Bula!

We can’t believe it has already been so long since our time in Fiji where we snorkeled to our heart’s delight, shared coconuts together and admired the beautiful sunsets at Botaira. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that we were playing with the children in Gunu, enjoying delicious donuts at tea time and building water catchment tanks in the village of Somosomo. You’re probably back in school, but we wanted you to know that there are so many people still thinking of you and the impact you all made together this past summer.

You should all know that you left Fiji a better place than when you came. Ross is continuing forward with various projects planting fruits and vegetables. In addition, water continues to fill the tanks we put up while the children play duck-duck goose! The children were so touched by the attention you all gave them through tutoring and just playing together. Even more importantly, the knowledge and perspective YOU gained on this trip we hope will serve you and the communities you go on to be in for the rest of your life!

We had so much fun as a group together in Fiji! You all were a huge part of making this trip a blast. We experienced the Fijian culture by learning some of the basic language, weaving bracelets, and singing the famous farewell song together. We were also able to visit an Indian community and put our hands together to cook a delicious lunch! Whether it was jumping off the high dive at Botaira, stepping in for a game of volleyball, or swinging in hammocks, thanks for helping to make such special memories in an amazing place!

Remember when Solo climbed up a coconut tree and gracefully cracked all our coconuts. And the time when Bruno joined us at service. Or the time when we had fun playing mud games after visiting the sleeping giant. All of us smile when we think about the heavenly hamburgers on the Fourth of July. We reminisce the times we saw the coral, blue starfish and zebra fish during low tide. And dream of the stars and the moon that shown brightly in the evenings

We wish everyone the very best in all of your endeavors. Hopefully we’ll see you for another GLA program next year!

Moce,
Lisa, the Mentors and the Fiji team!

 

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Hello students! Here is a poem to help you relive the memories from your trip to the DR!

Elite 8

This is what went down
Saturday night the Sports Service Adventure group arrived into town
From west coast to east coast
Formed the Elite 8, no mean to boast

In the morning we met our surf instructor, Pedro
Who always goes with the flow
He taught us the most important rule
It’s to have FUN because that’s what gives you the fuel

And don’t forget about the baseball games
We tried to learn the locals’ names
Where there were lots of swings, misses, and hits
And by the end, we were dancing and laughing at all the Dominican wits
Didn’t matter how much Spanish we spoke
We somehow still understood even if it was a joke

And when we traveled the long bus ride to our service site
Singing songs and hand-mixing cement left us covered in white
Where we worked from scratch on a soon to be basketball court
So that community members could eventually have a space to play the sport

And what a nice surprise when the cement mixer arrived
And it was then we knew we survived
It cut the intensive labor
We even had so much help from the neighbor

And the days when we stayed around the home base was nice
In the mornings we tried to catch a wave after our one-minute meditation
And for lunch always more chicken and rice
And by the end of the night, we just wanted some good relaxation

Brison broke us out in a sweat and sunburnt red
Along the way we were greeted by Dona Juana with limoncillos and sweet bread
We spent two hours hiking to get to the top
And on the way down we had to make that icecream stop

We went to Dudu and went on the zip line
And we played volleyball laughing in the sunshine
The falls and jumps in the water felt so good because of the heat
And getting access to wifi was super sweet

Nightly lectures were spent learning about different themes
From the Power Positivity to the corruption of Dominican baseball in sport teams
And what about the Haitian and Dominican relations?
How could 2 countries on the same island be such different nations?

Loubens helped put it in perspective
And it caused us to be reflective
Of our privilege,
and our right
Which made a difference going back to our service site

For such a small group
Even if we didn’t put up the hoop
We started something that will leave a huge impact
And that’s a fact

We can only dream of what this space will do
And throughout the project how the Elite 8 grew
But we have to give ourselves credit for what we did
And how it made a difference, even if it’s just for one kid

-Written by JoLyn, International Director

 

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Hello students! Here is a poem to help you relive the memories from your trip to the DR!

Still Be The Change

Do you remember those 2 weeks in the summertime?
And all of those 10pm bedtimes?
What about the first and second day?
With the unknown places and faces and all the of the children that wanted to play.
It was difficult learning everyone’s names
But by the end, we couldn’t stop playing games
Playing Dutch was great
And shouting Spit up until 10 minutes meeting at the gate
The constant wait for the swimsuit to be dry
And giving new experiences a try
Chasing waterfalls
And Soccer balls
The 2 minute walk to the beach
And all of the days that Surfer Sarah came to teach
Her passion for catching a wave
And getting up on the board was something to rave
The ride to La Grua was rough
But it was all worth it to feel like we did enough
We worked morning and afternoon to make a space
Where children would play base to base
But it is more than just a field, it was for the batey
It was for a community that deserved a field to play
Learning about Haitian and Dominican relations
How could 2 countries on the same island be such different nations?
This fed into the fire of how to BE THE CHANGE
But what could we do to get that exchange?
That was when the Go Fund Me project was started
And a lot was donated from the good-hearted
There are more questions we have now than we had when we arrived
But this summer we survived
Survived to share our summer story with family and friends
But what we have done to continue to be the change depends
You can only look back to see how far you have come
And only look forward to see what you will become
Keep striving to live outside your comfort zone
And maybe look a little less at your phone
Being in the present moment is all you got
So give it your best shot
What has this summer taught you? it’s up to you to choose
Do you listen more than refuse?
Do you seek to look from different perspectives and away from your point of view?
Remember that being the change is up to YOU

-Written by JoLyn, International Director

 

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Hello students! Here is poem to help relive the memories of your trip to the DR!

Here’s what went down…
13 Americans & 1 Canadian went out of town
A service trip to the DR is what they signed up for
Little did they know what was in store…
A traditional Dominican breakfast starts the day
Because when you’re in this country, there is no other way!
Meditation on the beach, where your soul meets the sea
Las Canas, the lodge, a beautiful home for you and me!
Surfing, sweet surfing! We had lots of fun days!
Lots of practice on these beach break waves
Late night talks and sunrise surf sessions, these are the GLA / 7e confessions
The service work in Polanco came and went
Building a basketball court from start to finish, now that is something special to witness!
The first few days of mixing cement was very hard work
We sweat, and sweat, and sweat through our shirts
Blistered hands and concrete in our hair…
But it was worth it, because we care!
The local kids shared a helping hand and a smile
The memories of their smiles will travel for miles!
The masons at the work site helped us a lot and guided us along
While we worked we listened to popular Dominican songs!
The chance to learn kite surfing suerte (lucky) super suerte,
One of the best places in the world to try this sport!
…But let’s get back to the basketball court!
Measurements and lines, taking our time, precision is the name of the game
A court made with skill will last, but a court made with heart and soul will last forever!
Now let’s talk about that zip-line!
Laguna DuDu was a grand ‘ol time…
Flying through the air and falling 35 feet, now that was a really special treat!
Back to the court, trips to the river…
Balancing on bamboo and hoping you don’t fall in…
Keep on movin, keep on groovin, keeping a positive mind state in this summer heat!
We won’t give up, we won’t be beat!
27 Waterfalls was a great time…
Hiking, jumping, and swimming in the sunshine!
Speaking of hiking, Brison was tough..
But now we understand what the locals have to do to get to school…
By the time we reached the top, we were standing in a pile of drool!
Seeing new things through a different perspective takes a lot of courage and understanding
We all know that these days can be demanding!
Red, blue, and white paint stuck on our hands
I bet the night before you left, you got used to sleeping without a fan! 😉
Our last day was super fun, in the hot summer sun!
A boat ride from Laguna GriGri to Playa Coson,
So many pineapples and coco’s… no time for a phone!
A special bonfire at night with lots of snacks
Ukelele, guitar, and piggy backs…

I hope you all realize how special this trip really was
Maybe this poem will help the memories resurface and uncloud your mind fuzz!

Thank you for participating and thank you for all you do!

Remember that this Sports Service Adventure and the meaningful things you did
Will always live on inside of you!!!

Written by: Sarah Michaels, Mentor

 

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Hello all!

The IDI team misses all of you and the adventures we had over your 21 day trip in the Dominican Republic. From our early breakfasts and sleepy bus rides, to our deep conversations under our little kitchen cabana. It’s crazy to think how fast that trip went by and how close we all became over those 3 short weeks.

Although our trip was only 3 weeks, we did so much and accomplished so many things… like exploring the North Coast and a bunch of the capital. I think my favorite part was watching all of you grow and challenge yourselves in so many ways. Whether it was using teamwork to power through some tough cement mixing or just making sure that all of us were on the bus each morning, we saw all of you take initiative and work together. From the countless meals of La Bandera to our random bursts of dancing, I saw our group transform from a group of goofy strangers to a team of bright and fearless leaders.

I get a little sad when I think about how awesome our group was and how much I would love to run another program with you all. There are some things that still sit so fresh in my mind. I have a memory for each and every one of you that reminds me of the uniqueness of our group. One of my favorite memories was our team circle in which we commemorated each other and talked about our favorite parts of the program.

Our summer winded down and many of our 7e staff have returned home. There are still some of us hanging out in the DR with Ernie, Bert and Oscar, of course. The lodge has settled down and we will soon begin gearing up for another awesome summer. We’ve continued to visit our community partners and check up on our past projects. I hope you know how cool it was that you all were the pilots for NGO and organization visits. You all have set a wonderful foundation for next year’s program. I hope you take what you have learned about development, ethics and international aid and apply those concepts and discussions to your own areas of passion and interest whether it be in those topics or in others.

I hope you all continue to pursue your passions and challenge yourselves beyond your comfort zone. Know that sometimes you’ll take a step and go back two, but that there is always room to step forward again. Always remember to take an extra 15 seconds to make an impact in somebody’s life and never overlook the little moments that sometimes mean the most. I hope to see all of you again in the future. Never hesitate to contact your friends at 7e; it means so much to hear from you.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes that I think speaks so truly to all of you and really reminds me of you all when I hear it.”Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us.” -Marianne Williamson
You guys are the voices and change of tomorrow, so go out and make tomorrow rad.

Love Always,
Galex

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our 2019 programs, or enroll now.