Letter to you from GLA Thailand Staff Member Chelsea

When I think back to summer with GLA Thailand, I think of a lot of awesome teens, wonderful staff, yummy Thai food and super cute elephants! The beautiful sights of Doi Su Tep, the cultural exchange and working at the village school. Oh and passion fruit smoothies! Yummmm passion fruit! Thank you all again for all your hard work and great attitudes last summer. I hope that you will always remember your time in Thailand and that you continue to travel and explore the world. Always remember the passion that you felt for environment, elephants, and culture while you were on this trip and continue to be the change! “How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Here are some of my top favorite memories:

Favorite Memories from June 18 – July 1, 2015 Session

• When the truck got stuck on the way back from the elephant nursery. We had to walk in the pouring rain on the dirt road and everyone was slipping and sliding all over the place.
• Singing songs while planting grass at the elephant nursery. (Which grew a ton over the next few weeks I was there.)
• Singing at the lake while Joon or Chicken played the guitar. And when a lot of you learned the chicken song in Thai.
• When Ash and I had to go into Isabel’s and Flordias room to scare away the bugs.
• Elizabeth being really brave with the stitches
• When a group made a special pancake breakfast on one of the last mornings.
• The cup breaking during the cup song.
• PEACE and CHOW!Favorite Memories from July 5 – July 18, 2015 Session
• Preeda and Joon finding the biggest bug ever to show Jared.
• Thomas conquering the largest elephant Pookahm.
• Thanks for teaching me the slang GT(good time) I use it all the time now.
• What are the odds?
• Making toast on an open fire.
• Baby elephants being playful and chasing people.
• How did Zoe get so many hats?
• Watching people play “Thai/soccer/volleyball” takrah in the rain.
• Afternoon massages!
• Smelling Canadian money. Did it smell like maple?

PEACE and CHOW

Favorite Memories from July 21 – August 3, 2015 Session

• The magnificent talent show. Take a minute to remember Honey, Mai and the Mahoots in face paint and dancing! And the beautiful Thai song that they sang. Lydia and Michelle’s rap. Kat and
• Diana singing the Lumineers. Dancing and dancing.
• Kat’s beautiful voice and singing the Chelsea song!
  Session three being the craziest and muddiest at the mud bath.
• Sierra’s birthday celebration!
• Poor Molly and Georgia getting thrown off the elephant.
• Keirahs awesome rhyming skills.
• Rice planting at the elephant nursery.
• Baby elephants using the cliff as a mud slide! Awwwh.
• Making jungle jewelry on the trek.
• Afternoon massages!
• PEACE and CHOW!

You all rock!

Chelsea

Ben’s Letter for Thailand: Cultural Kaleidoscope to You All at Tianna

One of my fondest memories from GLA was during the last week, of the last program, at the end of a long summer with GLA Thailand. We were on an inter school exchange at a local high school and it’d been a fantastic day so far, we’d finished all of the formalities for the day, giving our international students a chance to socialise with the local students and make there own fun for the afternoon.

After about an hour wandering the school and meeting with staff we were drawn to a large crowd gathered around booming pop music, myself and another GLA staffer late to the game but, I think it was some kind of dance off.
My favourite point was when one of our quieter students on the program not (up until this point at least!) renowned for his dancing, and he just starts to break-it-down and he is AWESOME! The girls in the crowd are going off cheering him on and everybody is in a mix of hysterics and wild applause.

After so much laughter, tears (happy and homesick), and amazing sites, this was special! Rather than snapping pics at Doi Suthep, Zip-lining through the tropical jungle or spending time in the river with Thailand’s revered elephants, for me it’s the moments of human interaction and our ability to find wonder in each other that make life, and GLA amazing!

-Ben

Keith’s Letters to You All at Joy’s House

June 14 – June 27, 2015

Hey guys! To everyone from Session 1 of Thailand: Cultural Kaleidoscope at Joy’s House, we hope you are all doing well! It is a little crazy to realize how many months have passed since we were fortunate enough to spend an incredibly memorable two weeks together in Chiang Mai. This ‘Time Capsule Letter’ is a great way to look back on the people we met, the places we saw, and the experiences we shared. Hopefully all of you are able to think back to your time walking through one of the many temples we visited, or one of the classes you taught at Chumchon Wat Tha Deu School or Anuban Baan Tor Muang Lang School, or the relationships you built with the local community, the Thai school children, and each other, and you are able to smile, laugh, and appreciate what a unique opportunity it was.

As you all know, your group was the first of the summer, and the first experience our entire staff team had with GLA, and we couldn’t have been happier with how great it turned out! We were incredibly fortunate to have such an interesting group of people that supported each other and got along so well. You guys were all awesome and it made the experience so much more rewarding to have been able to share it with so many other great people, and it made our job that much easier. That’s not to say everything was wonderful sunshine and rainbows all day, every day. There were mosquitos (lots of them); there were cold showers; there was Martyna getting bit by a dog; there were upset stomachs and other various illnesses; there were schedule changes and long van rides and nightly curfew checks. But that’s all part of what makes traveling to new countries and experiencing new cultures such a rewarding experience: you never know exactly what you will get. It’s all about making the most of those experiences while you are there, and you guys were all great at that.

GLA programs can be exciting, a little overwhelming, and a whole lot of fun, but one thing GLA hopes to stress is how the experience you have while in Thailand, Costa Rica, Ghana, or wherever else you may travel with GLA can be an opportunity to learn about a new culture, become more informed about how interconnected the world has become, and reflect on ways you can make a positive impact on the world around you. In addition to being an opportunity to travel and learn about what life is like in a different place and culture, a GLA trip can also be a valuable opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself, about your strengths and values, and about what motivates you to be the best person you can be. So as you make your way through your high school classes, or as you settle in to your new surroundings on a college campus, or wherever life takes you this fall, winter, and beyond, remember to think back to your experiences and the relationships you built last summer in Chiang Mai, to cherish them, and to use them as a part of what makes each of you unique. And then go out there and keep being awesome!

Before we wrap this up, here a few of our favorite memories from Session 1:

• All the priceless facial expressions on elephant day (and the 600 pictures that were taken)
• The Epic Muay Thai Fight between Martyna and Aryana
• Davin destroying 3 racks of ribs at DUKE’S (DUUUUUKE’S!!!)
• Splashing around and playing games during the Pool Party
• Merina wearing her mom pants to school
• Dylan’s wonderful way with words
• Emma rocking the cultural exchange
• Tara O’Malley teaching everyone what an “RBF” is
• Being serenaded by the coolest boy band in Chiang Mai
• Dancing the Cha-Cha Slide in the rain at the English camp at Martyna’s school
• SME and Mackie leaving Ryan their pillows, which he happily used for the rest of his time in Thailand
• Lord of the Dance on the final evening, and Kelsey’s surprising and awesome dance moves
• Caylin finally losing “what are the odds” and getting a snail to the face on the last day!

Finally, from all of us that had the pleasure of meeting you guys last summer – P’ Aey, Five, Paa, Dew, Martyna, Ryan, and Keith – Thank you again for being such a great group and we wish you all the best in wherever your future takes you! You are all superstars!!!

Slideshow for this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyhBlRrJg0c

July 1 – July 21, 2015

Hello to Session 2 of Thailand: Cultural Kaleidoscope at Joy’s House!!! We hope you are all doing well! Time has flown by and it has somehow been over three months since we last said our goodbyes at the Chiang Mai airport. While we all eventually made it back to our homes and returned to our normal lives, we will always have the memories from an incredible three weeks together in Chiang Mai. This ‘Time Capsule Letter’ is a great way to look back on the people we met, the places we saw, and the experiences we shared. Hopefully all of you are able to think back to your time walking through one of the many temples we visited, or one of the classes you taught at Wat Kha Jao School, or the relationships you built with the kids from the Nimit Foundation, the local community, the Thai school children, and each other, and you are able to smile, laugh, and appreciate what a unique opportunity you all had.

Your group will always hold a special place in our collective hearts since we were able to spend a full three weeks together. Being thrown into a situation where you spend so much time with a group of people that were mostly strangers before coming together as a group means you learn a lot about the other people on your trip in a very short time. It happens on 10-day trips and 14-day trips, but spending a whopping 21 days together in Thailand in the middle of July is a whole different level. We were incredibly fortunate to have such an interesting group of people that supported each other and got along so well. You guys were all awesome and it made the experience so much more rewarding to have been able to share it with so many other great people. That’s not to say everything was wonderful sunshine and rainbows all day, every day. There were mosquitos (lots of them); there were classes where students didn’t listen; there were upset stomachs and other illnesses; there were was a whole lot of rice; there were literally rainy days; there were schedule changes and long van rides and nightly curfew checks. But that’s all part of what makes traveling to new countries and experiencing new cultures such a rewarding experience: you never know exactly what you will get. It’s all about making the most of those experiences while you are there, and you guys were all great at that.

GLA programs can be exciting, a little overwhelming, and a whole lot of fun, but one thing GLA hopes to stress is how the experience you have while in Thailand, Costa Rica, Ghana, or wherever else you may travel with GLA can be an opportunity to learn about a new culture, become more informed about how interconnected the world has become, and reflect on ways you can make a positive impact on the world around you. In addition to being an opportunity to travel and learn about what life is like in a different place and culture, a GLA trip can also be a valuable opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself, about your strengths and values, and about what motivates you to be the best person you can be. So as you make your way through your high school classes, or as you settle in to your new surroundings on a college campus, or wherever life takes you this fall, winter, and beyond, remember to think back to your experiences and the relationships you built last summer in Chiang Mai, to cherish them, and to use them as a part of what makes each of you unique. And then go out there and keep being awesome!

Before we wrap this up, here are a few of our favorite memories from Session 2:

• Playing Jenga with Miz and Avisya on arrival day
• Van 3 singing Cee Lo (Rot Saam!!!)
• Watching fireworks and drinking root beer floats on the 4^thof July
• Alyssa sharing her Tiger Balm with everyone
• Free-style dancing during dancing classes at the Lanna Cultural Center
• J-Qwellin busting out windows, and “always” being asleep at lights out
• Robert being the only male on the trip, and also being hands down the biggest shopper. It seriously wasn’t even close…. He got like 3 full blankets! How did it all fit in his suitcase?
• Canning eating a hamburger after the entire Duke’s meal and proving Keith wrong. We’re still not sure how it was possible.
• Ghizzmo’s epic playlist
• Keith and Ryan buying and wearing totally awesome and super cool pants. Man, those guys are so cool.
• Camryn’s speech at the cultural exchange
• Hanna shouting “Pi Kan”
• Hannah’s ability to ‘stealth’ photo bomb
• Spotting people with umbrellas, neon clothing, and fanny packs while wandering around Doi Suthep temple
• The 1^st ever GLA Thailand Olympic games Opening Ceremony and walking around Joy’s House
• Team Pringle’s “Official” victory at the Olympics
• Anna’s run in with wasps (yikes…)
• Keith convincing everyone to try durian in the park, and the facial expressions of Hannah and Camryn after eating it
• Jacky’s struggles in the Blind Maze
• Everyone cheering at the soccer match
• Erin and Camryn leading the Chiang Mai FC super soccer fan chants
• Jessie and Alyssa finishing the mountain biking adventure without any injuries and Jes G deciding it was a good idea to hit every puddle possible during the biking

Finally, from all of us that had the pleasure of meeting you guys last summer – P’ Aey, Five, Paa, Dew, Martyna, Ryan, and Keith – Thank you again for being such a great group and we wish you all the best in wherever your future takes you! Keep doing amazing things!!!

Slideshow for this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt8F8063kWY

July 24 – August 6, 2015

A great big hello to Session 3 of Thailand: Cultural Kaleidoscope at Joy’s House, we hope you are all doing well!!! It is a little crazy to realize how quickly time has passed since we were fortunate enough to spend an incredibly memorable two weeks together in Chiang Mai (wait, November? How did we get to November already???). This ‘Time Capsule Letter’ is a great way to look back at the people we met, the places we saw, and the experiences we shared. Hopefully all of you are able to think back to your time walking through one of the many temples we visited, or one of the classes you taught, or the relationships you built with the local community, the Thai school children, and each other, and you are able to smile, laugh, and appreciate what a unique opportunity you all had.

As the third and final group of the summer, we were hoping as a staff team for an energetic group that would keep as going all the way to the finish line, and you guys did not disappoint! We were incredibly fortunate to have such an interesting group of people that supported each other and got along so well. Your group seemed to click from Day 1 and it was amazing to see how the group interacted over the course of the two weeks together. You guys were all awesome and it made the experience so much more rewarding to have been able to share it with so many other great people. That’s not to say everything was wonderful sunshine and rainbows all day, every day. There were mosquitos (lots of them); there were hospital visits (too many of them); there were upset stomachs and other various illnesses; there were early mornings and late nights; there were schedule changes and long van rides and nightly curfew checks. But that’s all part of what makes traveling to new countries and experiencing new cultures such a rewarding experience: you never know exactly what you will get. It’s all about making the most of those experiences while you are there, and you guys made that happen.

GLA programs can be exciting, a little overwhelming, and a whole lot of fun, but one thing GLA hopes to stress is how the experience you have while in Thailand, Costa Rica, Ghana, or wherever else you may travel with GLA can be an opportunity to learn about a new culture, become more informed about how interconnected the world has become, and reflect on ways you can make a positive impact on the world around you. In addition to being an opportunity to travel and learn about what life is like in a different place and culture, a GLA trip can also be a valuable opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself, about your strengths and values, and about what motivates you to be the best person you can be. So as you make your way through your high school classes, or as you settle in to your new surroundings on a college campus, or wherever life takes you this fall, winter, and beyond, remember to think back to your experiences and the relationships you built last summer in Chiang Mai, to cherish them, and to use them as a part of what makes each of you unique. And then go out there and keep being awesome!

Before we wrap this up, here are a few of our favorite memories from Session 3:

• Writing and drawing the schedule on Arrival Day, especially the way everyone saw Ryan and Martyna
• Ryan explaining the use of the bum gun and mosquito repellent
• Meeting KK and learning about Buddhism
• DJ P’ Aey in Van 1 and singing along to all the Disney songs
• Emma singing the cup song with Fah at school
• Bella creating a devoted following at school
• Buerkle and McKayla trying unsuccessfully to trick Ryan at lights out checks
• Learning about Mychaela’s tiny little Canadian town
• Alex realizing her rolex wasn’t real
• “Mom” and “Dad” doing mom and dad things
• Joyce being Joyce, in all her glory
• Karaoke night (especially that stunning duet performance of Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’)
• Becky doing the maze challenge and refusing to raise her hand
• All the nicknames: CMPW, Pickle, Buerkle, Mom, and Dad
• Becky fighting with the Muay Thai coach
• Japanese English language/aerobic lessons: “I have a bad case of diarrhea”; “Spare me my life”; “I want to be more than just friends”; and “Are you serious about anyone?”
• Joyce singing “This is for your beautiful eyes” to random Thai people from the boat

Finally, from all of us that had the pleasure of meeting you guys last summer – P’ Aey, Five, Paa, Dew, Martyna, Ryan, and Keith – Thank you again for being such a great group and we wish you all the best in wherever your future takes you! You are all awesome!!!

Slideshow for this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BL3kfYSk98

Martyna’s Letter to You All at Joy’s House

To my dear amazing friends I met in Chiang Mai this summer

I’m packing now to go for another adrenvure, to travel to another continent. I look at my bags and recall the moment from the beginning of June when I was preparing to go to Thailand. I can’t believe it’s already been a few months since we all said „Goodbye”. I can still smell Thai food and mosquito repelent and taste weird Thai snacks. All those memories came back. I look at our photos and would like to be back in Thailand with all of you.

This last summer was incredible. Thailand, which I new before but re-discovered together with you, thanks to your amazing Thai staff: PA, Five, Dew and Pa. I won’t foget our temple trips, monk chat, ziplining and mentor groups. Maybe thery were not always fun but after all those weeks and month they are still in my head and I can recall thought we shared and what we felt at that time.

I can still see faces of our students and thei smile while we were there. I can’t forget tiers when we said „Goodbye” to them on the last day on the school service. You all should know what impact you made while your ward work in those schools.

Past summer was unforgetable. It impacted all of us. I hope you are ahppy to be back at school with your friends, getting adjusted to that life style. I also hope that this experienced changed you in a way no one ever expected and you will charish those memories and use all you learned to implement in your communities.

All the best to all of you.

Martyna

June 14 – June 27, 2015

Ryan’s Favorite Memories:

Priceless facial expressions on elephant day.
The Epic Muay Thai fight between Martyna and Aryanna.
Davin destroying 3 racks of ribs at DUKES.
Merina wearing her mom pants to school.
Dylans way with words
Emma rocking the cultural exchange
Tara O’malley teaching everyone what a “RBF” is.
Kelseys surprising dance moves during lord of the dance
Caylin finally losing “what are the odds” and getting a snail to the face on the last day!
SME and Mackie leaving Ryan their pillows, which he happily used for the rest of his time in Thailand.
Joelle noticing that Ryan doesn’t have any hair and asking him “are you like…bald?”

Martyna’s Favorite Memories:

July 1 – July 21, 2015

Ryan’s Favorite Memories:

Robert being the only male on the trip, and also being the hands down biggest shopper, it seriously wasn’t even close…. He got like 3 full blankets!
Van 3 singing Cee Lo
Jessy and Alyssa finishing the mountain biking adventure without any injuries and Jess G deciding it was a good idea to hit every puddle possible during the biking.
J-Quellin busting out windows, and “always” being asleep at lights out.
Canning eating a hamburger after the entire Dukes meal and proving Keith wrong. Were still not sure how it was possible.
Ghizzmos epic playlist.
Keith and Ryan buying and wearing totally awesome and super cool pants.
Camryns speech at the cultural exchange.
Watching fireworks and drinking rootbeer floats on the 4^th of July
Team Pringle’s Official victory at the Olympics
Hannah’s ability to stealth photo bomb.
Annas run in with wasps

Martyna’s Favorite Memories:

July 24 – August 6, 2015

Ryan’s Favorite Memories:

Emma singing the cup song with Fah at school.
Meeting KK and learning about Buddhism
Burkel and McKayla trying unsuccessfully to trick Ryan at lights out checks.
Bella creating a devoted following at school
Learning about Mychaelas tiny little Canadian town.
Alex realizing her rolex wasn’t real.
“Mom” and “Dad” doing mom and dad things.
Joyce being Joyce, in all her glory.
Becky doing the maze challenge
All the nicknames, CMPW, Pickle, Burkel, Mom and Dad

Martyna’s Favorite Memories:

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