that followed with a debrief of the day of volunteering. We then went to the beach for a couple of hours and had a nice relaxing time.

The beach was beautiful, it had black sand! While we were at the beach, we spent time together and got a taste of the local culture. We also had the opportunity to go to the markets and get some Balinese souvenirs. We had lesson prep at home base and then had a fun evening activity!! Tomorrow we are teaching about places and occupations. We can’t wait for tomorrow!

Photos coming soon! 🙂

– Love Scarlet and Eleanor

Monday June 24, 2019

Today we are reminded of how beautiful the children of Bali are. As we arrive at the gate of the school, we see the familiar faces of the children grinning at us with eager anticipation. It may only be day 4 of us teaching, but we have already formed bonds with the children. Our hearts melt when they give us drawings or handmade bracelets. It is their kindness and energy that keeps us going through tiring days of teaching. When the school day ends, the kids line up, and each of them places the back of our hand on their forehead as a sign of respect. It feels like we have 70 younger siblings looking up to us. At the end of each day, this feeling reminds us why we are looking forward to seeing the kids the next day.

Later in the afternoon today, we visited a children’s home called Narayan Seva. The mission of the home is to provide disadvantaged children with love and a holistic education that emphasizes physical and mental well-being through yoga and meditation. The atmosphere of the home felt very spiritual, and the children radiated happiness. Some of the children there were our age and preparing to go to college. The home has had dozens of children go through college, and many of them have families now. It was great hearing that despite the children’s background, they have a future ahead of them.

Spending time at the home was a fun experience. They showed us around their living areas and their open-air meditation space. They welcomed us into their spaces and even had us participate in a yoga class and meditation session. Afterwards, they provided us with a vegetarian meal, which is a part of their lifestyle. After dinner, the children performed traditional balinese dance, flexible yoga tricks and a hip-hop dance. We, in turn, performed the macarena, the cupid shuffle, the cha-cha slide, and a couple old trendy dances like the whip and nae-nae that are the epitome of being an American teenager in this day and age. After the performances, we said our goodbyes and headed to our favorite place: indomart (a convenient store). If you are wondering where your child’s money is going, they are either rookies at bargaining or they are spending all of their money on snacks.

To any parents worrying, rest assured that we are happy and having a great time! We are soaking up the sun and the culture of Bali!

Sing ken ken ~ no worries

-Amina

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Today we had a break from our service and headed to a resort west of Singaraja, in a town called Pemuteran. We got to sleep in this morning which was great and we headed over to the place around 9:30 am. When we got to the resort we watched a presentation on the coral restoration project that is happening off the shore of Bali. They use biorock and an electronic wave to increase coral reproduction and growth. We then went into the water and snorkeled in the area in which the restoration was happening. It was really pretty and we saw a ton of fish and new coral growth. After snorkeling, we all lounged by the pool and drank tropical drinks. Then we headed back to our home base and the mentors surprised us with Pizza! Tomorrow we will head back to service at the school, but today was an amazing rest day!!

Hi Mom and Dad!!!

<3 Josie and Georgia

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Hi Friends and Family !

We started off the day with some yummy toast. Then we headed to our 5th day of service. After service we went home and ate lunch which consisted of noodles, chicken, circles of rice, chicken broth and some flavorful toppings. Once we all finished lunch we got supersized with a Gelato run, which we all needed and enjoyed. When we got back we lesson planned for the next day. We had a little bit of free time before we went into the Cross Cultural Commutation activity where we are split into five different groups. In those groups we were given a description of how we needed to respond when we were greeted by that new person from another country.

Everybody had different cards with different greeting types. After the activity we compared the cards to any country that related to those culture attributes. After that activity, we did another activity called Cut the Small Talk. In that activity, we choose a series of questions that we were asked to ask the other person we were with. One person had one minute to talk and the other person was asked to be quite and to solely listen. We learned how to be a active listener and we realized that it’s a lot harder to just sit and listen instead of talk. It was a really neat activity.

Next was dinner, we had rice chicken and watermelon. Afterwords we all got dressed and our team colors before we went to go play futsal “soccer”. It was so fun!! We were running around and laughing trying to play. We didn’t realize that running in humidity was not easy. Then we came to home base showered and went to bed. We were tired from the day and was looking forward to sleeping 🙂

Love you all!!

-by Fedora and Jack

Thursday June 27, 2019

Hello !!

In the morning we woke up and went to another day of volunteering at the school. Everyone had a good time because of the high energy and happy spirits of the children. After school we came back to our home base and ate lunch. At two thirty pm we left for the Bengkala Village tour. We got to watch a few villagers weave baskets and partake in the craft if we were brave enough.

It was amazing seeing how quickly they created these beautiful baskets. The village has a large population of deaf and/or mute individuals. They form a community together and created jobs for those individuals. For dinner we took a bus ride to Anik’s Restaurant on the beach where we ate spaghetti and had a bonfire with singing and dancing. After a long day we returned to home base and packed before we went to sleep. Tomorrow we’re moving home bases and we’re very excited.

– by Parker and Sophie

Friday June 28, 2019

Today we embarked on a new adventure. It was our last day teaching in Singaraja, and was a bitter sweet moment saying goodbye to the students. It was amazing to see how much they learned and to watch how far they have come. Knowing we had impacted a small part of their lives brought tears of joy to some of us we will all miss them greatly.

After we left the school we went back to what is now our old home base for lunch and to pack our bags to head to our new home base, East Bali Immersion, it was a two hour drive (most of us slept the whole way). Once we arrived, we unpacked our bags and settled into our huts! We had an hour of free time then we were taught how to prepare a Balinese dinner. It was amazing!!!

After dinner we sat around a fire and made Balinese s’mores (its like a sweet dough.) For our evening activity we sat around the fire and 5 people in our group shared their life stories. It was very cool to hear about where some of the other kids live and how they grew up.

-Love Alex

Saturday June 29, 2019

Today we got to wake up later than usually so that was a nice start to the day!! next we went to the East Bali Immersion Cashew Farm. This is a Cashew Farm that a lot of women work at. We got a tour of the farm and we also got to take the shells off the cashews ourself !!! next we had lunch and then planned what we were going to teach to the pre schoolers that the cashew farm ran to help the woman working on the factory out. The Cashew farm runs a preschool to educate the kids while the woman work. At the school they get an education, a doctor every 2 months, a meal and nap time. After we finished the whole time at the factory we walked back to home base. we had dinner and sat around the fire chilling. We have bedtime next and we can stargaze as well.

P.S. we got so noice hot showers while we have been here
P.S.S. grace says hi even tho she did not write this

written by: Fedora

Sunday June 30, 2019

Hello friends and family,

Today we woke up at 4:30 to go on a sunrise hike! It was brutal but beautiful!! Once we got it the top we watched the sun rise then walked to a nearby village to hitch a ride home. When we got back we had a reeeaaaallly good breakfast then went to pick rosella in the fields to make jam and learn how to make hibiscus tea!! It was so yummy! Then after lunch we headed to Amed in clown cars that were slightly cramped but the view during the drive was awesome! So fun!! lol. Now we’re in Amed and staying in super cool beach bungalows and it’s sooooooo beautiful! There’s a restaurant on our property with good western food- heck yeah! Time for bed!!!!

Hello mom and dad and all fam out there!

Love
Grace and Sophia
byeeeeeeee

Monday July 1, 2019

Today was scuba day in Bali!! We woke up early and had a yummy breakfast over looking the ocean. Then we put our sunscreen on and headed to the dive shop down the road. When we got there, the instructors went over the basic diving skills and safety tips. We practiced in the pool first to get the hang of it and then drove a few coves over for our first dive. Our first five was an easy dive for beginners where we saw colorful fish and got the hang of being underwater with our tanks.

Then we headed back to the dive shop for a fried rice lunch and rested at the pool for a little before heading out for our second dive. Our second dive was amazing! We say endless colorful fish and a few sea turtles including a baby sea turtle!! It was an amazing experience! After diving, we drove back to our beach bungalows and hung out by the pool and the bean bag chairs on the beach. We had a relaxing afternoon after a long day of scuba and exploring Bali’s beautiful ocean! We ate dinner by the ocean and ended the night with a evening activity.

Sending love home,
Makenna

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Today we woke up and got to enjoy an amazing breakfast that we got to choose. After eating we left our beautiful beach bungalows and begun a extremely long two and a half hour drive. About half way through the trek we stopped at the beloved indo mart for snacks. At 12:30 we stopped at a cute little café for lunch. When we were done we got back in the cars for ten minutes until we reached our new home base. For the rest of the day we debated, made bracelets, and played cards. Over all it was a good day for rest and forced group bonding.

See you all at home in 4 days!
Sophia and Fedora :))

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Hi Friends and Family back home!!

This the is International Director Nicole. Students got back to home base a little late last night so I took over the blog. Sprits are high as we are fully into our last week in Bali.

Today we had a full day! Things started off strong at our Batik work shop. Batik is a wax resistant dyeing technique, which originated in Indonesia. Students had the opportunity to select a pattern and get to work. The process is done by tracing a pattern with hard wax and then using a light wax to fill in the background. When done, we dyed each pattern to our liking.

This was actually the first year GLA offered the Batik workshop and I have to say, I think it was awesome! During the workshop students even got a chance to try a tasty Balinese snack, which consisted of rice flower filled with palm sugar and wrapped in coconut!

When we returned home students had lunch and got ready to head to Tanah lot temple where the land meets the sea. Tanah meaning land and lot meaning sea is a place where a sacred snake lives and keeps watch over the temple. Students enjoyed a quick cultural lesson explaining what the temple was and then made their way into the market area. Everyone left the temple with full bellies, empty pockets and all the souvenirs anyone could ever want! All in all it was a great day!

Until next time!

Cheers,
Nicole

Thursday July 4, 2019

Today we had banana pancakes for breakfast. After breakfast we headed to a coffee farm. We got to try many different flavors of teas and coffees that they make there. After that we white water rafted the Telaga Waja River. Half way through the rafting trip we stopped at a gorgeous waterfall. Once we were finished rafting we walked 173 steps to eat lunch overlooking the river.

Afterwards we headed back to home base and had a GLA session where we wrote our goals for when we get back home. We had dinner and the mentors surprised us with a Fourth of July cake, sparklers, and face paint. Then we took a trip to a “secret location” for a surprise celebration!

~Cerena Patel and Ryker

Time Capsule Letter

Wow! It has been so long since Bali… Can you believe it? Remember when we all met for the first time? Many of you had some flights together along the way, but really, we all truly found each other at Madra Homestay. When you all arrived, everyone was given their first taste of Bali, literally. Those coconuts were so delicious! And from there, the rest is history!

We started off our service projects with the Health Workshops at the primary school in Ubud. At first, many of you were nervous, but I think that you quickly found your footing and completed the service with confidence. The kids also seemed hesitant at first, but by the end, both groups were hugging and smiling, and I even saw a few tears of joy! Isn’t it amazing the bonds that can be created despite a language barrier?

Next, we moved onto Singaraja. Your assignment: banjar home visits. The first day, you were all put into groups and paired with local STIKES students. Those icebreakers were nuts! So many of you were weary of opening up, but eventually everyone let loose and we were all able to smile and laugh with each other.

Then the home visits were no easy task. It was HOT outside, and many of you had very little medical experience. But the lack of experience was quickly made up for with a string desire to learn and do good.

You powered through each day, making sure the people felt safe all while exploring a brand new side of this different culture. While there, we also watched Racing Extinction. We learned about the perils of our human actions and the impacts we are having on Mother Earth.

You were all inspired by the movie to the point where many of your OMGs were environmentally based. Many of you pledged to use less plastic or help plants trees. Regardless, we all learned about the importance of living a lower impact life!

Then it came time for East Bali Immersion, or EBI. You had all heard about it before, but I don’t think you realized how beautiful it truly was until arriving and getting your first good look at Mount Agung.

The kids at Anakardia preschool were so smart and were so happy to learn some life skills from you all. We also learned about the benefits of East Bali Cashews Factory, the social enterprise that brought us there in the first place.

On the last morning at EBI, everyone was rewarded with an incredible orange sunrise over the sparkling ocean, which was only made more awe inspiring by the nearby volcano. After EBI we ventured to Amed where many of you tried SCUBA diving for the first time. Again, it was so cool to see you test your fears and bravely venture into an alien world!

Finally, back in Ubud, we saw Tanah Lot – the amazing temple on the ocean – and went surfing! Surfing was yet another experience that brought you all out of your comfort zones and some of you even caught some gnarly waves!

Our three weeks in Bali were a wild ride! As mentors, we hope that you will take your experiences and let their lessons guide you through life, wherever you go. Remember that no matter the action, big or small, you can still make an impact in this world. Stay positive! Be mindful! Be happy and healthy!

Miss you all!!!

Written by Ian, Fira, Kris, Monika and Sasti

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Tuesday July 16, 2019

Om Swastiastu!

Greetings from Bali!

After many, many hours of travel we have finally arrived at our home base in Ubud. We were each greeted with our own coconut and bamboo straw, followed by a delicious dinner. Now we are all taking some time to relax and make new friends before we hit the ground running tomorrow!

Ian – mentor

Wednesday July 17, 2019

Today we started with an authentic banana pancake breakfast. Then we spent a couple hours at orientation where we learned leadership skills and did some team building games. After lunch, we had a surprise scavenger hunt where we worked through language barriers and immersed ourselves in Balinese culture.

We were invited into people’s homes and discovered how friendly and willing they are to answer our questions. We even got to see a farmer with his rice patties! It was so interesting to see the daily life in this community! At the end of the night, we headed to our bunks to relax and get a good night’s sleep for our busy day tomorrow!

-Talia and Grace

Thursday July 18, 2019

Today we got a chance to immerse ourselves in Balinese culture by participating in Banjar workshops. We got a small sample of traditional dance, wood carving, offering making, even learned how to play Gamelan (traditional instruments). After a delicious lunch in Warung Hana, we headed back to home base to relax and attend a session about Public Health.

In the evening, we had the pleasure of visiting Peliatan Palace and even had a long chat with Prince Kris. We finished our eventful day watching a Kecak dance performance!

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Monika
International Director

Friday July 19, 2019

We started the day with a breathtaking herbal walk, which brought a lot of insight to many of us by learning traditional remedies and more natural methods for healing, while testing and tasting the remedies on our adventure. We were also given the opportunity to purchase many of these items and much more.

Later, we moved onto Tirta Empul, the sacred water temple, exposing the students to the beautiful culture all around, including the thirty purifying fountains and joining in the traditional Balinese prayer. The students then had the chance to shop at the available shops and purchase what they would like while practicing their negotiating skills in the Bahasa Indonesian language.

After a long day of experiencing the culture, we traveled to Kintamanibro have lunch with a fantastic view of Mount Batur. We were treated to a buffet style restaurant with many ethnic options and a few stops for photo shoots along the way!

Towards the end of the day, we got a tour of the Natural Birth Clinic, Bumi Sehat International where we had the chance to learn and explore all the different ways to help endure and give birth while managing the symptoms along the way. After having chances to watch videos of water births and ask questions we all left more knowledgeable with more insight on the subject at hand. It was a truly eye-opening experience, leaving many of us with watery eyes.

At the end of the day we all divided into groups and eagerly prepared lessons for our first day of service tomorrow!

– by Sarah M. and Andrew

Saturday July 20, 2019

After eating an interesting breakfast of black rice pudding and coconut milk, we headed to laughing yoga. While there, we learned about the different levels of laughter. There are five levels (stomach, chest, throat, head and whole) with each level having different types of sounds ranging from HOHO to HEHE. Each level leads to less stress and a happy and healthy life.

After eating lunch back at Madra Homestay, we headed to our first day of service. This included educating young kids about personal hygiene, nutrition, and physical activity. Each lesson was planned and led by three different groups. After breaking through the language barrier and finishing our lessons, we ended the day planning their next lesson for tomorrow. It wasn’t easy but we completed our first day of service with a smile!

– by Sydney and Lili

Sunday July 21, 2019

We started off the day with a short hike through a plantation where we later had the opportunity to taste natural cocoa beans and cinnamon picked right off the plants! After that, we stopped for a coffee and tea tasting where we sampled ten different flavors, took beautiful pictures, and bought some souvenirs. We went straight to a river to go white water rafting and enjoyed the incredible view of the mossy rocks and the surrounding mountains as we drifted through the twists and turns of the stream.

Many of us took amazing pictures of the waterfall we stopped at along the way. Karishma, Sydney, Andrew, and Lili all thought that they were going cliff jumping and were surprised when their boat (the most loud and hype boat by far) went down a waterfall instead, though Andrew seemed a little sea sick. On the other hand, Talia, Eva, Jaesa, and Grace’s boat (the best boat of them all) faced their fears head on and had a blast as they barely avoided falling in the cold water and laughed along with Eva’s screams of excitement, while proving slow and steady truly does win the race. Nikola, Sarah M, Sarah L, and Kaitlyn had lots of laughs as their tour guide made lots of jokes. The staff also requested a shoutout 😉 Overall, both those new to the activity and those who were white water rafting veterans all thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

After a short break to rest following such an exciting morning, we headed to the school for our second day of service. We all agreed that after yesterday’s day of experience, we were better prepared and more successful in engaging our students, resulting in a better day for all. Most notably, Nicole’s passion shone through as her group’s activities exemplified true values of leadership. At the end of the day, we spent some time prepping for tomorrow’s health workshops and reflecting on today’s thrilling experiences.
Brought to you by the most responsible, hard working, thoughtful, and responsible leaders of the day, Talia and Karishma.

P.S. Shoutout to Jaesa and Andrew for carrying the water jugs and med kit so we could carry the team (and because we forgot).

Monday July 22, 2019

We started the Selamat Pagi (good morning) with mouth watering banana pancakes and our daily side of fruit, leaving everyone fully satisfied. Continuing on, we played a friendly game of Indian Chief, which shared good laughs between everyone. We ventured on to an inspirational journey to Bhakti Senang Hati which is a non-profit organization that creates programs to develop self-confidence, physical and economic independence, and increase awareness in the general community of people with disabilities. After the tour of their facility, students had the privilege of playing music with the amazing members of the community. We then had a brief break that allowed us to support their cause by buying homemade jewelry.

We finished our last day volunteering at the children’s school where we had been working for the past 3 days. We had grown deeper connections with the students, even with the large language barrier between us. Our last day with them was heart wrenching but also filled our hearts with love to see them happy and saying goodbye.

We ended our long day with an intense conversation about the universe and evening activities. For us here in Bali, we began packing for a new journey to a new place. We aren’t saying goodbye to Homestay Madre, but see you soon.

~Katelyn and Nikolka

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Today we moved from our beloved home in Ubud, Madra Homestay, to our second Bali home in Singaraja. Along the way we saw amazing mountain views and even some monkeys! We also stopped at Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, which had amazing views of the lake and beautiful architecture, then headed to lunch at Mentari. We arrived in Singaraja around 3 and quickly settled into our new rooms with our new roommates. We then went for a short walk around our village, which borders the ocean, before coming back to homebase to work on making penjor – decorative poles for the upcoming festival. We are looking forward to the days to come as this homebase is a short ride from the ocean!

– Jaesa and Sarah L.

Wednesday July 24, 2019

Today we started out nice and early at 7 am. We went to visit a temple called Jagatnatha. We prayed to celebrate Galungan, a festival holiday which represent the good people winning over the bad in Balinese culture. After praying, we went to a children’s home where we only saw a few kids because most were at home for the holiday. The children gave us a tour of their home, showing us the facilities that are provided by Narayan Seva. We were able to participate in yoga which was led by one of the older girls at the home, and were then able to watch a performance by all the kids who stayed there for the holiday. We had an early all vegetarian lunch provided by the home.

For the second half of our day we headed to the BEACH!! We spent a good few hours in the water (after, of course, passing a swim test), and also got to do some shopping along the boardwalk. We wrapped up our evening with a sunset dinner on the beach, while each of us munched on our personal pizzas.

To end our night, we settled in at homebase with a GLA activity, which pushed us all to look within ourselves and step outside of our comfort zone.

– Grace and Eva

Thursday July 25, 2019

Starting the day off with a simple self-served breakfast, we progressed with an adventurous hike to the beautiful waterfall that ran nearby. Upon arrival we were full of excitement to go through the nook of the waterfall, while the sunshine effortlessly peaked through the trees. We continued our day with a delicious lunch and then played a quick game of scategories to get our minds working.

Despite all the fun we had throughout the day, we had the aching feeling something was off – the eye opening realization of how much trash is actually on the streets of Singaraja and elsewhere here in Bali. So we hit the road and picked up the surrounding the community’s trash that laid by sides of the roads. We ended the day with bonding exercises and other exciting group activities in order to prepare for our upcoming home visits and days of service.

– Sarah M. and Nikolka

Saturday July 27, 2019

Today was our second day of service in Singaraja. The last two days have been incredibly eye opening. Walking through the streets of the banjar, we were able to see what life is like here in Bali. We were divided into service groups and paired with medical students from the STIKES program. Going from house to house we checked various vitals of the people, marking it so that the local government can later use the information. It was incredibly hot but we powered through, always remembering to drink water and constantly refill our bottles.

Despite the language barrier, we are now truly immersed in much of the culture. After a full day of service today, we were happy to return to home base for another delicious dinner. To finish off the night, we watched Racing Extinction. The movie brought an incredibly real and uneasy truth to our eyes, outlining the ways in which humans are contributing to global climate change and the increasing number of endangered species.

– Ian (Mentor)

Sunday July 28, 2019

We started our day with some eggs and toast. After that we headed to Banjar Sema for a long day of service. The GLA students divided into their four groups, each with two Balinese medical students. The groups walked around the Banjar asking questions, taking people’s blood pressure and blood glucose level, weight, height, and taking in a new culture.

After a long day of service we headed back to home base to prepare for a sunset boat ride and an evening swim over a coral reef. The swim was amazing! The water was warm and the orange sun reflected beautifully off the surface, illuminating the reef below. We then headed back to the beach to have a sunset dinner and afterwards burned our fears in the fire, all whilst listening to acoustic music provided by locals. The night ended in singing happy birthday to GLA student, Andrew, over donuts. Happy birthday Andrew!

Monday July 29, 2019

Today was our final day of service in Singaraja. It was after four days of doing home visits across two different banjars, we all felt much more comfortable with the different medical tests we had been doing. It might seem small on the surface, but we really made a difference there, doing some tests that the people there don’t have constant access to like we might have in America. The STIKES students we worked with were also great and we were definitely sad to say goodbye. The knowledge we gained in Singaraja will be brought with us wherever we go in the future and will absolutely come in handy!

For the next two nights we will be at East Bali Immersion. We can’t tell you too much about it yet, but we hear it’s an incredible place! We will also be without service, so please forgive us if the blog isn’t updated as often as usual. See you again when we get to Amed!

Wednesday July 31, 2019

Sorry for the break in the blog! For the last two days we’ve been at EBI (East Bali Immersion). We started the our first full day there by all piling into the back of a little yellow truck that drove us down the hill to the nearby cashew factory, East Bali Cashews. The company is a social enterprise that works on providing higher wages for the workers while allowing them to stay closer to their families. It also provides preschooling for the younger children of the factory workers.

At the preschool taught the students three different tasks: combing hair, folding clothes, and tying shoes. It was a little hectic, though it’s bound to be when us teens and the children are equally excited. Putting the chaos aside, it was really fun and, by the end, the kids both learned and remembered the everything we had taught them! We played the chicken dance, macerana, and ring around the rosy which were also all very entertaining. One thing we noticed were how prepared the students were. They already knew a lot of what we were teaching and it was really cool to see what they already knew.

Next we went onto the cashew factory tour. We learned where cashews come from, how they are sorted and processed, and even how they have to be dried because otherwise they would be toxic. We then put on specific clean attire required to enter certain parts of the factory – gloves, hats, coats, and special shoes. We went into the space where they took the outside skin off of the cashew and best of all…we got to do it OURSELVES! I have to say that was pretty cool! We also travelled to the kitchen where we saw where they cooked all the ingredients for the granola. After the tour we had a short break and headed for a walk back to our home base in EBI.

Once we arrived back at base, we had designated sports time. We were able to play soccer, ping pong, volleyball, or even professional hammocking and swinging. After another short break, we all headed back up for dinner and activities. Our night came to a close roasting corn and bread over the bonfire.

Today many of us woke up early, around 4 am, to hike to watch the sunrise. The hike was incredible and at the top we stopped to watch the sunrise and eat snacks. Back at the camp, the people who stayed behind woke up early to watch it from the home base as well. We arrived back to home base at about 8 am and breakfast was served. After breakfast we had a fun activity; cooking! We assisted the EBI staff with making our own lunch. We made corn fritters and salsa, fish sate, and vegetables.

While waiting for lunch we had a ping pong tournament and then we ate our creations. We’re not quite master chefs just yet, but we’re getting there! After that we had a mini quiz about East Bali Cashews from the day prior and Ian’s group WON! Which means everyone got to try all the cashew products they had on hand…. mmmmm yummy. After the quiz, we wrapped up at EBI, saying goodbye to the incredible staff, and head to Amed.

We arrived at our resort in Amed and had a few moments to settle down. Tomorrow we are doing Discover SCUBA so we had to try on sizes for scuba wetsuits and gear and then headed to the infinity pool. After dinner the group that won the scavenger hunt from day two back in Ubud got free massages, but almost everyone else payed for one anyway – not an opportunity to be missed.

It is now night time and we have arrived safely in Amed. Once the massages are done we have some free time and can then head to bed to get good rest before scuba diving tomorrow. Most of us are excited or nervous or both, but we know that it will be a great experience!

– by Grace

Thursday August 1, 2019

Today we had a chance to explore an underwater world. Not all of us were comfortable with scuba diving, but we were found to have given it a try! Some animals we saw included lion fish, trigger fish, shrimp and sting rays! It was so cool to be guests in an alien world!

– Ian (Mentor)

Friday August 2, 2019

Today was bittersweet as we left the ocean behind in Amed and headed back to Madra Homestay. Once arriving back in Ubud, we donned our sarongs and sashes and headed to a natural healer. We learned about the strong presence of karma and black magic in the Hindu religion as the healer read our auras. We were each even able to ask him a question or two regarding our futures. Some of us chose to ask about marriage or the prospect of children, while others concentrated more on their future careers and places of residence. Some got answers they were hoping for and some answer were a little more vague. Though, it is incredibly important that we remind ourselves not to take these answers too seriously, as much of the results are dependent on how we shape our own futures.

– Ian (Mentor)

Saturday August 3, 2019

We started the day at Madra and headed right to a temple for some morning ceremonies to celebrate Kuningan Day. Some of the GLA students partook in prayer and after several prayer sessions we helped clean up the offerings in the temple after the ceremony. We then headed to the priest’s house and discussed the many different cultural aspects of Bali.

After lunch, we proceeded to watch a documentary about the negative effects of tourism in remote areas around the world. Finally, we ventured to Tanah Lot, a temple known for its beautiful sunset as it is set right on the ocean shore, where we saw the sunset and ended the day with some souvenir shopping – making sure that we have plenty of gifts for friends and family back home.

– Lili

Sunday August 4, 2019

The last full day of our program started off early, as we had to leave at 5:30AM to go surfing. The tides had to be perfect for us to surf. The waves weren’t too big or too small. They were juuust right! It took us lots of practice, but many of us manage to stand up more than a few times and catch some gnarly waves. In the evening, we summed up our experience on the program by coming up with our OMG (One Meaningful Goal) – something that we hope to achieve within the next twelve months. During the closing ceremony, we shared our OMG and received some small tokens of appreciation and gifts to remember Bali by. Tomorrow will be a sad day as we say farewell to all of our newfound friends.

– Ian

Time Capsule Letter

Hello all! Om Swastiastu!

Can you believe it has been so long since our adventures in Bali?! Do you remember way back when we all sat together in our very first circle at Madra Homestay? Everyone was so exhausted after traveling all day. But somehow we came together and slowly began to warm up to each other and the idea of spending the next three weeks with newfound friends.

Our first service program at the primary school was no small task! You all came together, some of you with no education experience, and made it work. Those kids were so happy to see you every day! I don’t think I have ever seen so many people involved in a single hug before.

Some of you were such naturals working with the children. It was also incredible to watch some of you come so far out of your comfort zones, standing in front of thirty eager children, all hanging on your every word. No matter where we looked, the smiles reach from ear to ear.

The next week we moved to Singaraja to do home visits in two different banjars. Do you remember the first icebreakers with the STIKES students? Everyone was so hesitant and shy, but it wasn’t long before Monika had us jumping up and down, giving fisherman, lumberjack and Bollywood handshakes. The service days were long and hot, but with the power of snacks, Polcari Sweat and good old fashioned motivation, we pushed through to the end.

Our final week was our adventure week! We started off with some amazing views of the ocean and Mount Agung while staying at East Bali Immersion. On our hike, we learned the true meaning of perseverance as we reached the peak just in time for a magnificent sunrise over the horizon.

In Amed, almost everyone went SCUBA diving for the very first time! It was so amazing to see many of you overcome your nerves and jitters to try this wonderful, new experience. Finally, back in Ubud, some of you had some other firsts while rafting your way down a winding river or catching some perfect surfing ways.

Our three weeks in Bali were an adventure – one that we, as mentors, hope you will carry with you for the rest of your lives. Hopefully, the lessons you learned will permeate your lives and affect the decisions you make.
Be Mindful!
Be Happy!
Be The Change!

Miss you all!
Monika, Ian, Fira and Kris

Shout Outs!

Niko – who ate four banana pancakes and shamelessly wore pink Gucci slippers through the streets of Kuta.
Eddie – who was a goober. THAT’S SO LIT!
Morgan – who was able to tame the goober.
India – who was the program’s tattoo artist. No body alterations!
Maya – who swam in the open ocean for the first time and was unofficial program hair stylist.
Leilani – who, despite enduring a harrowing illness, stayed happy and smiled.
Bella – who had unwavering love for every cat and dog. Greetings from Piggy and the Singaraja cats!
Nina – who ‘rocked’ the waterfall excursion.
Alexis – who saw the ocean for the first time and always kept the morning conversation alive. “So how’s everyone…?”
Jolie – who was the only one willing to DJ karaoke.
Akash – who set the record for chicken satay skewers at 24 (higher than anyone else wanted to go) and was always just a little too cold.
Molly – who has no fears.
Amelia – who was always happy to update the blog and spread kindness with a smile.
Serina – who was determined to learn and constantly improved her Bahasa… Selamat Tidur!
Lauren – who conquered her own adventure on the last day of the program with a smile.

P.S. The higher you get, the higher you get!

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Saturday June 22, 2019

Hello friends and family! We’ve made it to Bali! We have officially arrived at Madra Homestay in the lovely city of Ubud. As the teens trickled in throughout the day, everyone had the opportunity to rest up and make new friends. Those of us that arrived early enough were given a delicious lunch – a noodle dish called Mie Goreng. Once most everyone else arrived, we were offered a wonderful welcome dinner. We are only waiting on one more who has just arrived at the airport and is on her way to meet everyone at the home base. We are so excited for the adventures to come!

Molly, Akash (Students) and Ian (Mentor)

Sunday June 23, 2019

Today was orientation. We played games that were designed to break down our walls and help us get to know each other. Following lunch, we went on a scavenger hunt in order to immerse ourselves in the Balinese culture. The language barrier made it difficult to complete, but also forced us to find creative ways to communicate with the locals. We found that the most helpful thing was to simply smile!

-by Alexis and Morgan

Monday June 24, 2019

Today we were given the opportunity to immerse ourselves deeper into the culture by visiting a Banjar – a Balinese community center. Here we experienced gamelan music, Legong dancing, wood carving and offering making. Then we learned about global health issues and how they relate to our program. We enjoyed dinner with the Prince of Peliatan, Cokorda Agung Krisna Peliatan, and were given a private, professional Legong dance performance. During the performance, some of us were even pulled on stage to join the dancers!

Akash and Nicola

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Our day started with an early morning herbal walk. We discovered the indigenous plant species and their medicinal uses. To break up the hike, we stopped for some refreshing coconut water and herbal tea along with a small snack. We also visited the famous water temple, Tirta Empul, where we got a first hand look into the water purification process. Then we entered the candi bentar and experienced the traditional prayer ceremony. We enjoyed lunch at Grand Pucak Sari overlooking the famous Batur volcano. To finish off the day, we prepared the curriculum for tomorrow’s volunteer work.

Leilani and Bella

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Today, we went to the NGO Bhakti Senang Hati which supports people with mental and physical disabilities. It houses over 90 people while helping them pursue their dreams and develop key life skills. We had the opportunity to buy some of the many goods which their residents make in order to support their lifestyle. Later in the day, we ventured to a local school for our first day of service. Each group focused on nutrition, hygiene, and physical activity, respectively. Although we faced a language barrier, we found that a simple smile was the most effective way to transcend the divide.

Morgan and Maya

Thursday June 27, 2019

Today we got a chance to visit Bumi Sehat, a Natural Birth Clinic. We were given a tour and learned about various aspects of the clinic’s operations, natural births and caught a couple of interesting videos. It was our second day of service and again we got a chance to prepare our lessons about nutrition, hygiene, and physical activity. All the children seemed to enjoy the activities and had a lot of fun. Tomorrow is our last day of our education workshops for the students. We are all looking forward to another exciting day!

-by India and Lauren

Friday June 28, 2019

We went to laughing yoga today and we learned the 5 different types of laughter: stomach, chest, throat, head and fully body laughter. Today was also the last day of teaching for our service education. Many of had some small feelings of stress going into it, but ended up happy and fulfilled in the end. The day was full of laughter and sad goodbyes. To finish off the day, went to dinner at the Fair Future Foundation. They are a non profit organization who dedicates their time and money to giving free medical treatment and consultation to people who can’t afford it. The dinner also gave us some insight into the bustling city center of Ubud.

-by Amelia

Saturday June 29, 2019

The day started off with our final breakfast at Madra Homestay. It was bittersweet as we took our last bites of banana pancakes. We boarded our buses and headed to Ulan Danu Bratan Temple before reaching our final destination – Singaraja. Our time here started with a lovely walk on the beach and through a local fishing village which gave a great feel for the local lifestyle. Medical students from STIKES met up with us back at the hotel to teach us the necessary skills for successful medical home visits, which start tomorrow. After such a long day, we are ready to get some rest and recharge for tomorrow’s adventures.

-by Nina and Serina

Sunday June 30, 2019

Today was our first day of service in Singaraja. We went with the local medical students into villagers’ houses to record their blood pressure along with gauging other aspects of their health. We returned to our current home to pack for the beach. The water was beautifully warm. Dinner was enjoyed at a local restaurant with a sunset view over the ocean, a perfect end to a great day!

– Alexis and Molly

Monday July 1, 2019

Today was our second day doing service in the local village. Everything went so well that, tomorrow, we are moving on to another banjar (community). Since today was our second day, we have started to feel much more comfortable working with the local people which helps us better complete our service.

In the afternoon, we visited the Narayan Seva Foundation – a local orphanage. Here, we were first introduced to Sister Dede. She traveled much of Southeast Asia as a missionary before settling here in Bali and founding The Foundation in 2004. We joined the children for an intense yoga class and beautiful meditation, as well as a delicious vegetarian dinner. To top off the evening, we were treated to an awesome talent show where the children we able to show off their best selves and be recognized for some incredible talents.

– Ian, Mentor

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Today we ventured to a new Banjar and helped the communities health. Overall the group felt inspired to show compassion throughout the day. Then we explored the Aling-Aling waterfalls. We plunged in to the crystal clear pool of water, which was a refreshing contrast to the hot and humid climate of Bali and a great way to end our day.

Amelia and Nikola

Wednesday July 3, 2019

Today was our fourth day of service. Despite the humid temperatures, we still were able to contribute our all. With the locals being hot as well it was interesting to see how the body reacts to the humidity. Later today we ventured to the Bengkala Village, which is home to many deaf people and their families, alongside the those who are hearing. There, we were able to enter and observe the lifestyles of these families.

It was heartwarming to see that everyone had a place in the community no matter their differences. We also watched the people of the village make various products such as incense, baskets, and sarongs, which they sometimes sell in order to make a living. As the day draws to a close, we are getting pumped for a day of celebration on July 4th!

– Maya and Serina

Thursday July 4, 2019

Today, we went out for our final day of service with the STIKES students. It was bittersweet as we shared the highlights of our time together said our final goodbyes. Once we returned to home base, we reflected upon the many lessons which we had learned over the past 5 days. We then prepared to head out for a beautiful sunset boat ride. After going for a swim and watching the sun set over the ocean, we had a wonderful burger dinner on the water. To celebrate the Fourth of July, we watched fireworks on the beach by the bonfire and sang along to the live band. It was all a nice slice of the home we’ve been missing. We concluded the night by symbolically overcoming our fears as we tossed them into the fire.

-by Morgan and Nina

Friday July 5, 2019

This morning we prepared for lessons we will be teaching tomorrow to preschoolers. While the mothers go to work at the cashew factory, they send their children to a nearby preschool. The lessons are all on topics similar to our previous service – hygiene, nutrition and physical activity. Today we are moving to East Bali Immersion and we will not have cell service for a few days. During our time there we will be taking tours of the cashew factory, teaching the kids and enjoying complete wilderness. We’ll be back to blogging in a few days!

-by Alexis and Molly

Saturday July 6, 2019

The last two days we had many excursions, such as touring a locally run cashew factory and teaching educational health workshops to preschoolers. We even had a cashew peeling competition!

Today, we started the morning bright and early with a sunrise hike and tour of the newly built temple in the village of Ban. Afterwards, we came back and had some time to relax at the EBI camp—utilizing the comfy hammocks and swings. Then, we were given the opportunity to learn how to cook a few traditional Balinese dishes for our lunch. We then packed our stuff and moved bases to the beach bungalows in Ahmed. Now, we’re preparing for scuba diving tomorrow!

– Team effort!

Monday July 8, 2019

Today we went SCUBA diving in Amed. We saw sea turtles, a huge variety of colorful fish, stingrays and even a shark! We dove down to 12 meters deep and we were down there for 45 minutes! First, we learned how to use our gear in the pool at a nearby diving resort and quickly transitioned to the ocean for two different shore dives.

We slowly waddled our way into the ocean from the beach with our tanks on our backs. We began our descent to the sea floor and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. Later that day we came back to our beach bungalows to swim at the pool and enjoy the last bit of sunshine for the night. For dinner we all sat in a circle, still removing excess water from our ears, and reminisced on the events of the day.

– Amelia and Jolie

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Today we had a long journey from Amed back to Ubud. Upon arrival we had an exciting lunch at a rustic rooftop restaurant. We checked into our fancy new hotel and later met a Balinese healer who inspected our auras for signs of black magic. He then told us about our futures, potential careers, and love lives. We ended the night with a group leadership activity! It confirmed that our communication has gotten significantly better but there is always room for improvement!

-by Amelia and Akash

Wednesday July 10, 2019

Today we visited a coffee plantation where they make coffee using palm civets. It is an animal that is fed coffees beans. It then poops out the beans which are then ground and turned into some of the most expensive coffee in the world. They also provided us with many different flavors of coffee and tea to sample, such as avocado coffee and lemongrass tea.

Later we went white water rafting. It was a wild ride as the river winded through a lush, green tropical forest. It was so much fun!

To end the night we dressed up and went out for a surprise mystery night at a karaoke location where we sang our hearts out to Don’t Stop Believing!

– Amelia, the main blogger

Thursday July 11, 2019

Today we started another fantastic day with an early wake up call in order to catch good tides for surfing. After shredding some killer waves we relaxed in the sand and sun all afternoon.
When we were done with our beach day, we were given time to buy souvenirs at little shops along the main drag.
We ended the night with a candlelit closing ceremony and gifts to remember the trip by. It was a heart warming goodbye that concluded a hardworking and rewarding service trip that none of us will ever forget!

– Amelia and Serina

Thursday July 11, 2019

Today was the final day of the program! It was bittersweet as everyone boarded their flights and said final goodbyes, but we all knew it was just see you soon. Stay mindful and be the change!

Amelia – the main blogger!

Time Capsule Letter

Time has passed but the memory of our Bali trip is still fresh in our hearts. It seems like only yesterday we were eating banana crepes topped with grated coconut. Yum!

You are probably back in school, college or finishing a gap semester but we wanted you to know that here in Bali, we are still thinking of you and the impact you made this summer.

We can’t forget how much fun we had together! You were a huge part in making this trip so fun by being an open minded and embracing group. All experiencing Balinese culture by running around Ubud for the Amazing Race, our Banjar workshop, Teaching in Bahasa at school and working side by side with the medical students on our health walks.

Remember:

Singing our hearts out at the Happy Puppy,

Watching the Kecuk performance at the Prince’s Palace,

Laughing yoga,

Chicken Taco,

The mysterious cave,

Playing Riff Off,

Swimming at the waterfall,

And most importantly….

The warm hugs of the children, and smiling faces of all the people you came across!

Let’s not forget our group’s One Meaningful Goal (OMG) that we created at the end of the session? Be aware of what matters! We would love to know how that is going! Have there been any changes in your home or even community?

Remember to share your personal goals with GLA too, they’d love to see how you are BEING the CHANGE back home!

Thanks for helping to make these special memories in an amazing place and good luck with all your OMG projects!!

💛 The Bali Team

~Desireé, Beni, Wahyu, RJ, Ashley and Ima~

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Sunday August 4, 2019

Om Swastyastu!

Welcome to the beautiful Island of Gods, Bali! Today, we welcome 17 out of our 19 GLA Students (waiting for Raegan and Ashlee to arrive tomorrow) to take part in a learning-filled Super Summer Adventure! We are all stoked to start our Health Services and discover the Balinese Culture in the next 14 days!

Parents and families! Please don’t forget to check and comment on our daily blog entries! All the best!

RJ (International Mentor)

Monday August 5, 2019

Today was the best experience I could’ve imagined for a first day of our Balinese adventure! I can say that I speak for a lot of us that the jet-lag was pretty real as we slept last night. With that being said, it was really nice for us to have a slower, more relaxed first morning filled with the best cinnamon and coconut banana pancakes prepared by our staff as well as some fresh fruit for breakfast!

Our day went on with the start of orientation, which just made all of us more excited and eager to get out and explore the unique culture that this beautiful country has to offer! Did you know that Bali has a different calendar that practices with 210 days on it? That would mean that most of us were in our 30s!

We established the best friendships so early on in our trip throughout our day through various activities and hang out time where we made friendship bracelets, laughed, and shared stories together! The staff was also so inviting and great mentorships and friendships were formed there as well!

As the afternoon approached, we all became ansi to leave our cocoon, which luckily for us, is exactly what we got to do! We had a scavenger hunt planned by our leaders with a bunch of questions about the culture of Bali and different foods, areas, etc of the community! Our goal was to ask locals with the greeting “salamet sore” if they spoke English and could help answer questions. Many of the locals were very helpful and all replied with great smiles strung across their faces! There were 5 different groups of us that each had about 3 with a counselor on our mission!

Most of us encountered locals that happily answered our questions, and some even let us into their home to give us the food we needed for a scavenger hunt or different pictures that we needed to take. While doing this, we were able to be emerged into the real culture of our community and get in touch with our environment. Some groups walked through main streets, seeing temples and markets, others ventured to the rice paddies. We came back to some free time where we bonded more just talking and visiting with each other about our goals for this trip and what we are excited about!

Dinner was great fun as Ashlee and Raegan were able to join us around that time from there long hard journey to get here! It was followed up with some cake for Jack’s 17th birthday which was great fun celebrating him and singing happy birthday! We had our mentor groups twice today where we were able to be in a smaller community and voice our thoughts, fears, and goals. It is yet another amazing safe space we have!

All in all, my favorite parts of the day were forming new friendships and getting to see the local part of where we are in Ubud (something you don’t often get to see)! I can’t wait for tomorrow and the adventures that await!

-by Olivia

Tuesday August 6, 2019

The day started off with us having an early breakfast at 6AM. After everyone finished eating, we had our first major outing for the day! The first place we went to were the rice paddy fields as well as hiking up a small hill to learn about the different Herbal Medicines used in Bali. We also went to store that sells all kinds of natural and organic products like perfumes, massage oils, face masks, and even lip balm!

Next, we went to a Water Temple where we learned how the people in Bali pray and how they practice their religion. For this, we had to wear our sarongs to show our respect for the culture. After praying at the temple, we visited a volcano that is called Mount Batur. With the great view of the volcano, we had our lunch in a buffet restaurant. Like the breakfast, we really enjoyed the food!

In the afternoon, we went back to home base and learned a lot of facts and information about Global Health here in Bali and Indonesia, and also learned the topics that we will be teaching the students tomorrow for our Health Workshops. We have topics like: dental hygiene, nutrition, and physical wellness. The hardest part of this service will be translating the presentation into the language that these local kids speak. After planning the lecture and activities, we ate dinner and finished up the day with a night activity and our mentor groups session. I am looking forward to tomorrow and the days to come!

– by Anisa

Wednesday August 7, 2019

This morning we had breakfast at home base and got straight to work! Today was our first day of service. We went to an elementary school and taught various topics relating to public and global health. We will be going to the elementary school for 3 days, so we have 2 more days of teaching.

Before going into the school, we spent time preparing for the lessons that will be given tomorrow. Each day we’re given a new topic to teach to the kids, so we prepare with our groups the day before. These lessons are given in Bahasa, each person has a different speaking part and it is really pushing all of us out of our comfort zones.

Before we left for the school we went to the Balai banjar workshop. This is a community centre where villagers prepare offerings and food for ceremonies. They also discuss village affairs, practice music, dance and just chat with one and other. While we were here we painted our own masks, learned a traditional balinese dance, how to play the gamelan, and made our own offerings.

These activities gave us insight into the things needed to be done to make a beautiful Balinese ceremony. We quickly learned that the dancing is not as easy as it looks, many of us stumbled and did not look nearly as graceful as our teacher, everyone had so much fun laughing at our selves and learning more about the culture.

We came back to home base and had lunch, after this we were off to the school. Going into the school we were filled with excitement and nervousness. Our anxiety quickly left when we met the children. They were equally as excited and made us feel very welcomed. During our first lessons today we all had such an amazing time with the kids, they were very responsive and engaged. Although we did struggle with the language, they were able to understand us with the help of activities and many hand gestures.

Once we were finished with our first day of teaching we knew exactly what to change for tomorrow. We all had a group discussion afterwards and there was a common feeling of fulfilment and success. We also all agreed that we learned just as much from the children as they learned from us. they helped us speak proper Bahasa, showed us more about their culture and even learned a few of their games. Once we were done we were graciously thanked.

Finally, we had dinner at the Fair Future Foundation. This is a non profit organization that gives all their proceeds from their restaurant to help deliver free health care to those who may not be able to afford it. The food was very delicious and we all had an amazing time laughing and learning more about the organization.

Once we finished eating we went and got gelato then went back to home base. We ended the night by finishing our lessons for tomorrow, talking and relaxing. We are all anxiously awaiting tomorrow to giving our new lessons to the kids, dinner with the Prince, the tour of the Royal Peliatan Palace and laughing yoga.

– by Paige and Elise

Thursday August 8, 2019

Today started off at 7:00am for breakfast, we had delicious green pancakes and fruits. Right after, groups began splitting up to prepare for service. We drew up posters and planned lessons for students at the school we’ve been teaching at. Examples of topics we teach include hygiene, healthy eating and bone structure. When designing our lesson plans we have to make sure to not only be creative but translate our English to Bahasa perfectly.

Before we left for the school to teach, we attended a local laughing yoga class at 9:30. As soon as we arrived we were kindly greeted and started the class. At first, many people in the group felt awkward but quickly began to laugh along side our mentors and friends. We practiced dancing and yoga. The class was relaxing and enjoyable!

Then after lunch, we left for the school. Right at arrival, we were greeted with smiles and waves by the students who were happy to see us. There were 3-4 of us in each group who were assigned a class to teach. Every half hour the groups would switch and in total we taught 3 different classes about our given topic.

Not only is this experience enjoyable and exciting for the students, but for us as well. Although it is only day 2 of teaching, we have already built connections with our students. At the end of service we say our goodbyes to the students and are filled with joy. Short on time, we rush back to home-base to ready ourselves for dinner at the palace of Bali.

We wear our sarongs with an appropriate shirt. When we arrive, we are given a tour and then prepare for dinner. Unfortunately, the Prince had duties to fulfill and couldn’t meet with us. Even though we did not have the opportunity to meet him, everything else was followed through as planned. After dinner we receive tea and relax after a long day.

Once we are finished, we head back to the front of the palace to watch a Kecuk Dance. The local Balinese dancers performed 5 dance presentations for us and they were all amazingly executed. On the bus ride back home, we sing to music on the speaker and are excited to go to bed after a fun filled day. At 9:00 we head off to get ready for bed and discuss the day with our friends!

– by Sophia G.

Friday August 9, 2019

We started our day off with a nutritional breakfast to put a pep in our step. Following that we all enjoyed ourselves by prepping for our school lessons to teach the kids about health.

We had the opportunity to visit the Bumi Sehat, a natural birthing clinic, and engage ourselves with more knowledge about the births and health of babies and mothers in Bali! During the visit we had the amazing experience to meet, listen, and chat with Robin Lim, awarded as the 2011 CNN Hero of the year! After the Bumi Sehat visit we had lunch at home base and had a longer prep for the schools. A few involved themselves in naps or games!

Headed to the school for our last day of Health Workshops. We had sad goodbyes as we all enjoyed ourselves with the kids. The smiles and hugs made all the hard work worth it and was truly humbling to us all!! We left inspired with the smiles on our hearts. Following our farewells we headed back to home base to prep for dinner with the STIKES, Medical Students from Bali, who taught us how to attend house visit needs.

We ended our day with a inspirational TED talk started by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She gave us all insight on our perspectives and sharing more then one side story. We learned to not judge quickly and to embrace everyone for their full story not “the danger of one”.

– Anna and Ashlee

Saturday August 10, 2019

Today we started our day with a wonderful breakfast of a crêpe with bananas and brown sugar.

Once we had that, we watched a video describing the wonders of traditional Balinese healers known as Balians. After learning a bit more on eastern medicine and the tradition of these healers, we went out to meet a Balian who lived very close to home base. He offered us a free and quick reading. Most of us were told we are in good health but some of the things he told us were very accurate and incredibly interesting. For instance, the Balian told Tate that his arm was in pain when he had scars on his arm from a prior injury. He had a long sleeved shirt on so you could not see the injury.

Then after that, we walked back to home base for lunch and to prepare for the afternoon service work. We met up with the STIKES medical school students and walked around the neighborhood doing basic health checkups and taking vitals of any of the people who wanted them. It was rewarding knowing we could help a community out. We got to see a few of the kids who we taught the other day so that was really special too.

We came home afterwards to an hour of free time before we enjoyed a wonderful dinner before we took an adventure of a night activity to really get to know each other on a lot deeper level. It’s crazy how we all met a short week ago but we talk and trust the people here like we’ve known them forever.

– Tate and Andrew

Sunday August 11, 2019

Today we had another relaxed morning with breakfast starting at 8. We had eggs and toast with jelly.

After breakfast we went to a local NGO called Senang Hati. The foundation helps disabled people by giving them a place to live and work. While we were there we listened to a presentation about what the foundation does and went on a short tour. We also had the opportunity to purchase goods that were handmade but the people at the foundation. After lunch, we headed back to home base.

The afternoon was Day 2 of the home visits. At each house we would perform heath checks. This included getting height, weight, blood pressure, and glucose levels of everyone. We also would check people’s bathrooms for mosquito larvae and teach kids how to properly wash their hands.

At night, we ate dinner and then had an activity which involved stepping forward or backwards with some pretty important choices in life. We went into our mentor groups and talked more about life then cooled down and went to bed.

– Jack and Malachi

Monday August 12, 2019

The day started off with waking up at the crack of dawn to start our trek to white water rafting. We had an early breakfast of fried rice and a fried egg with fruit, then quickly after took off. After an hour of jamming in the car we were surprised to end up at the famous Bali Swing. We were given a quick coffee tour to get to our final destination at the swing. We all took turns trying the different coffees and teas, as well as, having the opportunity to clip into a swing and feel like your flying over the jungle. The view was breath taking and totally worth it!

After our quick stop, we soon headed to Telagawaja River. We soon all got into our groups, took a mentor and headed out. During the two hour journey down the river we took many turns, bumps, and almost fell out of the raft numerous times but the thrill and view made it all worth it. Half way through the rafting trip as a whole group we took a pit stop to take a group picture at a huge water fall. After finishing the treacherous trail we hiked up hundreds and hundreds of stairs to our buffet lunch that had a view of the whole island.

After lunch, we headed back home to start packing for our trip to Amed the next day! Soon after, we got ready for our last service day at the homes of the local community. We visited many houses and helped many patients with the short time we had there. It was so rewarding to see the smiling faces of the people who were able to be checked. They were ecstatic to finally get their patient card. We finally said our goodbyes and thank you’s to our medical students who helped us during our home visits. To show our appreciation we handed our certificates to show our gratitude for them.

We headed home and built our own traditional Indonesian plate, Soto Ayam. We could choose whether we wanted to include potatoes, rice, glass noodles, cabbage, chicken, tomatoes, eggs, crunchies, and to finish it off we topped it with a savory broth. It was delicious! Whilst eating dinner, Beni, our local director, told us that we needed to all get dressed in our “fancy clothes” for our mystery night adventure.

Anticipation soon came upon all of us and we were excited for what was to come. Our hour long car ride was just to long for all 19 antsy students. As we pulled into the parking lot, we were shocked to see that we arrived to the Happy Puppy, a local karaoke joint. We all stumbled in and were excited to start the party. Songs started playing and the whole room began to shake with all of our dancing and “wonderful voices”.

After a short two hours all of our voices were almost gone and our legs were tired from our fantastic dance moves. We truly sang our hearts out from the oldies to the newest hits, and everything in between. Although we had an adrenaline rush, we quickly crashed once we hit the air conditioned bus seats. We arrived back at home base around 10:30 and all ran to our rooms to jump into bed. The many adventures of the day tired us out and we quickly fell asleep. We cannot wait until we arrive in Amed tomorrow!

Love,
Hannah and Tattiyanna

Tuesday August 13, 2019

We started our morning by waking up, eating breakfast, and packing up. Our adventure today began by loading up the buses and heading out to Amed.

On the three hour ride to Amed, we stopped for a quick buffet-style lunch. Next, we arrived to our beautiful beachfront bungalows in Amed’s Good Karma Hotel. After unpacking and exploring the resort, we headed to the pool to take a swim test (which we all thankfully passed) and some of us took our first dip in the Bali sea. We had a couple hours of free time to wind down and swim around. Before dinner, we geared up with our snorkels, life jackets, and flippers for tomorrow’s excursion. We enjoyed dinner at the resort’s restaurant followed by a short hike through a tunnel which led us to private area. We ended our day with lots of laughs during a Riff-Off (a singing competition) and a Human Machine activity.

Overall, the group enjoyed a relaxed travel day and some free time to enjoy our gorgeous new accommodations for the next two nights in Amed, Bali.

-by Manning and Maddie

Wednesday August 14, 2019

Hi guys, today we started our day off very early and woke up to see the sunrise on the beach at 6:00. After that we went to breakfast and ate eggs, salad, crepe, and a watermelon juice. After breakfast we were suppose to go on a boat ride but since the water was to rough it was unfortunately canceled.

Then we all changed into our bathing suits and went to the pool. At the pool we did face masks and some girls did their nails. For most of the day we all hung by the beach and went into the pool. Around 2 o’clock we went to a NGO and built Eco-Bricks out of single-use plastics.

Later that evening we watched the sunset off the top of the hill and took loads of pictures! After that we got take out cheeseburger and sweet potato wedges from a local restaurant for dinner. For our night activity, we had a bonfire and made s’mores!

– by Sophia C.

Thursday August 15, 2019

We started off our day in Amed and some woke up to watch the sunrise at 6am. Everyone at 8am met at the restaurant for breakfast which was a piece of bread, scrambled eggs, salad, and a chocolate crepe and a watermelon juice drink.

After breakfast we all went back to our rooms and packed our bags. At 9:30am we met at the restaurant which is our meeting spot, and head to the buses. It took around 3 hours to get back to home base. Once we got back we had lunch around 12. After lunch we did an activity where we wrote and came up with goals for ourselves and then came up with a whole group goal. Our group’s OMG (One Meaningful Goal) was to be more aware of the problems relevant to our society, and appreciate the small things and look at the big picture. After our OMG activity we split up into our last mentor groups for the trips for about an hour.

After mentor groups we had dinner and then head to the indoor soccer facility to play “Futsal”. At soccer, we were split into 4 groups which were gray, white, blue and black teams with around 5 players per team. And we played tournament style games. After soccer we came back to home base and got ready for bed.

– by Davis

Friday August 16, 2019

Rise and shine the waves are waiting!!

This morning we started our adventure off by waking up and leaving home base by 5 am. Most of us didn’t think this was possible because we tend to run late to everything but we managed to leave on time!

Our first stop was the beach!! This is where we ate our breakfast, learned how to surf, caught some waves, and played on the beach. Many of us were surprised with the waves we could shred and then the epic wipe outs that soon followed.

Following the beach we went and spent a couple hours shopping for some fun gifts and souvenirs to bring home and show you all a little part of Bali! We learned how to bargain and made some deals of a lifetime!!

After shopping we got an additional activity to go spend some time at an amazing waterfall, while getting the opportunity to swim in the refreshing water!!!

We continued home showered up, then we packed up our stuff for tomorrow, took our surveys, had PIZZA for dinner, and then our staff had us all involved for some last night games and a ceremony where we each received a flag and a Bali bracelet!

It’s almost time to say our goodbyes and we are ending the night with face masks and last minute jam sessions before our farewells tomorrow!

We have had a trip of a life time, that will forever change our perspectives and the way we look at the world!

Keep your sweetest smile and we will see you all soon!

Much love,
Raegan

Saturday August 17, 2019

We started off our saying goodbye to Paige and Jack as they left to go to the airport this morning. Then we all had breakfast at 8am and we had eggs and toast. After breakfast we went back to our rooms and finished up packing and hung out with each other.

Around 10am we took a snack run to the food store so we could get snacks for the plane ride home. Once we got back to home base we had lunch at 11:45am and started to pack the buses and leave to go to the airport around 12:15pm. At the airport, everyone that is flying to Hong Kong said their goodbyes and the people that are flying to Sydney went to the nearby mall.

I just want to thank everyone for an unforgettable trip and for gaining a family forever. The memories and lessons we made will last a lifetime!

Here is a video presentation prepared by one of our mentors, RJ. We are so happy sharing these experiences to all of you!

Watch video here.

– Aleks

Time Capsule Letter

Can you believe so much time has flown by since we shared such an incredible experience together on the enchanting island of Bali! Gosh we really did a lot together. This program was especially packed with activity and service, and we certainly hit the ground running.

We knew upon first impressions that this was going to be a very special group of students. Arrival is always full of excitement and perhaps a little bit of nerves too after such a long journey. It’s a very brave & big leap jumping into a foreign landscape, as far away from home as you could possibly get with a group of total strangers. You all did an incredible job adapting to your new environment and creating an inclusive environment for everyone from day one.

The first morning in Bali we we woke to songs of the local prayer and traditional instruments being played at 6 AM which would be our waking alarm clock for the weeks to follow. The magic started to happen when we saw the smile’s start to emerge on our first day of programming. We loved seeing students getting to know each other and opening up so quickly. We had a blast exploring our new community through a really fun scavenger hunt that encouraged us to be curious and ask questions.

We were welcomed by our Balinese hosts with open arms and jumped right into working with the local community doing medical home visits with Indonesian medical students guiding the way. We stepped up to the task by collecting and submitting health data from the local to the Ministry of health.

It’s was a pretty special thing to be welcomed into a family compound seeing the authentic way of life for Balinese families first hand, and helping them. We were welcomed with big smiles, and patient guidance into local traditions.

We were lucky enough to be in country for the Galangun holiday and celebrated in the victory of good versus evil, where we decorated a panjar pole is our declaration of good. We dressed up in our traditional attire of sarongs and sashes, got blessed, and paid our respects at the local temple. We visited other holy places like the water temple, and even learned a few traditional prayers along the way.

We met with 4 local NGOs that were contributing so much to the local community. I think it’s safe to say these NGO’s were inspiring and planted a seed in each one of us showing us how we can have a vision, create action, and support others to make a positive impact on the planet.

There were van rides full of laughter, loud music, and group singalongs. We even had a grand encore in our very own karaoke lounge one evening amongst the hustle and bustle of Denspasar. We acted like monkeys and laughed until our cheeks hurt while taking part of the ridiculous practice of laughing yoga. We visited a traditional healer, met a prince, learned traditional dance & how to make offerings, and even played some Balinese instruments! And what about the volcano Basur, how beautiful was that view?

We tried so many new things including foods, fruits, and even local herbs we encountered on the morning herbal walk through the rice paddies. For some of us we even took part in a water purification ceremony!

And then there was Ahmed. The sleepy Balinese seaside village of soft sand, clear blue waters, woven bungalows, and tranquility. We found some relaxation and restoration after some action packed work days. We learned to make an eco brick, played some crazy group games, snorkeled on a japanese shipwreck, and experienced a once in a lifetime sunrise from the hull of a traditional outrigger spider boat!

After our time by the sea, we jumped right back into action completing the remainder of our service working with a local primary school teaching health education and rewarding happy students with certificates of achievement. The last few days of the program were full of adventure between whitewater rafting (remember the big drop!), getting our surf on in Legion, and mastering our haggling skills in the hunt for some souvenirs.

For your “One meaningful Goal” You chose to focus on reducing single use plastic use by implementing personal choices for a planet with less plastic, and inspiring others in leading by example. We talked about how to make behavioral changes for 30 days until they become habit, choosing reusable options whenever possible (including straws, water bottles, and bags to start).

We discussed this whole concept of zero waste and reducing plastics whenever possible. The group decided to stay in communication in regards to this goal, to hold each other accountable, and to educate peers. We spoke about additional tools to raise awareness like petitions, and the importance of recycling education.

You all came to this program in the spirit of being a “helper” and contributing to the world. Thank you all for co creating such a respectful, engaging, and open environment to have this incredible experience together! Be the change, because you are the change, and the world needs you all now more than ever.

I can speak on behalf of the whole staff and saying we hope that each one of you are doing really well back at home, feel free to reach out, and keep shining your light!

❤️

-Ashley Link
Mentor Session 3
Bali Global Health Initiative

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

Friday July 19, 2019

We couldn’t be more excited to begin our leadership adventure in Bali.

It was a long road, some delays and late flights but, we have finally all made it to homebase. Although exhausted we know tomorrow begins our adventure, service and learning!

Desireé, International Director

Saturday July 20, 2019

Om Swastyastu!

After a rough night of arrivals and jet lag, we woke up at 6:30am to the sounds of the Balinese prayer chants in the streets. The GLA students ran to the hall for a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, and fruit, a traditional Balinese morning dish. When the meal was over, we introduced ourselves and got through the orientation. We learned how to properly wear a Sarong, count in Balinese, and how to say basic Balinese words, such as greetings and thank you. After the orientation, we gathered ourselves at the table for a lunch consisting of rice, vegetables, tofu, chicken, fruit, corn fritters, and rice chips.

With well satisfied stomachs, the GLA students ventured out into the streets of Ubud for a thrilling scavenger hunt; meeting locals and completing the challenge questions! When we got back at the homebase, we learned about the differences between public health and global health and we were left in shock after learning the many differences between these two worlds in the medical field and their effects on the people of Bali and all around the world.

The GLA students then met medical students in Bali, who showed us the procedures needed for Sunday’s service in the communities. We then ate dinner; rice, tofu, chicken, tuna satay, vegetables, and cassava chips. After dinner we had debate groups come together to discuss a medical-ethical scenario. Then the winners of the scavenger hunt were revealed (congratulations to Ariana, Sydney, and Tori). We later met with our mentor groups to check in about our day. After a loooonngggg day, everyone was extremely tired and we were all ready to get to bed. Day 1 done!

– Anjana

Sunday July 21, 2019

Today we woke up to a lovely breakfast of banana crepes and fresh fruit. After training with the Med students yesterday, we were ready for our full day of service today. During service, we encountered struggles, such as the language barrier, bathrooms, loud barking dogs, and heat, but the feelings we got from helping the community and hanging out with the children were indescribable and well worth the struggles we overcame.

For lunch, we had a lovely box of cultural food, which consisted of rice, vegetables, chicken, and rice chips. We then continued our day of service; all of us were exhausted. Then we got on the buses and headed to home base to talk about our experience and enter the data from the in-home checkups.

Once we were done we got ready and had dinner in the city at a traditional Balinese restaurant, which is also an NGO that supports a public clinic in Bali. We learned that for every meal that we order, it is equivalent to two medical consultations that the NGO and the clinic provides to the people. The food was AMAZING and we all really enjoyed the curry and gelato for dessert. We can’t wait to continually keep you updated throughout our trip!

-by Genesis and Ariana

Monday July 22, 2019

Selamat Pagi Bali!

Today in Bali we awoke around 7:00am and enjoyed our breakfast cooked by Made, a very sweet Balinese woman.

We then were lucky enough to take a trip to Alfa Mart to truly get a taste of some Balinese snacks! After indulging in the different flavors of Bali we hopped on the bus to Bumi Sehat, a natural birthing clinic. At this clinic we toured the facilities and talked with Robin Lim, who was awarded as 2011 CNN Hero, about her life’s purpose of helping woman and other local people in receiving free health care plus safe and natural child birth.

After that touching experience, we headed over to laughing yoga where we acted like happy monkeys and let out all of our laughter! Healthy! Happy!

Today was also our last day of service with the local medical students. We did our last round of home clinical visits and then said our goodbyes to our newly found friends.

We closed this impactful day with an activity that talked about the danger of single stories and stereotyping, and we then discussed the impacts of this in our mentor groups.

– by Tori

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Hello everyone,

Early this morning, a group of us decided to join RJ (one of our mentors) on a sunrise run through rice paddy fields. Pictures were sent to the group-chat (: Afterwards everyone came together for an amazing breakfast consisting of banana crepes that were customizable to our own needs. After a delicious first meal of the day, we hit the ground running by visiting a non-profit organization called Senang Hati. Their goal is to support the disabled/differently abled individuals in Balinese communities. The organization offers many opportunities for these people to make a difference in their communities and be valued. While we were there, we got to learn about these individuals, who are often overlooked, and their struggles to get to the places they are at today. We were also able to participate in a drum/music circle with some of the residents of the organization. This NGO also provided us with a tasty lunch of rice, noodles, and veggies. Some of the students claimed that it was the best meal they have eaten so far.

After the memorable experience, we drove back to home base and had an hour or so to relax and go on a quick snack run. Later, we split into two groups and had a Penjor making competition. Penjors are a traditionally decorated bamboo stick that locals place outside of their houses to show their spirit for the holiday we are lucky enough to experience. Towards the second half of the day, all the students were able to truly bond over a bunch of great games including “Mafia.” The group ate dinner which was similar to other nights and then watched an inspirational Ted talk on how to be a leader. The last activity of the night was splitting up into mentor groups and walking to a park (some blindly) to talk about how to better ourselves as people. Also shoutout to RJ’s group for winning the Penjor competition. Thank you!

– Petra

Wednesday July 24, 2019

Rahajeng Galungan!

Today was Galungan, a holiday that happens every 210 days here in Bali. This day embraces Balinese traditions—marking new beginning and honoring ancestors. We started this day with breakfast; cereals, white bread and Hershey’s sauce. Our attire for the day was a white shirt and a traditional Balinese sarong. After breakfast, we were blessed by Mangku Kandia and his wife in their family temple. We had to be purified in order to enter the community temple and pray as a group. We received a bracelet, offerings, and incenses, and were instructed to follow the prayer of the Mangku Kandia in the temple.

After visiting the temple, we visited a local mask maker’s shop. Once we got to home base, Balinese children welcomed us with a traditional dance and music. After we ate lunch, we did a workshop on preparing lesson plans for our upcoming community service. We finished the evening and spent our free time making bracelets and playing fun activities together. We further bonded as we are about half way point of our GLA trip. Goodnight! We have to wake up early tomorrow for the mountains!

– Ally and Vincent

Thursday July 25, 2019

Good morning, today we are at the half point of our trip to Bali. We’ve learned so much about the culture and ways of the people in Indonesia. Today in the morning we did a herbal walk through a Balinese farmland with a guide where we got to touch and taste the herbs along with at the end of tour getting to buy products which were made by the locals with natural ingredients from the garden.

After we visited a water temple which contained a holy water pool where offerings and prayers are given and done, it was packed today due to the sacred holiday time. We then had lunch at a buffet outside with a stunning view of a volcano and mountains in Kintamani.

After enjoying the stunning view and great food, we headed back to home base and drove straight into our next activity, a culture workshop! For the next two hours, GLA students participated in four mini courses teaching common Balinese traditions including dancing, painting masks, making offerings and playing gamelan, a classic Balinese instrument similar to a xylophone. These classes were a super fun and interactive way to further engage in the beautiful and unique culture of Bali.

Later, we excitedly filled up on a delicious spaghetti dinner and were thrilled to find out that our mentors had booked us a room at a karaoke bar! With the help of a party bus and it’s blasting music we made our way to a luxurious vip karaoke room where we spent a two hour session of dancing and singing our hearts out to iconic 2000s hits. Truly an experience I doubt any of us will forget! Overall, a perfect way to spend the 7th day of our program.

– Ariana and Iman

Friday July 26, 2019

Hi. Today we had a unique breakfast of Chicken Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng) and fruit. The students really enjoyed it. After breakfast we packed for Amed and planned for our Health Education Workshops. We left for Amed at around 9:00 and stopped at a restaurant and had a delicious buffet for lunch. On our way to Amed, we encountered groups of monkeys, rice fields, chickens, and a view of the gorgeous ocean. Before arriving, we came upon another GLA trip and introduced ourselves.

We learned that they were apart of the three week program. Our group finally arrived at Amed and then completed the swim test. The students had free time on the beach and at the pool until dinner . During that time, we also got fitted for snorkel gears that we were going to be using tomorrow. Then we had dinner and our evening activity. For dinner, we had fried noodles. The students were stoked for anything but rice. Our evening activity was a riff off.

We all got into groups of four and our mentor, RJ, gave us a specific word. The goal was to come up with a list of songs with either the word in the title or in the lyrics. Each of the groups then had to sing one song we came up with and the last group standing won. Everyone really enjoyed the game. After long day, we were all super tired, and we were really excited for our second day in Amed!

– by Eliana

Saturday July 27, 2019

Selemat Pagi!

Greetings GLA parents and families! Today was our first full day in Amed, Bali. We all woke up in beautiful bungalows right on the beach. We began our adventure at 5:00am and got into spider boats as we started to sail out to sea. At 6:15 we all witnessed the most beautiful red and orange sunrise. It was a very peaceful and serene start to our day. We then sailed back towards the shore to snorkel over a Japanese shipwreck. It was a little chilly but we loved seeing all the beautiful fish and coral below the crystal blue waters.

After our water journey, we got back to shore and enjoyed a classic meal of delicious scrambled eggs and toast. Along with that we had the most amazing chocolate crepes and watermelon juice! We finished our meal and headed back to our bungalows, where some of us enjoyed the most relaxing massages. Soon after one of our mentors, Ashley, led us all in a sensory activity. It was a very hot day here in Amed, but we all still had many laughs during our group activity. After our activity we headed out on a short walk through a cave to make eco bricks! This local NGO gathers plastic bottles from the locals and stuffs them with non-biodegradable materials. The outcome are these sturdy, hard bottles which can be used to build homes and walkways in Bali.

Then the mentors led us to a high point where we watched the sunset and enjoyed fresh pineapple and lime juices. All of us headed back to a surprise dinner we had all been craving… Mentors and students really enjoyed the grilled chicken sandwiches and sweet potato fries for dinner, it was absolutely delicious! As the night came to an end the mentors took us onto the beach for a bonfire and surprise s’mores!!!! We stargazed and sang songs as we enjoyed our last night in Amed. Although it was a very early start to the day, we all enjoyed the amazing things Amed had to offer.

– by Mia and Eloise

Sunday July 28, 2019

We woke up to a beautiful view of the ocean at 6:30 and headed down to an amazing breakfast which consisted of eggs, salad, toast and a crepe with chocolate sauce and a refreshing watermelon juice.

We did a final sweep of our bungalows before heading on a long journey back to the home base in Ubud where most everyone slept on the bus ride.

We got back to home base where lunch was already ready for us to enjoy, after lunch we got to rest for a little while before having to go to our first child health education workshop, most all of us were excited but very nervous about how we were going to speak to them. The workshops went really well, and we’re so happy meeting all the kids!

After workshop we headed back to home base and went on a snack run to a fruit stand to enjoy fresh mango and oranges. We then walked over to a local convenience store and got some snacks. After our snack run we got to rest for a little while before dinner. We enjoyed a beautiful cooked meal and got our two topics to start preparing for two more days of service.

We ended the day with preparing our workshops for another two days of service ahead of us.

-by Sydney

Monday July 29, 2019

Today we had delicious green banana pancakes and fruit for breakfast. At 9am, Beni showed us a presentation for traditional healers in Bali. We learned about their cultural importance and their huge responsibility to the people. Then we walked over to our community healer. We all got individual checkups from the healer. Thankfully, everyone is healthy. When we got back to home base, we planned our lessons for the health education workshops. We ate delicious Phu for lunch.

At 2pm, we started our workshops with the kids. We all taught 4th, 5th, and 6th graders all about exercising for your bones, negative effects of food on the body, and washing hands. We struggled a little bit, but we all did great by the end. In between lessons, we all ate unique local snacks with the kids. When we got back, we all quickly changed and drove to the Prince’s Palace for dinner.

When we arrived to the palace, we entered into a gorgeous courtyard with lots of cool buildings and artwork. We met the Dewa who is he Prince’s snazzy BFF and he gave us a tour. We walked though many areas and also learned the history of the ten generations and Bali’s struggle with independence from the Dutch. We also learned that the only security in the whole palace is just two statues by the entrance that ward off evil. They trust their people and I thought that was really cool. In the last courtyard, we were given cucumber juice and little dough rolls with sugar and coconut in the middle. There were also gambelan music being played while we sat.

Then the Prince came and invited us all to sit with him. We talked with him for a while before we were alerted that dinner was ready. We got our food and continued our talk. We learned that he is 9th in line for the throne and the youngest at age 31. We discussed our GLA trip and the Prince’s life. At the end, he let us follow him on Instagram and he followed us all back!

Then we all went back to the largest courtyard and watched an amazing performance. There were Balinese instruments being played on the sides while dancers performed in the center of the stage. The technique was crazy. Lots of quick body, hand, and eye movements that matched the music perfectly. When the performance was over, we took a fun group picture with the dancers and thanked them all for the great experience.

Once we got back to home base, we all made sure we were prepared for our next education workshop and all went to bed.

– Abbey

Tuesday July 30, 2019

Good morning!

Today we woke up very early in the morning to a yummy breakfast of toast, fried eggs and fruit. For our first stop, our mentors surprised us with a trip to a coffee tasting place. We got to meet Luwads, who after eating the coffee beans, poop out less acidic coffee that is world famous. There was also a humongous swing that swung over a gorgeous view of Bali. A lot of the students purchased some of the coffee for home. We then set off for the White Water Rafting at 8 am. We carefully checked our protective gears with the help of the staff, and each of us took a paddle. It was so exciting and fun with all the small waves and rapids of the river and a four-meter waterfall. Many of the groups tried to race each other, but in the end, we decided that enjoying the nature was more important. Luckily there was only excitement and no injuries. After changing, all the students sat down at the table for a really nice lunch at the rafting place. We then went back to home base.

In the afternoon, the students started their third and last Children Health Education Workshop at 1:30 pm. We all came to a conclusion that our final day was one of the best days we had at the service. We not only educated the kids, but also gained a lot of knowledge ourselves through the process . At the end, we gave certificates and school materials to each of the kids. Although the experience was tiring and the preparation was hard, we thoroughly enjoyed the service and had a very hard time saying goodbye at the end.

After service, we had some free time and then dinner. Dinner consisted of fried rice, noodles, vegetables, tempe, and chips. After a great dinner, we came together for some inspiring and fun evening activities. First, we did the human knot game where we had to link hands with people to create a knot. We then had to untangle ourselves. It was quite the hassle 🙂 After the game, we sat down and took time to reflect deeply on what we have learned from the culture here in Bali and ourselves these past few days. The students then discussed in order to create O.M.G.(one meaningful goal) from now on. Our O.M.G is basic and simple: reduce/minimize plastic-usage. From now on, our students will control their usage of plastic in their everyday lives. We would also like you to do the same. LET’S DO IT!!!

We look forward to our last day in Bali tomorrow and we will see you shortly 😉

– Angelina

Wednesday July 31, 2019

Hello everyone,

Today we woke up for breakfast at 7 and then started our long journey to Legian Beach. Once we arrived we split into groups and started to walk the streets to do some shopping. At 11:30 we met up on the beach to eat some lunch.

Then the first group went out to surf while the second group stayed and swam. After an hour the groups switched. Before heading back to home base a couple of us got some yummy fresh juice. Once we got back to home base we took surveys and worked on packing up. We had a surprise supper of pizza! After dinner, we participated in some closing ceremony activities, such as the connecting string, postcards, and a final Balinese prayer to send all of our wishes to heaven.

We then said our thanks to each other wished each other well. Lastly, we all headed to our rooms for bed. This trip has been a truly incredible experience and I think we all learned a lot from it.

– by Kirsten

Thursday August 1, 2019

“It’s not goodbye, but see you later.”

The 14 days of service learning, cultural immersion, and fun-filled adventures has now come to an end. But as the DPS Ngurah Rai Airport’s tagline says above, Bali will always be here to welcome these 15 future world leaders again!

The challenge of contributing to the positive change in the world has now began for these GLA students. We pray that they will always uphold the values of respect and diversity and share the culture of optimism and kindness. May they always be inspired to do more and speak more, to live more and learn more, to accept more, and to love more.

Here’s the video presentation of our 14 days GLA experience!

RJ (International Mentor, GLA Bali)