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Monday July 2, 2018

What a great first day!

We are all safe and sound here at our home base in Belize! It’s a beautiful cool night and the stars are out. We had a long day waiting at the airport, but eventually made it back with a full crew to enjoy a Belizean dinner of stewed chicken and rice, topped off with birthday cake— Happy Birthday, Katie!!

We can’t wait for orientation to kick off tomorrow so we can get to know our new home!

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Hi everyone!! It’s Micky and Allyse, the leaders for day one. Today kicked off with orientation and some group bonding. We learned about safety, the code of conduct, the trip expectations. The group then divided into mentor groups. The main purpose of mentor groups is to create a smaller environment in which people can learn more about each other.

Our afternoon was quite relaxing. We took a trip down to the swimming hole near our home base. The walk there was through stunning orchards. After we enjoyed a fresh swim together everyone dispersed to shower and collect themselves. Some girls gathered in the yoga fort to talk and play cards before dinner. Later that night we met with Dr.Minerva. She talked to us about our lesson plans for interacting with the children. Overall it was a great first day and we’re excited for more!!!!

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Today, we awoke to a beautiful morning. Some of us were even lucky enough to see some real toucans hiding in the treetops! After a scrumptious breakfast, we made way to our first day of service with the children of Dangriga. Us, the teens, were split into groups of three and were each put in charge of around 15 children. We were briefed on a packet and then given the responsibility to teach it how we please. This packet taught the importance of oil in Belize as it is a growing industry and, through its contents, helped teach reading and writing. Of course, we played some games with them along they way!

After we were done, we made way to the beach to play with the kids some more! We all appreciated the cool air and the good times we had! After this, we said goodbye and went to Marie Sharps Hot Sauce factory where we had the privilege to take a tour and meet Marie Sharp herself. We learned the process of making hot sauce and even got to try some! After this, we returned to our humble abode to enjoy some well needed cold showers and some great bonding experiences. We talked and talked and talked for hours. Overall, today was a 10/10 would recommend, 100%, A+.

Love,

Dana and Beth

Thursday July 5, 2018

So today was our second day of service. Like yesterday, the kids were super sweet and we had lots of fun. We play so many games and kids seem to enjoy learning about oil. For lunch today, we all tried a new food called Stuffed Jacks which was a fried bread filled with a bean paste that had vegetables and chicken. It was really good!

Then we broke up into our mentor groups to reflect about our service thus far. For most of the afternoon it thunder-stormed so we enjoyed our free time inside. Soon enough, it was time for our cooking class with our dining staff. We learned how to make the corn tortillas that would eventually hold our tacos together. Not only was it informative, it was also a great bonding experience for the group to get closer as a whole.

For the rest of the afternoon we indulged ourselves in board and card games while it was raining (Big Boggle is my favorite). Dinner consisted of more tacos and a salad. Finally to wrap up this fantastic day, we had Ms. Emily Martinez, a local educator in Belize, come to TREES to speak with us. She taught us all about the history, culture, and education system in Belize.

I realized how diverse Belize truly is. She not only informed us about Belize, her presentation was so inspiring as it reminded each one of us that we have the tools and the smarts to well, be the change! Tomorrow we all leave for the island and we know all the girls are just as excited as we are to participate in water activities (the WiFi and air conditioning are also some nice bonuses too ;)). So far this trip has blown my expectations away and I’m so excited for service again next week!

Leaders of the Day,

Sierra and Sophia

Friday July 6, 2018

The rain didn’t stop us today! We woke up to a foggy morning and headed up top to a breakfast of toast and eggs. Shortly after we left for service. At service, the kids finished up our packets and oil, read some books, and colored. After lots of learning we headed outside to play games on the beach. Then we swung by to grab some lunch and it’s off to Caye Caulker.

After our 2 hour bus ride and the 55 minute boat ride we finally arrived on Caye Caulker. We all settled in in the hotel and connected to the WiFi so we could reconnected with our families. We headed to the shore for a quick swim before dinner. After dinner we stoped for some fresh homemade ice cream. At the end of the night we bonded in an appreciation circle and grew to be close like a real family.

Team Leaders of the day,

Grace and Rose

Saturday July 7, 2018

Today was our first full day on Caye Caulker. We walked to a café for breakfast to start our morning. After breakfast, we walked one building over to Carlos’s Tour Shop. We all got fitted for our snorkeling gear. We then made our way to the boat where Carlos and his crew gave us an introduction and took us to our first snorkeling spot. After breaking up into smaller groups, we put on our gear and got into the water. With a guide, each group explored the first area of barrier reefs where we saw things like Lion Fish, Green Eels, and Sea Urchins.

After about an hour of snorkeling, we sunbathed on the boat until we reached our next spot. This snorkeling spot is known for the nursing sharks. Carlos and his team fed the sharks as we jumped into the water. Many of us were nervous, but the majority of the group got into the water with the sharks and most of us even got the chance to touch them. Here we also saw a turtle and two sting rays. We go back onto the boat for lunch, which consisted of chicken or salad, beans and rice, and pasta salad. We headed to the last snorkeling spot where we traveled as a bigger group.

Afterwards, we had time to just relax on the boat and enjoy the view. We had bananas, watermelon, pineapple, and papaya for a snack. Carlos let us play music and we spent the rest of our day relaxing. Some of our group began to feel seasick, but luckily, with some ginger and dramamine, everyone was able to take a much needed break from our prior week of service.

We got back to our hotel and hit the showers. We shopped a little before we made it to our restaurant. After dinner we got ice cream again and stopped at a local market for some snacks and aloe! Back at the hotel, we broke apart into mentor groups and ended the day with meaningful conversations about why we chose to go on this trip. Finally, we gathered all together to say goodnight and plan a meeting time for the sunrise early the next morning!

Team Leaders of the day,

Linda Nina and Shirley

Sunday July 8, 2018

Today was our last day on Caye Caulker. Most of us woke up at 5am to go watch the sunrise and then went back to bed. Let me tell you, waking up a second time was rough for all of us but once we got to Amor y cafe (our Island breakfast spot) and got the best iced coffee around we all felt a lot better! After breakfast we went shopping around the island and I’ll let it slip that some of us got some pretty cute gifts for our parents! 😉

After taking a water taxi to the main land we had an hour bus ride to the Belize Zoo. On the way we stopped to take some super cute pictures on a rainbow “Belize” statue! At the zoo we had some surprisingly good quesadillas and did a little more souvenir shopping! Outside the souvenir shop we each got the chance to hold a snake, Queen Green the boa, which was fun and exciting.

After the exciting expierence with the boa constrictor we seperated into out mentor groups, the leaders being Laura and Danielle. Each group was assigned an amazing tour guide— either Lawrence or Harrison. Laura’s group was led by Lawrence and started by feeding the Belizean Tapirs, which are is the national animal of Belize. Danielle’s group began their tour by learning and watching the colorful and vibrant Scarlet Macaws. Then both groups continued to view Junior the Jaguar, Carlos the Puma, Roger and Dodger the Toucans, Brutus the Crocodile, Howler Monkeys, Grey Foxes, and many more. With each animal we got learn so much about their species, along with some of their personal histories. Luckily, we were also able to see the national Belizian flower, The Black Orchid! The tour lasted about an hour, and everyone had an amazing time. Special thanks to the Belizan Zoo!

After we stopped by the gift shop, again, we boarded the bus and started our journey back home to TREES. When we got back we had an hour of free time before dinner. After the delicious dinner, which was pasta for anyone wondering, the group participated in a leadership activity. The activity allowed everyone to write down anonymous compliments on a piece of paper. There were some happy tears by the end. Then we started our service prep for the next few days, which are packed with educational and fun activities for the kids! Hopefully tomorrow will be as exciting and jam-packed with fun activities like today!

-by Sophia T and Kaili

Monday July 9, 2018

After our great vacation inside a vacation at Caye Caulker and a little scorpion incident, we headed to service today. Everyone was a little tired and some felt sick so it was a slow start to our morning. In the beginning, we sang the national anthem for the kids per Mrs. Bev(Head librarian)’s request-usually, the kids would sing their national anthem, so we think that it was fascinating for them to hear the national anthem of another country.

There were less kids there than last week, but we still enjoyed our time with them. After 3 hours of service, we headed back to home base for lunch. We had hard corn tortillas with beans and cole slaw. Then we listened to Mrs Annelita Garcia who talked about the Mayan culture. We also got to learn how to make our own baskets by weaving, which was really cool. It was hard for some people to learn because Mrs. Garcia forgot to bring needles so we only had one, but it was still quite pleasant.

Next we moved into free time where people showered, napped, hung out in their cabins or talked in the yoga fort. For dinner we had a positively delightful meal of stewed beef, white rice, and beans and for dessert there was a sweet potato pudding. Everyone devoured it— the white rice is vey good. Next we talked about our plans for the youth exchange we were doing the next day.

Youth exchange is when 20ish Belizean teens come to the library where we do our service and we get to talk to them about the culture and lifestyle in Belize. There was a lot of conflicting ideas so things got a little heated, but we finished the night with a great plan for tomorrow! We were all really tired so curfew was 9:30 instead of 10. xoxo

-by Niko & Sarah

Tuesday July 10, 2018

This morning we had a delicious breakfast of fry jacks, which tastes like fried dough, eggs, sausage and a fruit salad with bananas, pineapple and papayas. We then took the bus to Dangriga where we and the kids sang our national anthems. The older kids (10-12 year olds) left and went with the local volunteers to spend the morning making drums at a separate location.

This made service much easier since there were less children running around. Many groups spent the first part of the morning making masks of their favorite animals and reading to each other. We were also able to spend some time playing outside playing ‘Tarzan the Jungle Man’ or volleyball. Overall, the day was super stress-free since all of the older kids were occupied and the younger kids were engaged in what we were doing.

After service, we ate our sack lunches of sandwiches, chips & salsa on the bus and complained about the heat and humidity. Today was one of the warmest days and the humidity was brutal. We then took a quick trip to a grocery store to buy some snacks and then head back to the library for our afternoon activity, a local youth exchange.

We went back to the library to set up for the 20 students we were preparing to meet and learn about. The students ended up being pretty late so we had some time to bond as a group in the library without the kids running around. When the students arrived, there were only nine but we were able to run our program anyway. We set up tables with different topics written on pieces of paper like education in Belize, daily lives, and gender roles.

Many groups ended up talking about being teenagers and everyday things like what music we like, relationships and hobbies. Other groups, however, had deep and meaningful conversations about the statutes of both Belize and America. After we rotated throughout the tables, the locals walked us throughout the neighborhood, pointing out some of their homes as well as other important sights on our way to check out the nearby beach.

On the way back we stopped for a quick stop to get snacks and other necessities which was fun. After that we went back to Trees and had about 45 minutes to relax and hang out we had to meet up at 6:00. This is when we played psychiatrist before dinner as our leader of the day game. For dinner we had mashed potatoes, pork, coleslaw salad, brownies, and of course lime juice which was what many of us were excited for.

After dinner we had shout outs for people who we saw doing good things today. We continued to have a conversation about what ways we can help the kids we worked with after we leave and some of the ethical reasons why we can’t give them some things and extra support in some areas. The last event of the night was mentor groups were we were able to debrief the day and just talk for a while.

-by Katie & Kaila

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Three words: Service, Sweat, S’mores.

After starting off our day with juice and toast for breakfast, we headed onto the bus and journeyed on to Dangriga for service at the library! There our day was filled with singing national anthems, drawing dozens of pictures in our small groups, and many exhilarating games of Simon Says. Between songs and games, each group worked on literacy skills and phonetics by reading all different kinds of children’s books together. Overall, another fun day at the library!

We belted Beyond by Leon Bridges the whole ride back to T.R.E.E.S. where we then ate lunch and worked on cards and gifts to give to our kids and Miss Bev, the librarian, on our last day of service. Many pieces of cardstock and dried out markers later, we went onto our next activity for the day: Dance Lessions!

From traditional Garifuna to Kriol styles of dance, we sweated our hearts out in the Yoga Fort under the fine teaching of Miss Dixie. By the end of the afternoon, we were all freestyling our way through any kind of Belizan beat she had coming for us.

After dinner, we went on a blind folded Trust Walk through the grounds. Though it was scary at first for some trust someone literally and figuratively guiding them into the dark unknown, it took only a few minutes for all of us to feel comfortable and relaxed as we were being lead to places unknown.

After the activity, we spent time under the stars. From constellations to fireflies, the clear night sky provided the perfect backdrop for all of the emotionally charged, meaningful experiences we were to share with the group and each other.

From there, we moved over a couple of feet and made a bonfire. Shoutout Windell and Rose for putting their expert skills to the test! We made s’mores amidst large colonies of fire ants and lived to tell the tale. Another shoutout to Benadryl Anti-Itch Cream!

In short, we had a rock solid day. 🙂

-by Anna & Leah

Thursday July 12, 2018

After breakfast at 7:30, we took off for our pervious to last day of service. We spent the first half of the morning working with the kids and sitting with them during a presentation on natural disasters.

We came back to TREES for lunch after service. In the afternoon, we took off for a swim in the Blue Hole and stopped for ice cream after.

We made cards for our kids at service to give them on the last day and then ate dinner. We celebrated Sophia’s 17th birthday with a chocolate cake and a fantastic rendition of Happy Birthday! To finish the night Emma led us in a discussion about ethical photography.

-by Michelle & Lila

Friday July 13, 2018

Today we woke up, ready, yet prepared, for an emotional last of service. We had french toast for breakfast which was a lovely surprise then we hopped upon our sick (but annoying) new whip which we all wish was the same old bus that broke down due to mechanical issues. While on our way to Dangriga, we learned the Belizean national anthem so we could join in with the kids in singing it. When we arrived, we were sad that we would have to inevitably say goodbye to the best kids we’ve ever met. We played games with them the entire day and took many pictures with the ones we loved. To end our service, we gave Miss Bev a cake to show our gratitude and said our goodbyes. We came back to our home and had a delicious lunch which consisted of burritos with chickpeas. We then went on a tour to learn more about T.R.E.E.S., the place we’ve called our home these past two weeks. We gained a lot of respect and perspective for our homebase. After this, we ate a scrumptious dinner of noodles and bread, but not just any bread, garlic bread. The best garlic bread anywhere south of Texas has ever seen. But to top it all off, Windell, our bus driver, but not just any bus driver, the best bus driver anywhere south of Texas has ever seen (also our BFF), distributed some delicious ice cream and almond brittle. We then ended the evening with a movie night. We watch The Hunger Games which was a relaxing way to end our hectic final day of service. All in all, today was amazing and we loved the experiences that we were able to cultivate from our service.

Love,

Beth and Siena

Saturday July 14, 2018

Hi everyone! It’s day 13. This morning we gathered for breakfast and got ready for the last day. After we loaded up on food we headed out! Windell, our lovely bus driver, made impeccable time and we arrived to the iguana project an hour early, which was our first stop of the day. While waiting girls did each others hairs, ate snacks, and used wifi to share contact information! Everyone was eager to hold the iguana. They were surprisingly friendly! The brave ones of the bunch balanced the “Kim Kardashian” iguana on their head.

Our next stop was Ajaw Chocolate Belize. Here we experienced the original chocolate making process practiced by the mayans. We tried chocolate in many different forms which included a drink with the addition of cinnamon, honey and other spices. The experience was interesting and different than any chocolate we had tasted before. Overall it was great except for when many of us later found melted chocolate in our bags.

After enjoying a quick lunch at a local restaurant named Benny’s, we headed up to the Mayan ruins, Xunantunich. We took a boat across the river then went up to the base of the ruins. Carlos lead us on a great tour around the old Mayan ruins and up the high temple. On our way back to the bus, we took a nice walk down the path to the river.

Our last dinner was amazing as usual but sad to have our second to last meal all together. After dinner we broke into our mentor groups for one last time. It was a great two weeks and a perfect way to end it.

-Micky & Allyse 🙂

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Saturday June 16, 2018

Arrival day has come and gone and we can hardly ‘Belize’ it! Staff and students alike were up early to be at the airport, with our first arrivals landing in Belize City around 6:30am. It was a long wait at the airport made shorter by new friends and a yummy sack lunch.

We took a bumpy but scenic two hour ride back to our Home Base, TREES, located in the beautiful Stann Creek District. A spaghetti dinner and some basic survival orientation awaited us, and then it was off to our colorful cabañas set against the backdrop of the Maya Mountains. Each cabaña is named after local flora and fauna! We have students staying in Treefrog, Gecko, Honeycreeper, Blue Morpho, Jackamar, and Mayflower!

We are so happy to have students here with us and cannot wait to hit the ground running tomorrow with orientation!

Sunday June 17, 2018

Whew, are we tired!

We had a very full day of orientation, complete with games, a trip to our swimming hole, and prep for our first day of service tomorrow!

We are having a great time getting to one another and getting to know Belize. Our leaders of the day were Emily Pe. and Kayleigh, both of whom are GLA alums! They gave us some great tips on how to adjust and have the best time these next two weeks.

We’d also like to wish all of our dads, stepdads, grandpas, uncles, and father-figures a wonderful Father’s Day! Sending our love to:

Steve Cassabaum
Kendall Soll
Jeff Raab
Rick Helland
Todd Deike
Scott Sinelli
Christian Merlo
Joel Brous
Sam Rasure
Stuart Bodager
Scott Logan
Bill Haveron
Andy Walsh
Jim Reddinger
Mark Satkiewicz
Russell
Ed Robinson
Alex West
Dave Wasshausen
Pete Wilson
Christian “Cri” Williams
Chris Carrigan
John Peirson
Walter Pickell
Clifton Orzolek
Brian Smith
Zach Shimp
Jason Olverholser
John Daneri
Eric van den Beemt

Monday June 18, 2018

Today was a fabulous second day in Belize! Starting our first day of service, we met and taught 1st-8th graders English.

The kids were so eager and positive and it was heartwarming to see them welcome us in the way that they did. After a long day of service, the group went to the Belize Zoo and received personal guided tours. We saw the national bird, the toucan, and the national animal, the tapir, in addition to seeing a jaguar up close!

Finally, after a delicious meal of beef stew and rice and beans, we had guest speaker Emily Martinez speak to us about Belizean culture and history. She ended with some inspiring words regarding what we can do as individuals, and even more powerfully in a group, to make a change in our community.

Like Ms. Martinez said, “there is so much you can do in a day,” and GLA Belize Day 2 proved her statement right!

-Phoebe and Abby

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Hi family n friends of GLA Belize: Initiative for Children program, today was our second day of service but third day over all…at service we’ve been working with the kids at the St. Augustine school, we work with the Standard four class so we went over the blue morpho butterflies and played a game of fútbol, otherwise known as soccer in the U.S. Being with the kids has already been such an amazing experience and to know it’s just the beginning !! Each kid is so special in their own ways and getting to know them all has a lasting impact on everyone.

After spending time with the kids, we took an adventure to an inland swimming hole known as “The Blue Hole” while another group stayed at home base and took a cooking class. The sapphire water was like nothing we have ever seen before and all of us were amazed by Belize’s natural beauty. On the way back to T.R.E.E.S, the group stopped by a local ice cream shop called “The Country Barn”. The ice cream was freshly made on the farm which gave it an authentic taste unlike the ice cream back home. Later in the evening, we participated in a leadership activity involving the issues regarding the eviction of locals in response to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Each was assigned a point of view in which we would answer questions on during a debate. This activity showed us how to be a leader in matters of conflict and how to handle heated situations. Overall, today we got to experience so many new things that we will carry with us through the rest of our lives.

-By your leaders of the day – Jamie && Olivia

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today was an action-packed day full of service! After the initial three hours of teaching, the group stayed at the school to plant trees, learn about reptiles, and interns from T.R.E.E.S came to talk about their turtle project.

The kids from the local school are getting super comfortable with our group and tons of friendships are forming. With only 3 days left of service, our GLA group is making sure to have fun-filled school days for the kids. After meeting with our leadership groups and sharing our thoughts about the trip so far, we enjoyed a delicious meal consisting of pasta, Caesar salad, and hibiscus juice.

It was truly an amazing day full of fun activities and developing friendships!!

-Stacia, Riley, and Sophie

Thursday June 21, 2018

This amazing day started out with a delicious pancake breakfast before our 4th day of service. Today, connections were made stronger with the kids that they showed through gifts and letters they gave to us. Our kids are beginning to ask when we are going to leave and have been saying how much they will miss us after Tuesday. After service we headed back to home base for lunch and leadership activities. We held a discussion reflection on how leadership qualities were shown at home base and the service location. We also discussed some problems we were having during the school day and some tips to help solve them and have an overall better experience.

Following dinner we headed to a town called Dangriga for a grocery run and open mic night at the local library. We got lucky because they are only held on the last Thursday of every month. We watched both locals and GLA students perform songs, poems, stories and much more. It turned into a late night because of how many performers showed up. Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow, our last regular day of service before the party on Tuesday.

-Zita & Amelia H

Friday June 22, 2018

Hi friends and family! On Friday we had an exciting day! We had our last full day of service which also had a thunderstorm added to it! We also got to have a meal at the school for a fundraiser! Barbecued chicken, rice and beans, and Cole slaw were cause for some tired students! After lunch we came back and played an appreciation game. It really helped everything to see how they affect others!

We then split into two groups for cooking and the blue hole! The cooking team made tacos and brownies! Having a cooking class definitely showed the students that the cooking staff does so much. Shoutout to the cooking staff!! They also found a secret hiding spot where a chicken hatched eggs! The blue hole people embraced the fresh rain water filled hole and loved it!

With love and smiles,

Rachelle, Katya, & Ellie

Saturday June 23, 2018

Hi GLA blog visitors!

Today was long but arguably one of our best days. We all woke up bright and early to no power and no water, because of a thunderstorm the swept through the area while we were asleep, but nonetheless we then all headed to breakfast at 7:30. After a delicious breakfast of french toast and hydrating for the day we hit the road promptly at 8 am.

On our way to San Ignacio in the Cayo district, we passed through beautiful scenery and new places we hadn’t seen yet in Belize. Then close to 10 am we arrived, split into 2 groups and headed to an iguana conservation center and to learn about the spiritual and cultural aspects of Maya chocolate and the history of it and made some yummy chocolate drinks. We then sat down for a lovely lunch on our way to the Maya Temples and where we talked and bonded some more as we sipped on sodas.

While at the Maya temple of Xunantunich, we walked 1 mile to get to the tour guides (all up hill). Once there, we got sprayed in bug spray and sun screen. We should mention that today was particularly exasperatingly hot, so you can use your imagination about how we all looked. We then headed up to Maya temples of Xunantunich (stone lady in Mayan). Took a walk around and learned a LOT about the religion, society, culture, life, and games of the Maya people.

We were all very intrigued by the astounding architectural restoration projects from the past and the just now from all the new discoveries. All before heading straight up to the top of a 140 foot Maya temple where we could see Guatemala and enjoyed the beautiful view.

Over all the GLA Belize family had a wonderful and colorful day especially because it was the amazing Ellie Shimp’s birthday! We are excited to enjoy some cake and celebrate this evening!!

Hope all is well back in the states, goodnight!

-Hailey Overholser and Alexa Orzolek

Sunday June 24, 2018

Hey guys! This morning we didn’t have breakfast till 9 so we finally got a chance to sleep in! After breakfast we had the choice of participating in 3 activities: a creative writing workshop, a mini Spanish class or going to the swimming hole. After lunch we had a little bit of free time until we had a Mayan presentation. In the presentation we learned more about the mayan culture and practicing making weaving baskets. It was a pretty relaxing day for the most part. We ended our day with dinner and a little activity and reflection in our mentor groups.

Emily Pi, Evelyn, and Vishva

Monday June 25, 2018

Today was one of those days that feels like the morning happened two years ago. We went to Marie Sharps at 10 and got too much hot sauce (duh). It’s really cool that all of the people here have an interesting story, like Marie Sharp herself, who was present at the factory to tell us her own story. We got lucky— she doesn’t do that all the time! Once we got back to T.R.E.E.S. we didn’t want to get off the bus because that meant another adventure is over. We’re finding that we’re trying to absorb as much of everything here before we leave, so our days are seeming longer. We know it’s cheesy to say this trip has been life changing, but really, we feel like whole different people. All of our perspectives— on almost everything that we think is important— have changed. We are thankful for all the talks that help me broaden my perspective of others.

Reanie and Kate

Thursday June 28, 2018

Today we spent our day sailing on the open Caribbean Sea! We saw endless colorful fish, a friendly sea turtle, sea cucumbers, purple and red coral reef and even a sting ray!

After we finished snorkeling- we boarded back onto our catamaran and enjoyed an awesome lunch of grilled chicken, rice and beans, potatoes salad and basil tomatoes and cucumber.

We sailed around for a few hours more on the crustal blue Caribbean sea and then dropped anchor to meet some nurse sharks!

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Friday July 14, 2018

Omswastiastu!

Arrival day for the Children’s Education in Action was a success here in Bali! After 20+ hours of travel for most of us, we took a nice beautiful drive through rice paddies and light rain to get to our home base at Madras in the outskirts of Ubud. We are still awaiting the late night arrivals of Addison, Donya, Emma, Josephine, and Natalie, but so looking forward to meeting them all tomorrow!

After the few of us that arrive in the early evening got settled in, we had a welcome feast of a Balinese favorite called nasi campur (rice, mixed vegetables, chicken, noodles, sambal sauce, and corn fritters!) We finished the night with a fresh coconut drink as we played name games and wore ourselves out for the night. Excited to wake up and meet the rest of our little Bali community in the morning!

Selamat Tidur (Goodnight!)

Sunday July 15, 2018

Today we woke up to a delicious banana pancake breakfast! We had an orientation to the program and Bali itself. Our mentors talked to us about the social and cultural norms of the society and how to respectfully act during the program. Afterward, we had a little down time to get to know each other more while playing card games and making friendship bracelets. The mentors split us up into groups, and we participated in a scavenger hunt where we got to interact with the locals to learn more about Ubud. In fact, a local climbed up a tree to fetch us a coconut. During another group’s scavenger endeavor, they visited a rice field and got to see first hand where our rice comes from. We had dinner and played get to know you and fun/silly games afterward. Until tomorrow!

-by Max and Marissa

Monday July 16, 2018

Today we woke up and had fruit, tea, scrambled eggs and toast. Afterwards, we had a language lesson and got the chance to learn some common words and phrases in Indonesian. After a lunch of noodles and chicken, we got to play some games and activities to open ourselves up to each others points of view and learn more about each other and what it means to be a global citizen. After that, we learned to play traditional balinese instruments, how to do traditional dances, and make wood carving of our names. From there we walked through the streets and explored a local market before going to the Prince of Ubud’s Palace in Peliatan and talked to him about his intsagram, Ms.Indonesia, and other stories he had to tell us about his life and his views of tourism in Bali. We had a huge buffet of balinese dishes and took lots of pictures before walking back to the homestead and playing games for our night activity and heading to bed. Early morning tomorrow..so goodnight!

-by Addy & Jojo

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Today we woke up very early at 6:00am to go to a tour of the rice paddies. We learned how the rice is harvested as well as what other herbs and spices are grown in Bali. Our tour guide taught us many herbal remedies for various illnesses and the history surrounding Balinese agriculture. Later today, we were able to buy his herbal products at his store.

We all bought face mask and plan to all do face mask before bed. After, we traveled to the holy water temple where we were blessed and able to bathe in the holy water spring before we entered the temple and learned how Balinese pray. After the temple, we walked around a market. We experienced bargaining and were shocked at how determined the sales people were to make a sale. We finished the day with an amazing buffet with a view of Mt. Batur. Tonight, we are going to see a traditional Balinese dance.

Until next time!

-Emma and Donya

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Today we woke up early in Ubud for breakfast, shortly after we were on our way to Singaraja. On the way we had the spectacular opportunity to stop at the most photographed temple on the island and is certainly one of the most iconic images of Bali. Many had the option to hold exotic animals such as owls, bats, or snakes. After a delicious lunch we settled in to our new hotel in Singaraja. We then excitedly marched our way around town learning the new lay of the land on a walking tour. To wrap up the day, we headed to the beach for a sunset boat ride. Coming to an end of the day we came back to shore for a nice dinner under the stars with live music and fireworks.

Thursday July 19, 2018

Today consisted of waking up for 7:30 Breakfast which consisted of toasts and fruits along with tea. We then headed to the beach for a nice cleanup, we filled two bags with garbage and brought them back to the base. We then went on to have lunch at a local warung (restaurant) followed by some enjoyable free time. At around 2:30 we headed off to the school to meet the kids! Passing through the streets is very interesting because everyone looks at you, smiles or gets a little bit confused because we are almost the only western people they see during the year. It’s during these moments that you realize how much the Indonesians are welcoming and open to new things. When we arrived at the school, all the kids ran to us with a big smile on their face, we felt very appreciated. We then had our first 3 classes today, art, games, and regular class, which were very energetic and exciting. Looking forward to the next 6 days with the kiddos.

Missing friends and family back home!

– Jada and Sam

Friday July 20, 2018

Today we woke up to a nice american style breakfast of cereal and milk and fruit. After, we started preparing for our second day of English camp with the kids at the school. The topic of teaching today was animals, and all of the groups had very colorful and fun activities, including leap frog and crafting snakes and jellyfish. After preparing, we all took on other roles of different cultures to interact and attempted to experience what it was like living and working together despite the differences.

For lunch Gita treated us to some pasta and garlic bread which varied from Alfredo, Pesto, and Bolognese. After lunch we packed the vans and left to teach at the school. It was a long hot day teaching, but we still had fun with the kids. We said our goodbyes and went back to home base for dinner and a night in. For dinner we had rice, noodles, chicken, tempe,eggs, and fruit. Later, we’re preparing for our performance at the orphanage for tomorrow.

– Marissa and Hannah

Ps. Hi mom and sean -Marissa
Hi parents and Cam -Hannah

Sunday July 22, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Today we woke up to cereal treat for breakfast and started right in on our lesson planning for todays service. After planning, we played a team building activity at our hotel which focused on leadership styles and working together. We were able to take on different roles (speech, sight and action) and perform a task working against other teams. Later we took a leadership test which told us what kind of leader we were and what our strengths were.

For lunch, we had mie goreng with chicken, egg, and chicken sate with peanut sauce. After lunch, we headed to the school for service where our theme was food! It started pouring rain so the games group was moved inside where we played hangman and a ball game. After coming back, we had downtime before dinner and finished off with a documentary called minimalism and discussed afterwards.

Yesterday, after our service we got to visit the kids at Nayaran Sava orphanage. We were told about their orphanage and what daily life is like. After we watched performances of dance and yoga from the kids. We also got to show off our moves with a dance performance from all of us, which put smiles on kids faces all around.

-Donya and Addy

Monday July 23, 2018

Today we took a much needed break from volunteering and had a beach day. It started with a presentation about coral restoration and what we need to do to keep the coral safe when we go scuba diving later in the program. We also learned about the organization bio rock which creates coral reefs out of metal that draws specific minerals in the water that propel coral growth. After that we headed to snorkeling where we saw the coral reefs which bio rock created. Some of us struggled at first breathing through the snorkel then got a hang of it. After snorkeling we got to sit on the beach and enjoy some wifi and sun. We also got to order food which all of us enjoyed pasta, french fries, desert and smoothies. Afterward, we had time to tan by the beach and swim in the pool. Once we got back to home base we enjoyed some pizza and garlic knots while we played heads up and spoons. Excited for tomorrow!

Selemat Tidur (goodnight)

Jojo & Emma

p.s. (We were having so much fun that we didn’t get any pictures today for the blog, sorry! We will definitely get some good ones for tomorrow!)

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Today we woke up early for breakfast consisting of cereal and toast. We spent the morning prepping for school, then we were off for a morning full of fun at the beach. Some of us enjoyed delicious bowls of pasta at the beach cafe. At 1 we left and headed to our 5th day of service at the school. Today’s topic for the kids was classroom objects. The students at the school were more hyper than usual which called for some extra control on our end. After that we enjoyed a dinner of pasta, chicken and fries followed by our evening activity where we discussed our various goals and dreams.

-by Max and Sam

OK OK really we promise more pictures tomorrow!!!

Wednesday July 25, 2018

After breakfast today we planned our lessons for our day at English Camp. Then, we loaded the buses to the Bali Mandara which is a government run high school we visited. We arrived at Bali Mandara and were greeted by our “buddies” for the day. The welcome was followed by a short presentation which included a general introduction session about the school and how it was founded. Our buddies proceeded to give us a tour of the school.

We stopped for lunch while our buddies answered many of the burning questions we had about Balinese culture and the school. We parted ways after lunch and packed the vans once again to head to English Camp. The school day was long and tiring, but we persevered to eat dinner and more evening activity fun. The evening activity was kept a surprise until revealed after dinner when we found out we were going to an indoor court to play futsol against each other! Overall, it was a longer, jam packed day filled with fun!

Hannah and Dante

(Yes I’m okay mom and dad lol -Hannah)

Thursday July 26, 2018

Today we woke up and had cereal. Shortly after, we as a group preplanned our last day of teaching at the school. Following, we hiked up a mountain and had the opportunity to view the breathtaking sights of Bali’s beautiful waterfalls. After the hot long walk, it was very enjoyable to swim in the cool clear waters. There was a slide made from natural rock that our group had a blast sliding down. For lunch we were all thrilled to eat our favorite lo mien, chicken satay, and vegetables. We then headed to the school for our last day of service with the kids. It was hard to say goodbye but in return they gave us gifts and letters to never forget our experience here in Singarja. As the sun was setting we ate dinner at a beautiful beachside restaurant. Today was a perfect day to wrap up our service and lifelong memories that we were lucky enough to experience here in Singaraja.

-Natalie and Donya

Sunday July 29, 2018

Yesterday we started with a breakfast at East Bali Immersion (EBI) which is located in east Bali, with a breathtaking view of the valley. Then, we took the bus for about an hour and a half to go to our beach bungalows in Amed. Some of us enjoyed massages and tanning and swimming by the pool. We had dinner by the beach with an amazing view of the ocean and could admire the sound of the waves. After dinner we did a scavenger hunt, human knot and cards, then later we headed back to the restaurant and ordered smoothies, dessert and fries.

Today started with our delicious banana pancakes with bunches of sides. After an early breakfast we headed off to the pool to test out the waters in scuba diving. Many of us had the rare exotic and amazing opportunity to scuba in open waters. Most saw the incredible views of coral fish and much more that many don’t see from the surface. Some were even able to have a second dive into more exotic waters with turtles, sting rays, and many more sea animals, while others were able to have an amazing time at the gorgeous beachside pool that overlooks miles of ocean sea. We wrapped up our long exciting day with the worlds most amazing burgers and fries that we all devoured in seconds.

Love to everyone at home!
Sam, Jojo, and Natalie

Monday July 30, 2018

Today we said goodbye to Amed, and headed back to Ubud! We had a very long bus ride but finally made it back with a bathroom break and some room for lunch! Once we got to home base we had a GLA session to discuss the effects of large sporting events like the olympics on children in that area. We tied this to the tourism here in Bali. We ended the night with a nice dinner and a closing evening activity where we played a game called Guess Who. We didn’t do to much that was active today so we don’t have any pictures.. but we’ll be sure to make up for it tomorrow! We also watched a movie and are getting rested up for a good day of laughing yoga tomorrow!

ps: love you Mechelle

-Jada and Emma

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Our first day back in Ubud we woke up to Comong’s famous banana pancakes and tea. Soon after we were on our way to laughing yoga with Kadek Suambara. His contagious laughter, guided meditation, and yoga practice left the group feeling relaxed, centered, and goofy all at the same time. The group could not get over Donya’s random laughter and the instructors awkwardly hilarious approach to laughter. We then made our way back to the home base to rest up and get ready for the trip to Tanah Lot, or the “Land and the Sea” temple. The temple is located on a rock just offshore with giant waves constantly crashing into it. After being educated on the important spiritual and mythological purpose of the temple the group then dispersed to the market that surrounded the area. The group made last minute purchases for family and friends and got their choice in food for dinner. We all reconvened later in the night to drive back to Madra Homestay. See you tomorrow for white water rafting!

Jojo and Dante

Wednesday August 1, 2018

Our day started with an early breakfast which consisted of fruits and toast with egg, tomato, and cheese. We first visited a coffee plantation. We got to taste many different types of teas and coffees, including the famous luwak coffee. All of the coffee and sugar went straight to our heads as we waited in anticipation for white water rafting. We put on our life vests and helmets and set off on our two hour raft ride down the white water river. We stopped halfway at a beautiful waterfall. We then went back to home base and began to pack our bags for our soon return 🙁 After lunch we all met together to talk about how we can take our experiences back home with us. We all began to write a vow for what we will do at home to continue to be a global citizen.

-Sam and Marissa

Thursday August 2, 2018

Omswastiyastu!

Our final day here in Bali, so bitter sweet! We woke up early to have breakfast on the road in order to get to surf day before the tide was too high to surf. So glad we did because even the small waves were a challenge! But we did our best and just about everyone stood up on their boards at least once! We spent the rest of the time lounging on the beach, drinking smoothies, and doing some last minute shopping. When we got back to home base we had our final dinner of rice, potato curry, vegetables, and chicken. After dinner, we wrapped up our last evening together presenting our commitments to our communities, sharing an appreciation web about each other, and watching a cute slide show of pictures from the entire 3 weeks! It’s going to be a lot of travel for the next 24+ hours so it’s off to bed now. See all of you in the states soon!

Selamat Tidur (goodnight!)

Friday August 3, 2018

Today was the last day of the program. We said goodbye to one student early on, with a 4:00am drive to the airport. Back at home base everyone else slept peacefully, not quite ready for their last day in Bali. We sent off the rest of the group with one last banana pancake breakfast and some much loved hot tea. The group enjoyed their last morning sharing stories and opening notes they had all written to one another. We headed to the airport in the afternoon to send everyone off. A few tears were shed but not too many because we knew we would make it a point to all see one another again.

We all felt the emptiness of the home base today when we got back. Honestly, it is just not same without you all. We loved having you all here on this journey with us and wish you the best of luck in the future. Get home safe.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om.

Much Love,
Yanti, Gita, Lena and Nicole

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Wednesday June 20, 2018

Omswastiastu!

Arrival day for the Children’s Education in Action was a success here in Bali! After 20+ hours of travel for most of us, we took a nice beautiful drive through rice paddies and light rain to get to our home base at Madras in the outskirts of Ubud. After everyone got settled in, we had a welcome feast of a Balinese favorite called nasi campur (rice, mixed vegetables, chicken, noodles, sambal sauce, and corn fritters!) We finished the night with a fresh coconut drink and some juices as we played name games and wore ourselves out for the night. Excited to see what awaits us in Bali tomorrow!

Thursday June 21, 2018

Halo semuanya! Apa kabar? Halo, kabar saya baik. (Hi everyone! How are you? Hi, I am good.)

Today was an amazing first day in our new home of Ubud, Bali!

This morning we woke up at 7:30, jet lagged, and somehow managed to make it to breakfast on time. For breakfast we ate delicious banana pancakes, with various fresh fruits, kopi (coffee) and teh (tea). After breakfast, we had orientation. During orientation we learned first hand about the Balinese culture from Gita and Yanti, two local Balinese women. They taught us specifically about Balinese religious practices, temple etiquette, health & safety advice, tri hita karana (three causes of goodness), and the subak system (irrigation system for rice paddies native to Bali).

Next, we ate lunch, prepared by the outstanding “Mama.” She made a delicious soto ayam (chicken soup) in which nearly everyone had two servings! After devouring lunch, we had our Language 101 class with Gita and Yanti. We learned numbers, greetings, simple phrases, foods and descriptive words to describe foods, as well as family structure. Due to the near torrential downpour we quickly began our next activity…the Ubud Amazing Race. (Fun Fact: In Bali, during religious ceremonies, rain signifies blessings to the people.) We split into three groups and each group ventured to a different part of Ubud trying to complete a scavenger hunt which required you to interact with the local Balinese people.

Unfortunately, our ventures were cut short due to the torrential downpours. We returned back to Madras, soaking wet, and split up into our mentor groups where we journaled and established our “team” name, motto, and values. Next, we ate dinner consisting of rice, potato fritters, chicken curry, sweet tempe, and stir fry water spinach. After dinner, we ended the night with our student led evening activities: two truths and a lie as well as story strips!

We could not have asked for a better first full day in Bali and cannot wait to explore deeper into the Balinese culture.

With gratitude,

Grace Lee & Emma Miller

Friday June 22, 2018

Selamat Pagi!

We started off today with a delicious breakfast made by Mama consisting of some tropical fruits and an omelette. After our breakfast we walked to the banjar close to our homestay. At this banjar we got to experience multiple cultural activities, including learning to make offerings, wood craving, learning traditional dances, and playing Balinese instruments. We came back to the homestay to eat lunch, which was fried rice, chicken, and vegetables. After lunch, we were lucky to have nice weather, and continued our amazing race scavenger hunt of Ubud. We got to immerse ourselves into the culture and see rice paddies. We came back and had a group discussion about what it means to be a global citizen. It made us think more about the world around us and how we can make a difference. We played some other group games as well which helped us get to know each other a bit better. We’re excited for dinner and evening activity, which is going to be charades!

Salamat Jalan,

Isa and Isha

Saturday June 23, 2018

Today started off quite early- 6:00 am! We hit the road by 7:00 am in order to arrive for our herbal tour through the rice paddies. Westi, our tour guide, had high energy and gave lots of laughs! After the tour we had an opportunity to shop at the local herbal shop for lotions, balms, and masks. Afterwards, we began the trek up to the Tirta Empul Temple. There, we purified ourselves in the springs by submerging under the water.

In the central part of the temple, we learned how to do traditional Balinese prayers. Upon our departure, we were given time to shop in the neighboring stalls. Many students learned the art of bartering! A scenic 45-minute drive up the mountain left us at a beautiful overlook of the volcano. We were fortunate enough to be able to eat a yummy lunch buffet there as well!

At 4:30 pm we left to take a tour of the palace of the Prince of Ubud. We were also able to chat with him about various topics such as common problems that the Balinese people face to his Instagram accounts as well as current music artists! After dining with the prince, we watched a balinese performance with loud music, colorful clothing, and traditional dances. Day 4 was a busy but very successful and fun day!

See you guys tomorrow!

Cody & Paige

Sunday June 24, 2018

Halo!

Today was an exciting day. We woke up to soft rain and ate delicious apple crepes. After that, we gathered around two buses and began the long drive to Singaraja, the location in which we will be teaching english. Midway through the drive we stopped at the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple–one of the most famous temples in Bali. We toured the temple and then had a delicious buffet lunch. Once we began the long drive, we saw monkeys running wild around the streets. Finally, we arrived to Singaraja. We toured the city and then had a delicious dinner of noodles and chicken. In the evening we made a run to the local Indomart and had snacks while we played a heated game of pictionary. Om Santi Santi Santi Om!

P.S: hi mom and dad.

–Linda Guite

 Monday June 25, 2018

Pagi!

Today was the best day yet! We started off early this morning in our new town of Singaraja to get a head start on what we came here to do. The children we began working with today were overwhelmed and so pleased with our presence. We were divided into 3 groups where we alternated class grades throughout the morning. Our three groups focused on 3 different things Games, Art, and most importantly Classroom. Our lesson’s focus for Day 1 was Numbers and Colors.

After the lessons we grabbed lunch and debriefed our eventful morning. Then headed back to the A/C. We lesson prepped for Day 2 and met in our mentor groups to do a small check-in. The coolest part of the trip so far was getting to go to the beautiful black sand beach, where we went out on spider boats to swim in the clear ocean and watch the sunset. We also enjoyed an American style dinner for the first time all trip and listened to some locals play some great music around a beach bonfire with the stars above. We concluded the night with a quick trip to the Indomaret to get some treat yourself treats.

Tidur!

-Holland, Cody, Charlotte

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Halo!

Today was one of the days where we focused on more service and interactive lessons within the group after our second successful day of teaching! They asked us, What is cross cultural communication? To answer this question, the mentors showed us a documentary called ‘Framing the Others,’ a short film that identifies the effect of tourists and ethical photography. Basically, it demonstrated the relationship between the Mursi people of Ethiopia and western tourists.

In the video, a Mursi woman describes her village life, where she and her companions depend on the money that tourists pay to take pictures of the village. However, the tourists don’t see into the photographs they take. They take pictures of the Mursi people and leave without connecting with any of them. One woman tried to barter her way out of paying two Burrs, which is 24 cents in USD. They come and go for pictures yet know nothing of the Mursi culture. Watching this documentary opened our eyes into the difference between being a tourist and being a traveler. We never knew that taking something as simple as pictures could cause a rift between two different walks of life.

Other than that, service went fantastic! We focused on the topic of animals; the kids drew pictures, learned new vocabulary, and played fun games such as Sharks and Minnows. It was especially touching when the children decided to write our names and nice messages about us with chalk in the courtyard. As for the rest of the night, we ate a yummy dinner and played Mafia! Turns out we have a really competitive group (: HI DAD HI MOM HI MORRISSEY

-Madeline & Amanda

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Hello!

Today we got to sleep in (until 7:30). We then spent two hours picking up trash left near the beach just down the street from our hotel. We managed to fill three whole trash bags. Then we traveled home and did our lesson prep for Friday. We did not have school today due to the election going on in Bali. The school was being used as a polling area. Then we ate lunch, which for some of us happened to be a binge on Pop Meis (instant ramen).

Then we went to the beautiful Lovina Beach where we spent all our money on iced coffees and clothes and went swimming taking in the beautiful Bali landscape. After four hours at the beach we went home and had free time. Our dinner consisted of “Western Food”, spaghetti bolognese, chicken strips, and french fries. Our evening activity tonight is movie trivia and a much needed, and anticipated, movie night.

Bye for now!

-by Charlotte and Savannah

Thursday June 28, 2018

Hi fellow bloggers, Dr. Monica, and Dana!

All thirteen of us had another outstanding day in Singaraja. Again, we went to the school and delivered lessons all surrounding the topic of “body parts.” The kids embraced the lessons from sprinting outside on the concrete, to singing “head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” and labeling the human body.

After an exhausting, yet fulfilling four hours of teaching, we debriefed the morning and enjoyed American style sandwiches (yummmyyy!!!). We returned back to the hotel, ate again, lesson prepped for the next day, got an hour of WiFi, and slept.

After two hours of free time, we embarked for the Narayan Sede orphanage in Singaraja. This orphanage is home to 83 Balinese kids ranging from 8 month old babies to 18 year old adults. Upon arrival, we were greeted instantly with hugs, smiling faces, and fist bumps. The orphanage brought us into their family by calling us brother and sister, including us in their spiritual meditation for their Guru, a talent show, and a delicious dinner.

Overall, it was a very insightful, eye opening day that we will never forget.

Sumpai gumpa (see you later),

Grace Lee and Isha

Friday June 29, 2018

Today started off with day 4 of service! We taught weather and nature! We left right after for a packed day in the beautiful Pemuteran, specifically Taman Sari Bali Resort and Spa. There, we listened to an educational presentation about the coral restoration project called Biorock. Afterwards, we got to see the biorock in action while snorkeling off the local beach.

We had the luxury of using the resort’s pool and poolside service. There, we sipped smoothies and snacked on american foods such as chicken nuggs and french fries. The resort was a nice reward to enjoy the fruits of our hard work! We also stayed for dinner and had pizza and wifi! Yay! Then we headed back and are now writing this blog and we are all tired so we apologize for any errors in this post!

Selamat Tidur!

~Paige & Holland~

Saturday June 30, 2018

This morning was just another fun day of service at the school! We taught them articles of clothing, such as shirt, pants, shoes, etc. It was hard for them to grasp at first, but they got the hang of it eventually!

Things got super interesting when we took a trip to a waterfall in the afternoon. The water was so beautiful and refreshing, maybe even a little cold to some. Sadly, we could not jump off any of the dangerous-looking yet intriguing rocks, but we still had a super awesome time. There was even a little slide, and I know all of us enjoyed that the most. When it came to the hike back up to the road, which was an extremely steep staircase, I think everyone could agree that it was an intense workout, especially for your glutes!

Our lesson prepping is also improving as of today. So far, we’ve been struggling with coming up with ideas that aren’t repetitive or boring for the kids, and finally we delved into our more creative sides. Tomorrow the topic will be Places and Transportation; for example, the Art class will be having a paper airplane contest and origami lesson!

The evening activity was definitely one of the highlights of the day. We judged a Lip Sync Battle by splitting everyone into two teams and having them prepare a routine to a song of their choosing. The winning group lip synced “Tik Tok” by Kesha and it was absolutely hilarious. The other team did great too, with the song “Party in the USA.” When we made a quick trip to Indomaret beforehand, we got a winning prize: a bucket of Wafer Sticks! (It’s all we could afford lol)

Overall, today was a super fun day for the group and we’re excited to see what the first day of July has in store ! (:

Love,
Amanda & Hope

Sunday July 1, 2018

Selamat Malam Parents and GLA Family!

We started day 12 bright and early with the beginning of our second to last day of teaching at the school :(. Today we taught the kids about different places and modes of transportation! We continued the day with a series of GLA activity sessions surrounding discovering what our true leadership style is! These activities included an obstacle course (blind folded), mentor groups where we checked in with our outstanding mentors to see how we are doing, and a leadership activity to find out what type of leader we are.

After a delicious dinner we headed out for another surprise…Indoor Soccer/Futsal Tournament!!!!! We split up into three teams to play in a tournament-style competition where winner takes all! We truly channeled our internal leaders today. The soccer tournament specifically was great way to let out any extra energy before bed!

Tidur!

~Holland&Grace

Indo language guide
Malam~evening/night
Tidur~Going to sleep

Monday June 2, 2018

Halo!

Today was our last day in Singaraja, so our morning was full of tearful goodbyes to the children. Seeing some of the kids cry definitely hit a spot in our hearts, and it really shed light on how much the children cared about us and our role as teachers and friends. Many of them gave us cards, letters, little notes, candy, and jewelry! It was the sweetest thing ever. However, the gifts were not what we really wanted from them; it was the memories and bonds that we hoped to create since the beginning.

For our afternoon activity, we visited the Bengkala village, also known as the “Deaf Village,” because of the local population of deaf and mute people, which is 40 out of 3,000 inhabitants. We saw their homes as well as their workplace. They were very welcoming, even though they couldn’t speak to us. It was a heavy experience for us and it made us realize how lucky we all are.

For dinner, we headed over to Anik’s restaurant at the beach. We ate some yummy food, watched the beautiful Balinese sunset, and sang along to some acoustic One Direction at the bonfire. As a special treat, they set off some awesome fireworks!

I know we all really enjoyed our last day here, but we are also excited to move on to a new place: Amed!

Thanks for checking in on the blog,
Isha and Amanda

 

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Hi Parents and Families!

Sorry for the mild two day absence from the blog..poor service here ):. We’ve just been loving and lounging here at the beach with some added activities and a visit to a local environmental NGO !

Today in Amed our small group of thirteen was split. Ten of us went on an epic scuba diving adventure, while the rest of us stayed at the beach and went snorkeling. The scuba divers started off their day early to get the most out scuba diving. We headed over to the diving training center at 7:45. Only one of us, Charlotte was certified so she broke off from the group because she was not required to do training and got to go diving immediately. The rest of us stayed and got our training in the pool.

While in the pool we learned basic skills which ended up taking a couple hours. We then moved to a bay close by for our first dive so that there would be no current. We went around 10 meters under for our first dive and saw a lot of cool coral and amazing fish. We then had a lunch and headed out for our second dive. We went to a more open place where there was a current and got to experience more sea life. This time diving we went under 12 meters. We saw sting rays, a bunch of colorful fish, a sea snake, a bunch of new colorful coral, and even got to see an eel. Our second dive took us around forty minutes. We headed back to the beach to finish off this exciting day relaxing in the sun.

The other half of the group had a nice relaxing day. Isha, Isa, and Madeline got to sleep in listening to the ocean waves crash onto the shore. We then got to go get breakfast and just got to hang around reading, listening to music, and taking some nice refreshing naps. Around noontime we gathered for a nice quite lunch that consisted of some fried rice and different types of pasta.

After we went to let our stomachs digest the yummy food, we grabbed our snorkel gear and waddled into the turquoise waves. Our eyes were greeted by the fantastic underwater world close to our shore and spent about an hour and a half diving down to greet our new fishy friends…who swam away. After we snorkeled we came back and hung out, read some more, got some water, and just relaxed until dinner. With dinner concluding we played our nightly dinner activity and spent the rest of the evening stare gazing/ meditating. HI MOM HI DAD HI MORRISSEY-Madeline

-Written by Madeline & Cody

Friday July 6, 2018

Halo!

This morning a couple of us woke up early and watched the sunrise. Then we ate breakfast and had a couple hours of free time to say bye to our favorite beach spot. After that we packed our things and left Amed 🙁 Our trip lasted about three hours, with a stop for lunch, and of course an Indomaret run for snacks. Finally we arrived back at our home stay in Ubud where we had an hour of free time to unpack and rest.

We did a GLA Activity where we talked about the effect of major sporting events such as the World Cup on the countries that host them. This activity opened our eyes to a whole new perspective on these events. After that we had dinner which was highly anticipated by many, if not, all of us (we all missed Mama’s cooking). Once dinner was over we headed to a local night market. Here we tried tarang bulan (pancake chocolate), had ice cream and other delicious treats. Some of us bought clothes as well. Tomorrow we are looking forward to attending a laughing yoga session.

See you in a few days,
Savannah and Linda 🙂

Saturday July 7, 2018

Today started off with yummy banana pancakes from mama for breakfast! Then we headed off to laughing yoga! We learned that it is okay to laugh even if there is nothing funny going on. We practiced this through four different types of laughs (ha, ho, he, mmm), different dances, and ended with some traditional yoga! For lunch we had Paige’s favorite dish- soto ayam- with clear noodles, cabbage, egg, broth, chicken. Then we had some free time!

During free time some of us went up to AlfaMart to go get ice cream! We were able to use WiFi when we got back and when free time was over we headed to Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot is a famous temple on the water and around it are a bunch of shops! It was around a two hour drive, but it was worth it. We had a lot of fun buying souvenirs for ourselves and our families. Some of us even got Henna Tattoos (temporary stick on tattoos).

We were given some money to go buy dinner and some of us went to an American restaurant called Natya’s. After a bit more shopping we got desserts like lava cake then began our journey home!

With full bellies & empty wallets,
Hope & Paige

Sunday July 8, 2018

Selamat Pagi,

Today we woke up had breakfast at our homestay and headed to a luwak coffee cafe. Luwak coffee is a special balinese coffee made of animal’s poop. It’s one of the most expensive coffee’s in the world. We are lucky we got a free tasting. We tried multiple types of luwak coffees. After spending the morning learning about Luwak coffee we drove to the white water rafting place! We were on the river for 2 WHOLE hours with a short break to take cute photos in front of a beautiful waterfall. There were a lot of wonderful waterfalls throughout the trip, too, we even went under one and got even more soaked then we already were! Our guides worked very hard to ensure we all had a good time and made it back safely.After those two hours we then had to hike up who knows how many stairs in order to get back to our buses in order to get to our delicious lunch which had a great view. Then we took off for an hour ride back to our homestay, where w did one of our last GLA activities to close up our 3 week session in Bali. Can’t believe it is almost over!! ): After dinner, we headed to a surprise for Holland’s 16th birthday!!! Yay, he can drive!! Happy Birthday Holland! We hope you had a fun birthday 🙂

See you back in the USA!

Savannah and Isa (and Brenda)

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Hi CEA Bali and Family!

I can’t believe the program is over already! All but one are off and on their way back to their homes. With one student spending a little extra time in Bali with our GHI program (more time in the sun for Grace !). 🙂

Yesterday we spent our last day basking in the sun and working on our surfing skills. Although we did see a few minor wipeouts, everyone really looked amazing catching waves and gliding through the ocean! After our surf lesson with Pak Wayan we had some lunch and headed over to the smoothie truck to have some delicious and fresh juices and smoothies.

We then headed down the street to do some last minute shopping, making sure we got just the right souvenirs to bring back to the fam. With an hour and a half bus ride back to Ubud everyone took advantage and napped the whole way. When we arrived back home we had just enough time to shower before we had our last farewell dinner with Mama! Unfortunately our favorite chef (Mama) couldn’t make it because she was visiting family in Java BUT it was clear her love still came through in all the delicious food that was enjoyed.

After dinner we had our closing ceremony where we spoke our commitments to Bali and our home community out loud to the group. We received our wood carvings from our second day at the Banjar workshop and lastly enjoyed donuts by the projector screen as we watched a slide show of our time in Bali.

This afternoon we said goodbye to our group as they made their way through security to begin their journey! You all will be missed so much! Safe travels and I know all the family reading this right now is so excited to see you.
We will leave you with a collection of our favorite group photos! Until next time !!!

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

Much love 🙂

Gita, Lena, Brenda, Yanti and Nicole

 

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Monday July 23, 2018

All 10 of our Bali Global Health Initiative participants have officially arrived!

The first 8 got back in time for a Indonesian dinner of fried chicken, rice, rice noodles, veggies and samba (spicy!). We drank young coconut water straight from the coconut and tried Terang bulan (a typical Indonesian desert that is similar to a think pancake with layers of chocolate, peanuts and cheese!) complete with candles to celebrate Cole’s 18th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLETTE!

Out last two students arrived later after some delays from lost luggage – their bags won’t arrive until tomorrow so until then they are borrowing clothes and made an indo mart run for toiletries! (see picture of Vera and Aina with mentor, Kate at the airport). We are so excited to start getting to know each other, and to explore the beautiful island of Bali!

We will keep sending photos and updates along the way. Until next time!

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Om Swastiastu!

The past couple of days we have been exploring more about Balinese culture. Our first full day after arrivals, we woke up and dove right in with our GLA orientation. After lunch we had a language lesson led by Eka, and then head out in groups to explore Ubud on an “amazing race”. Ubud is a crazy place! We practiced bartering, ran into some monkeys, and Kyle’s group went on a determined search for Asia’s smelliest fruit – Durian. After Dinner we had our first mentor group and talked about our goals for the program and created our GLA “banjars” – these are the local community centers here in Bali.

Wednesday July 25, 2018

We started off the day walking to a nearby family complex and learning about the Balinese community Banjar and the activities they do there. This included woodworking (we realized how hard wood carving is by trying to carve just 3 letters of our names), music making, traditional dance, and we learned how to make an offering our of bannana leaves, sticks and flowers.

We came home for lunch and then had a GLA workship on Global Citizenship where we talkeld about our different values and beliefs. After the workshop we put our sarong and sashes on and walked to the Palace of Pelitian for a tour and special (and spicy) dinner with the prince. OH! And we found durian on the walk back from the palace, so some brave souls tried this famous fruit.

Best memory of the day: “The prince taking a selfie with all of us and posting it on his instagram!”

Quote of the Day: “A smile is a small curve that can fix a big problem!” – our tour guide at the palace… or Sumara.

Leaders of the day – Colette and Alayna

Thursday July 26, 2018

Today we continued our exploration of Balinese culture with a walk through traditional rice paddies. Our guide Elik took us through the farmers field and showed us local plants and their uses. We took a quick break for a second breakfast and donned our sarongs for the water temple’s purification ceremony where we learned about the god and how to do a traditional prayer. We went to a buffet lunch with a crazy view of a volcano and delicious food.

Our session today was an introduction to healthcare where we tackled different struggles of Healthcare from different perspectives by holding a true life court case on aids medicine and its cost. We had dinner and then returned to consider the lives of the physically and mentally disabled throughout the world. After a heavier topic we went on a late ice cream run to finish off the day

Best memory of the day: “Getting to do a offering at the water temple.”

Quote(s) of the day: During a game of mafia Vera: “Nurse wake up” Sumara(Nurse): “What?”

“10,000 IQ level right here” Kyle

Leaders of the day: Aina

Blog written by cecatae!

Hello friends and family!!

We have arrived in singaraja at our new home base – where we will be jumping into service (home health checks) tomorrow. But first, a quick update on the past two days.

Friday July 27, 2018

We slept in a bit and then after breakfast headed to a local nonprofit – a home for people with disabilities. We toured the center, ate lunch and practiced our drumming and dancing skills.

After lunch we had some down time at the home base before we went to learn about another organization – the fair future foundation, which is a restaurant that funds health care serviced for the underprivileged around Bali. After dinner we went to a very unique dance performance… I don’t think anyone was expecting the intensity of the fire dancers! It was a special performance due to the full moon.

Saturday July 28, 2018

We woke up and packed our bags to head out to our new home base!

Along the drive (through the windy but beautiful countryside) we stopped to visit the organization Bumi Sehat, a world renouned natural birth clinic, and then explored a temple alongside a lake. Finally we made it to our home base, and had dinner with the Balinese medical students who will be leading our service.

Tomorrow our first day of service begins! Everyone is very excited to get started and head to the beach after. Sending love to friends and family!

Leader of the day: Emily

Quote of the day: “We decided to do this work because the smiles on their people’s faces make me smile.” – one of our medical students volunteer partner (Tipe)

Sunday July 29, 2018

DAY 8: We woke up ready to go… slightly earlier due to an suprise earthquake and do our first day of service! Everyone was super pumped to help the people in the more rural parts of town. It was a solid day of service the highlight being able to hold 5 month old puppies and a little baby bunny. We then went to the beach, a long awaited treat after sweating it out walking around the town. We went to an adorable coffee shop and finally got our American food cravings fullfilled with pizza as we watched the sunset.

Monday July 30, 2018

DAY 9: We started our day with service. Again it was really inspiring to walk and help and we definitely helped 75-90 people with the highlight being telling a man that his 200/160 blood pressure was not normal and that he should definantly see a doctor ASAP. We might have saved a life! We then went back to home base to change and get ready to go to the childrens home. A HUGE welcome was given to us as we rolled in to the home in our dope van. We sang, danced, meditated and ate dinner. The children’s homes’ food was all vegatarion so that left most of us craving meat. We made a quick pit stop to KFC on our ride home to complete our very full day.

Wednesday July 1, 2018

Hello again from Bali!

We finished out last day of home health checks – such a cool opportunity to connect with the community, see how Balinese people live and learn about preventative health care. Our last day we played games with the local kids and they helped us pick up trash around the neighborhood. Thanks to our amazing medical student partners for being our teachers, guides and translators!

After our last day of service we went back to Lovina Beach to enjoy the afternoon and get coffee and French fries. We went back to our home base and did some competitive activities before heading to bed.

Today we woke up and jumped on a red bus to head to pemuteran village beach where we spent the day learning about the Biorock coral restoration project which has planted 130 structures in pemuteran bay and has rejuvenated the coral reef there. After a presentation and lunch we got to snorkel and see these structures. Visibility may have been low, but we still had a lot of fun! We perfected our duck dives to get up close and personal with the coral and fish.

After snorkeling we had time to chill at the beach resort and pool and ordered lots of American food that we had been missing. Tonight we got into new service groups and began prepping for our next round of service – children’s health education workshops. Tomorrow we will be teaching classes on oral hygiene, sports, and emotions. Wish us luck!

Sunday August 5, 2018

Hey friends and family, it’s Colette, Aina, and Cecetae writing from our beach bungalows to update you on our adventure.

The health education workshops with the children was an inspiring challenge for all of us, not being able to speak their language and also some cultural differences created a noticeable barrier.

The first day all of us were awkward not really knowing how exactly to connect with the kids, but through the days we learned that there are more ways to communicate than just language and by the last day all of us had a dance party in the common area as a goodbye to the children. Every day after service we did other excursions – to a hot spring, waterfall and deaf village.

Last night we stayed at east Bali immersion, which had a beautiful view of Mount Agung we had a cashew harvesting contest as well as a cooking contest between two groups, then as we sat around the campfire reflecting on our day there, the ground started shaking and we all looked around as our mentors told us to go out into the open area, everyone had quite a different reaction to it, some were scared and some were wondering what heck was happing, but thankfully we are all safe and sound and slept well through the night.

In the morning they also taught us all about the east Bali cashew business, with factory tour concluding our stay there.

Today we headed to Amed to stay in our luxurious beach bungalows, as tomorrow we will be scuba diving.

Love and miss you all having a great time in Bali!

*A note from the GLA Bali Program Staff 8/5/18:  As you may have heard, tonight we experienced an earthquake. We just want you to know that we are all safe here!! There was no damage near our home base and everyone is calm and in good spirits! Also, we are inland in Bali and far from the coast so there was no risk of a tsunami here!

*Update from the GLA Bali Program Staff 8/6/18: This evening, there was a moderate aftershock off the coast of Lombok island. There were very minor tremors experienced in Bali for a few seconds. We’d like to reassure you all that the students are safe, secure and sleeping at the home base now. There has been no damage reported in Bali and there is no danger of a tsunami. Staff will continue to monitor the situation and provide you with updates.

Hello families! Here are some photos from the weekend:

Sunday August 12, 2018

What a whirlwind our final days have been! From the adventure of scuba diving (some saw a turtle!), exploring temples, shopping, a crazy morning of river rafting, visit to a traditional healer and surfing… the past few days have been jam packed.

Last night we finished our program together with a final dinnner and closing activities. Everyone recieved the wood carving they worked on of their name at the beginning of the program, we shared what we learned and finished with an appreciation circle and final offering together for the new moon.

Students are currently on their way to the airport and will soon be on flights across the world. Safe travels to all.

Note from international director, Allie:

Thank you to all the GHI participants for the incredible energy, inquisitive questions and work you have done these past three weeks. We love you all and cannot wait to see where life takes you. We hope you continue to process this experience as you get home and that it has sparked something within you. Keep in touch! So much love to our keluarga (family in bahasa).

We hope you continue to Be the Change, and continued to BE CHANGED.

Thank you to the support from friends and family along the way – this was a crazy program especially with all of the earthquakes, so much love to everyone who followed our blog! 💕