Letter to You from GLA Staff Member Allison at Moshi

Mambo!!!!!

I cannot believe that I am back in the United States after spending an AMAZING summer in Tanzania with Global Leadership Adventures! I am now fully back into the routine of work and school here and I hope that all of you are fully immersed and enjoying your next adventure whether that be another year of high school or your first year in college.

I want to take this opportunity to once again express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for everyone who worked at and participated in the GLA Tanzania Moshi program this summer. All of you took an incredibly brave step by traveling halfway around the world to a foreign country to experience a different culture with strangers who turned into friends and you all succeeded in fully immersing yourselves into the GLA experience. Most importantly, all of the hard work that you did for the students at Himo and Korona has had a positive impact on their lives. I hope the GLA experience has been life changing for you as well and that your experiences in Tanzania continues to positively impact your life as you continue to grow both as individuals and future leaders.

Allison’s Most Memorable Moments: June 16 – July 6, 2015

• Mama Digna’s awesome cooking!!!
• Watching GLA students swarmed by the Tanzanian students at Himo and Korona at recess
• Safari Weekend was the best thing ever!!!!
• Spending the afternoon making batik
• Almost losing a smartphone over the Ngorongoro Crater
• Buying the most beautiful used dress at Memorial Market- the Goodwill on steroids
• Sleep over night in the common room

Allison’s Most Memorable Moments: July 10 – July 30, 2015

• Mama Digna’s awesome cooking!!!
• Watching GLA students swarmed by the Tanzanian students at Himo and Korona at recess
• Safari Weekend was the best thing ever!!!!
• Spending the afternoon making batik
• Shopping for fabric and seeing all the beautiful clothes everyone had made by the tailor
• Eating dinner in town for the 4^th of July and then singing Firework at the top of our lungs
• Hearing the students singing We Will Rock You and A Thousand Miles at Himo and Korona-

Allison’s Most Memorable Moments: August 3 – August 14, 2015

• Mama Digna’s awesome cooking!!!
• Watching GLA students swarmed by the Tanzanian students at Himo and Korona at recess
• Safari Weekend was the best thing ever!!!!
• Spending the afternoon making batik
• Digging the most holes and planting the most trees of all the GLA groups this summer
• Playing crazy rounds of card games (SPIT) and Banana Grams
• Kiliward’s performance and dance

Letter to You from GLA Staff Member Ashley at Arusha

June 14 – June 27, 2015

My Dearest Students,

Good Morning Teacher! Jambo! Jambo Bwana, habari gani? Mzuri sana! I’m writing you a giant group warm fuzzy because every time I think of y’all my heart feels all warm and fuzzy! I hope this fuzzy finds you well and fills your heart with warm and fuzzy feelings! I’m still wearing the string from my mentor group web around my wrist and it makes me think of you everyday and miss our wonderful experiences in Tanzania.

You guys were such an amazing group, legendary in everyway! I really appreciated how engaged and involved you all were during activities and how much you really took and absorbed from discussions. You have truly made me so proud as a mentor! When we got your final evaluations back, the orphanage visit ranked the lowest with some real critical thinking comments- and that’s when I knew YOU were my greatest success story! Yes, we went on safari and sang songs with children, enjoyed a dance troop and painted some Batik, we experienced Tanzania and had lots of fun doing it, but we also had some pretty important discussions on issues faced on the “other” side of the world, development issues, cultural issues, environmental issues, things to get passionate about! And while you sat and pretended not to listen to Kate, Laura, and I talk our hearts out on why these issues are important to consider, some of it got threw to you and you’re better human beings for it! You don’t fool me with your “too cool for school” demeanors, dear Sirs and Madams, because when the time came you rose to the occasion, such as with guest speakers, and asked the critical questions. You care, you really do care!

And since returning home you continue to amaze me! Not only because you were such a rockin’ group and we partied down every single day, but also because you continue to show we learned you something. Some of you have started clubs at school, led discussions on “the danger of a single story”, or just told me how I was the best Mentor to ever happen to you. Any action you take, whether it’s campaigning for a cause or just making someone smile, is making the world a better place.

In closing, I miss you. I tried to write you a highlight reel rap to the tune of “Legend” by Drake, but there really aren’t a lot of lyrics in that song. Drake didn’t give me a whole lot to work with, so please turn your radio dials to “Drunk in Love” by my girl Beyoncé and enjoy!

I’ve been drinking, I’ve been drinking
I stay healthy when that water get into me
I’ve been thinking, I’ve been thinking
Why can’t you remember da glasses, Baily?
I want you, na na
To sand the paint up off the wall, baby!
I want you, na na
Elephant, Elephant
Feeling like an animal on Safari with my grill
Can’t wear tights, Can’t wear tights
We got you faded, faded, faded
GLA, I want you, na na
Can’t keep your eyes off my fabric
Jazzy, I want you, na na
Brithday love, We want you

We woke up in Tanzania saying
“How the hell does a cow make that sound?”, oh Lady
Talking Loud, we be all night
Last thing I remember is our
Beautiful mentors telling us to go to bed
Talking loud
We be all night, talk talk
We be all night, laugh laugh

We be all wired, and in the evening all tired
No complaints for my body, all evening chats get fired
Girl, you drinking tea and peanut butter sandwiches
I’m rubbing on it, rub-rubbing
but the peanut butter won’t spread
Boy, I’m thinking, teaching it right
issues in someone else’s life
Women’s groups, female genital cutting, orphanage tourism
Boy, you drinking, soda all the time, leavin’ bottles behind
Then I fill the bucket halfway and shower with my gobelet
Chalkboard, Chalkboard
Graining on that wood, graining, graining on that wood
I’m hammerin a nail, ham, hammerin a nail into a desk
Serving the school, teach, teaching all of this good good
We woke up in Tanzania saying
“How the hell does a cow make that sound?”, oh Lady
Talking Loud, we be all night
Last thing I remember is our
Beautiful mentors telling us to go to bed
Talking loud

We be all night, talk talk
We be all night, laugh laugh

Hold up, hold up
I do say it’s the shit if I do say so myself
If I do say so myself, if I do say so myself

Ok that’s as far as I got- Ese, Alexis, Jazz, I expect you to finish us off.
I miss you all tons and expect you to keep in touch!

OX,
Baked Potato

Letter to You from GLA Staff Member Laura at Arusha

July 1 – July 21, 2015

Hi friends!!

It’s crazy to think that it’s already November. How did time fly by so quickly? It seems like yesterday I was sitting on the second story of Mama Simba’s, listening to the banana leaves in the wind and the sound of music wafting from market day. As we continue to settle back into our normal lives, we can take a second to reflect on the amazing time we shared together in Tanzania. Can you believe that just a few months ago, we were peering at lions and elephants from safari jeeps and trying to spot Kilimanjaro in the clouds? I can still smell Baba Joseph’s cooking from the kitchen and hear the laughter of those wonderful kids at Patandi.

Almost daily, I am asked to describe my summer with all of you. I’ve decided that there’s no one word that could give our summer justice. It was epic, challenging, beautiful, inspiring, and memorable, just to name a few. How do you describe learning dance moves with Godwin and Upendo, market day, and our daily walk to and from school? What words describe the feeling of hiking to waterfalls nestled at the foothills of Kilimanjaro, teaching English to rowdy primary schoolchildren, and counting zebras in Ngorogoro? Every day was different, filled to the brim with smiling faces and new memories. I love the thought that there exists all of you, spread across our big, beautiful world, who share these memories with me and know exactly what our summer in Tengeru was like.

I smile with pride when I think of the amazing work you did this summer. Waking up each morning, untangling ourselves out of those mosquito nets, and heading off to fix broken desks and paint walls under that East African sun took passion, courage, and something special that each one of you brought. It was such an amazing feeling to see those desks and classrooms being used at the end of the session and the summer. You helped make that school an even better learning environment and that’s incredible. Your commitment and ambition left a legacy at Patandi – if the tears shared with your students at the end of the session weren’t already an indicator, you will not be soon forgotten. Thanks for being so consistently passionate in helping Patandi and connecting with your students; I feel grateful to have worked with such inspiring, enthusiastic individuals.

I hope everyone is settling into this school year successfully. Maybe one day we can share some street-side corn on the cob, laughing about all the things that happened in Tengeru. Keep inspiring those around you and hold your memories of Tanzania close, knowing that there’s a big, loving community in Tanzania and around the world that misses you and thinks you’re awesome. Thanks for being so great and hanging out with me this summer. And remember, Mama Simba loves you!

Much love!

Laura

Laura’s Recollections from All Arusha Sessions:

• Baba Joseph’s FOOD. And Baba Joseph.
• All of our awesome local staff. Lodrick, Godwin, Upendo x2, Dada Elly, Isaack and Lulu, Baba, and Mama Simba (of course).
• THE ELEPHANT COW.
• Real elephants also! And lions and zebras and hyenas and wildebeest and giraffes and warthogs and cool birds and dung beetles and a rhino and mongoose and old termite mounds where poisonous snakes possibly live.
• The day with the Maasai at the boma! Epic (read: exhausting, hot, beautiful, hard) walking safari, milking goats, killing goats/hanging underneath the tree with curious ladies, throwing spears!, eating goat, eating other things, dancing, etc.
• Hiking to those awesome Kilimanjaro waterfalls. And running away from biting ants.
• Market day! Corn on the side of the road, cold sodas, Swahili greetings, marriage proposals, and all of the fabric ever. And the seamstress! I hope y’all are rocking your local wardrobe.
• Linjun’s impressive community skills, Elan’s stories, Emily C’s DJ skills, Kylie’s trooper skills, Emma C’s jokes, and Chris’s ridiculous body-over-the-balcony assassin death that scared us all.
• Assassin in general. Screams of terror from the balconies.
• Hoeing in the rain at the orphanage….. and then planting and watering every plot.
• Dance parties and football tournaments at Patandi.
• Chris Brown at 6am, our walks to Patandi and all of the dalla-dallas.
• Photo scavenger hunt! And the ultimate challenge to find the most barbershop signs for extra points.
• Our local river and footbridge. And all of the pik-piks, or motorcycles.
• Banana soup at the women’s group. And catching falling papayas.
• Epic talks about leadership, change, service, and our role in the world. And public health and history and how to be the best we can be.
• My and Kate’s goal to take a selfie with each and every one of you. And succeeding.
• Snuggles with our kittens, Uka and Zawa.
• Power outages!
• Mama Simba. Everything about Mama Simba.

Letter to You from GLA Staff Member Kate at Arusha

July 25 – August 14, 2015

Hello to my fabulous nine!

As the sun starts coming up later and later in Vancouver, it proves that winter is really coming. Time in the Pacific Northwest has had me thinking about my Tanzanian Family often. It’s hard trying to explain to my classmates the impact that you all had this summer on your students and the adventures that we had. (It’s interesting to explain in interviews that my job this summer was work with incredible people as they made a huge difference in a community and go on grand adventures.)

I know that school has started for all of you. (Remember that our older sister started college – Michelle!) I hope that fall is treating you well and that you remember all your time teaching at Patandi when your teachers are talking. Hopefully you have taken your new skills back into your classrooms and communities (anybody taken on any painting projects recently?) Laura and I are curious as always to hear about what you are all up too.

Know that you are spoken of fondly and that Laura and I are trying our best to keep up with Fraha’s rule to talk daily. Mama and the rest of our family are doing well and miss you lots.

All the best,

Kate

P.S. Things that make me chuckle still:

• Chris Brown
• Mama Simba’s full heart hugs and the video of her telling you that you are the best!
• Baba J’s food!
• Cards, cards and more cards
• Richard’s photo bomb face
• Elephant, elephant, yes, yes, yes
• Bad photo slideshows
• Kitten time

Letter to You from GLA Mentor Maria

Hellooooo you wonderful people!

I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy and loving your school year / first college semester / rugby academy (I think that covers it). The month we spent together in Andahuaylillas and beyond flew by, but I know it will remain tangled in my memory tighter than that crazy llama’s dreadlocks. Returning to the U.S. was surreal, wasn’t it? The first message I received when I turned my phone back on was: “Donald Trump is running for president.” Well, well. Welcome back to the good ol’ US of A! I hope reverse culture shock wasn’t too hard on you all, and that you’ve been able to share some of the unforgettable moments from Peru with your family and friends.

And in case you need a refresher, here are some of my favorites:

-Singing by the campfire underneath the Southern stars
-Lugging huge bags of wheat down the mountain, but not nearly as well as the 70-year-old men
-Cold showers
-Learning how to knit, make felt balls, and practice Spanish with the women of Q’ewar
-The beautiful walk along the train tracks
-Jorge’s fables
-Soup. More soup. Here try the soup because IT’S SOUPER DO YOU WANT MORE SOUP
-Music in the plaza
-The splinter from the bridge / saving that entire litter of puppies
-Those intense hills on our bike ride (totally worth it)
-Cooking and playing pickup soccer at Carmen’s house
-Meditation by the river
-The night hike, and let’s definitely just ignore the trail. Who needs the trail?
-Chess in the garden
-You’ll never laugh at a Shaman again

…I could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say, each and every one of you is incredible. I think I can safely speak for all the mentors when I say we were lucky to have met you. Your incredible work ethic, curiosity, compassion for each other, dedication to service, and go-with-the-flow attitudes (what internet café?) surprised and amazed me every single day. And how fortunate were we to have the amazing people of Andahuaylillas share their community with us for an unforgettable month?

So quick update for those of you wondering: We’re coordinating with Julio and Lucy to set up a donations page on the website to raise funds for the school construction. Apparently, fundraising websites aren’t really set up to link to foreign organizations. But the good news: this will drive more people to the actual Q’ewar website. And as you all know, purchasing dolls is even better than donating.

So if you’re all starting to think about Christmas shopping, don’t forget Q’ewar can help check off your list!

Have a wonderful year you guys! I hope one day our paths cross again so we can have a Campfire Choir reunion, play Heads Up, avoid doors with glass windows, chat in fluent Spanish, and chug Inca Kola.

Love,

Maria

Letters to You from Your GLA Staff Members

14-Day Peru Service Programs

So much has happened since the summer! In the weeks and months that followed your departure we managed to not only finish the greenhouse that you started, but also commenced construction and finished a smaller greenhouse for a nearby kindergarten! Of course, we would have never been able to do so without your hard work and dedication. No matter how tedious and physically demanding the work was — and after hours and hours of pick axing and carrying rocks we all know exactly how gruesome the work could be! — you guys would push through and get the job done. Thank you for that! You’re all rockstars!

To quickly bring you up to speed, Clint, Dani and I continue on our lifelong journeys of growth and self-discovery. Clint continues to be a badass (of course) and is currently biking through the massive Uyuni salt flats and beyond to arrive at his final destination, Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, Dani has started a new job in Thessanoliki, adding to her experience in the field of international service learning as she basks in the Mediterranean sun. Finally, I am in the bustling metropolis of Lima, training for my next mountain race and awaiting a trip to New York where I will be assisting my sister with the birth of her first child!

I am sure that you are all super busy with school and extracurricular activities, but I honestly hope that this note makes its way to each and every one of you. You are all amazing individuals, and without trying to sound too cliché, with determination and discipline you can truly achieve anything you set your hearts & minds to. I hope that this summer helped you to grow as individuals and to better understand and develop your goals and passions in life!

Last but not least, it was an absolute pleasure getting to know you! We miss you all, and honestly would have loved to have each and every one of you stick around to witness the end product and help us plant the first vegetables that over the years will grow and thrive and help future generations to fight off malnutrition.

Abrazos,

Bianca

P.S. On a more nostalgic note, here’s a few of our favorite moments from the session:

June 8 – June 21, 2015

1. Aunt Muriel
2. Marvin’s badass soccer skills
3. Rock crew stories of self 🙂
4. Our amazing conga line at our farewell dinner (and THAT’s how you start a movement!)
5. Max’s brilliant pictionary skills — Was he drawing a man meditating? Still not really sure…
6. Felipe’s heartfelt speech at our farewell dinner. This was without a doubt the best speech of the entire season!
7. Carson’s ‘birfday’ & the confetti filled eggs!!
8. How close we got and how we felt comfortable enough to share so many personal and meaningful stories during our fishbowl.
9. Hiking up to Machu Picchu (and Adam subsequently throwing up from the exertion — Sorry, Adam!!)
10. Zumba warm ups with Emily
11. Fasai being a badass and finishing the trek despite everything. This goes for Sharon too!

June 24 – July 7, 2015

1. The rainiest day EVER at Machu Picchu.
2. Word Assassin. Was there ever a winner? Quick, everyone say North Korea!!
3. Tamera’s birthday & the awesome cake that the trekking crew managed to bake at 14,500ft! Ooh, and that crown!!
4. Kayla’s boot falling apart in the middle of the trek and having to bind it together with shoelaces, string, duct tape…
5. Listening to ‘Chasing Cars’ as we watched the stars come out with Veronica in the background.
6. Nathan teaching the kids at the elementary school to play American football 🙂

July 10 – July 23, 2015

1. FEMTalk dance party (with chocolate)! Also, you lovely ladies teaching me how to whip (??)
2. An entire week spent at the MacSalud Clinic — appendicitis, broken fibula, salmonella, sprained wrist… could our luck be any better!?
3. Dancing in front of discotecas during our scavenger hunt. And the glorious ice cream that ensued!
4. Teaching English & theater to the students at the elementary school in Chocco
5. A very, very snowy trek & Annie seeing snow for the first time ever!
6. Tentaciones <3 <3
7. Somehow all miraculously coming together for our farewell dinner!
8. PACHAMAMA!! And Sabine screaming in awe of the majestic, ponytailed singer

July 26 – August 8, 2015

1. Ajit & Geo’s drumming circle
2. Clint saving Kanishk’s life with a well timed heimlich maneuver!
3. Cray being a rockstar and sticking back to help Geo during the hike. We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: THANK YOU CRAY!!
4. Our impromptu The Little Mermaid sing along in Agnes, Geo & Emma’s tent
5. That day we had ceviche AND lomo saltado AND picarones for lunch! So delicious!!
6. Those awful flight cancellations and having more than 50% of the group stay an extra night in Cusco!

August 11 – August 24, 2015

1. Finishing not one but two greenhouses!! You guys are brilliant!
2. Ro eating everyone’s leftover pie! Can’t remember how many pieces he managed to put back. Seven? Either way it was impressive!
3. Meditating on the 5th floor with Milan & Rose (plus Kelsey that one time 🙂 ). Thank you ladies for sharing those moments with me. It was truly wonderful and I hope that you continue to develop your practice of meditation and mindfulness.
4. FEMTalk!! I’m sure BroTime was cool too…
5. Cloe’s layering demo. We should post those pics so that future Peru GLAers understand the importance of many, many, many layers!
6. Hiking to the top of a 15,200ft mountain with Ro, Nick, Daniel, Bishop, Broheme (that’s how I spell it, y’all), Kelsey, Makayla, Clint & Richard. Also, contemplating nature at the summit (me), screaming at the top of our lungs (Kelsey) and nearly taking someone out with an enormous boulder (Makayla).
7. Abba wakeup calls. And Queen. Lots of Queen.
8. Our guide Cesar, and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better… Patrick Swayze <3 <3
9. Clint & I sneaking away to go to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes — Oh wait, did you guys not know about that? Hehe
10. Jesus the cow & his magical beans. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure on this one, but is anyone really?
11. PACHAMAMA!!!
12. Everyone waking at 5am to train with me on the 5th floor. Oh, wait, this didn’t happen. But it should have!

Finally, I wanted to send you a poem written by Spanish poet Antonio Machado. Clint shared this tidbit with me after our beautiful train ride from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo.

Caminante son tus huellas

el camino y nada más;

Caminante, no hay camino,

se hace camino al andar.

Al andar se hace camino,

y al volver la vista atrás

se ve la senda que nunca

se ha de volver a pisar.

Caminante no hay camino

sino estelas en la mar.

Abrazos,

Bianca (Dita)

21-Day Peru Service Programs

June 16 – July 6, 2015
Hey guys! I hope by the time you read this you are still reminiscing on our time in Cusco together. I definitely am, after all there are so many things to remember. We worked diligently for three weeks together and surpassed our goal of putting half the adobe wall into place. You guys laid the foundation of our greenhouse, and we finished just in time with our last group, all thanks to you guys!

My hope for you is that you never forget the work that you did, and the impact that you made on the community of Choquepata. That greenhouse witl directly serve all the sweet children we got to know and loved on during our breaks. All the sweat, lack of oxygen, and pick axing (ALL the pick-axing) was what we needed to turn the greenhouse into reality. Please, never loose sight of how huge that is.

Beyond our service project, we learned together. We learned about the city of Cusco, and we learned about each other. This time was so precious and I am still inspired by your drive and motivation to make a difference in the world.

Thank you all so much!

Mucho amor,

Sara

Memz:

1.     Getting in mud fights at service (sorry Fausto and Cesar…)

2.     Maddie’s shaman “experience”

3.     My awesome mentor group! (S/O Eliza, Hannah, Renee, Chris, Bill, Talia)

4.     Trying to play telephone while passing 50 lb. adobe bricks

5.     Inti Raymi!! So cool…. So stressful

6.     Fireworks in the square

7.     Churros <3

July 10 – July 30, 2015

Hey everyone! I hope you all are still obsessing over every photo you took during your time in Cusco. I’m sure you are all busy and in the rhythm of normal life at home but please, take time to live in those memories, they are memories worth keeping for sure.

The difference you guys made in the community of Choquepata is so real, and I get pumped just thinking about it. We were able to finish the greenhouse with your help. And now it will continue to serve the school and all the children we got to know and love. We left it full of lettuce, onions, cabbage, and all the apple trees we had to transplant with you guys.

My wish for you guys is to remember the work you did, the difference you made, and the lessons you learned while in Cusco. Even more my wish is for those memories to motivate you to continue to learn and to make a difference in the lives of those around you. You guys rock and I am so thankful for our time serving, learning, and having fun together.
Chau Chau,

Sara

Memz:

1.     My super cool mentor group! (S/O Annie, Flor, Regina, Shelby, Spencer, Tomas, Max, Jacob)

2.     Making record time on the Salkantay trek

3.     Seeing more stars than I’ve ever seen at our first campsite

4.     Everyone calling me mom (thanks guys)

5.     Running around Zona X

6.     The amazing yearbook Andy made for the school

August 3 – August 23, 2015

Hola mis amigos! I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy, and still thinking about our time in Peru, because I never want you to forget it! I hope you still consistently reminisce on your pictures and stay in contact with one another.

We accomplished so much together last summer. We FINISHED the greenhouse! It was iffy there for a minute but you guys pulled through and finished the thing. Now it will directly serve the beautiful children we got to know and love. The difference you made in the community of Choquepata is real and it is big. My hope is that you will continue to have the same drive and motivation to make a difference that you had every single day that we were in Choquepata. Our group was small, but man, you guys were the fiercest.

I will never forget the fun we had together and how loving your group was. I am so thankful for our time together! I know you guys will continue to do amazing things.

Mucho amor,

Sara

Memz:

1.     All the group hugs and love <3

2.     A snowy Salkantay wonderland (and snowball fights)

3.     Hiking the stairs to Machu Picchu

4.     All the llama selfies (especially Gigi’s <3)

5.     Linshan’s blog posts

6.     Star wars themed schedule ( and laughing until I cried )

7.     Cake day, and pizza party

8.     FINISHING THE GREENHOUSE (and celebrating with potato ovens and Inca Kola)

Letter to Students from GLA India 2015

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Letters from Your GLA International Director

June 10 – June 30, 2015

Hola to my amazing students from the Guatemala Spanish, Service and Mayan Culture
Program: Alex, Athena, Carmen, Carrington, Emma, Mary, Sarah, Vienna

I can hardly believe that so much time has gone by since we were living and learning together in
our fabulous home base in Quetzaltenango. When I think back on the summer, I can’t help but
smile at all of the wonderful memories we made together. I don’t know about you, but I
personally am missing the fantastic food at our home base. Okay, maybe not you Sarah. In
reflecting on our experience, you should all be so proud of the work you did in the school in
providing a bright and positive environment for the students to learn. Not to mention your
fabulous mural. I know that the kids will be remembering you and your work for many years to
come.

This was my first time working with Global Leadership Adventures so I didn’t quite know what
to expect. In addition to that, this was the first group I would be working with. So that said, I
was a bit nervous. However, the outcome was far beyond anything I think that I could have
expected. What I experienced was working with a very mature, responsible, engaged and all
around wonderful group of students for three weeks. We laughed together, worked together,
lived together and shared together. There was instant connection among the group and it truly
felt like one big family. I really appreciate how you all supported each other throughout the
process.

I hope that this school year is going great and that all of you are staying in touch with each other!
I wish you all the best of luck in your future goals and dreams and look forward to hearing about
all of your amazing accomplishments.

PS, don’t forget to practice your Spanish!

Here are some highlights of our experience together…

● The quotes activity on the last night
● The “bond fire”
● When there were those “interesting” speakers at the school (you know what I’m talking
about)
● When we handed out bracelets to the kids…wow that was crazy
● The beautiful, colorful and intricate mural you created
● Scary movie nights
● Salsa dancing 🙂

-Lisette Rodriguez, International Program Director
July 5 – July 25, 2015

Hola to my amazing students from the Guatemala Spanish, Service and Mayan Culture
Program: Anna, Antonio, Beate, Jen, Mady, Maria, Michael, Sonnet

When I think back on the summer, and all of the memories, I can’t help but smile. I can’t believe
that so much time has gone by since we were living and learning together in our fabulous home
base in Quetzaltenango. I don’t know about you, but I personally am missing the group soccer
games we had in the front yard of the home base. In reflecting on our experience, you should all
be so proud of the work you did in the school. Your service provided a bright and positive
environment for the kids to learn and play…and set off fireworks. I know that the kids will be
remembering you and your work for many years to come. And your incredible mural will be a
constant reminder for them.

From the very start I knew this would be a boisterous, fun and spirited group. And I was most
definitely right! Things were not always easy, but when is that ever the case. In fact, I think that
the challenges ultimately brought you closer together as a group. Throughout the program, I was
consistently and pleasantly surprised with the way that this group challenged and engaged
themselves in the entire process. You asked the big question, tackled the big issues and
challenged each other to grow. I am so proud of all of you and hope that this experience has been
a great one for you!

I hope that this school year is going great and that all of you are staying in touch with each other!

I wish you all the best of luck in your future goals and dreams and look forward to hearing about
all of your amazing accomplishments.

PS, don’t forget to practice your Spanish!

Here are some highlights of our experience together…

● Playing soccer in the front yard of the home base with all of the students and staff…in the
rain
● The card games that were always being played in the living room
● The team building activities that had us laughing so hard we were crying
● The awesome mural that you painted at the school based on the kids drawings
● The incredible despedida event they threw for us at the school

-Lisette Rodriguez, International Program Director