Time Capsule Letter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

❤️

-Ashley Link
Mentor Session 3
Bali Global Health Initiative

 

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Friday July 19, 2019

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

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

Desireé, International Director

Saturday July 20, 2019

Om Swastyastu!

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

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

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

– Anjana

Sunday July 21, 2019

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

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

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

-by Genesis and Ariana

Monday July 22, 2019

Selamat Pagi Bali!

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

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

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

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

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

– by Tori

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Hello everyone,

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

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

– Petra

Wednesday July 24, 2019

Rahajeng Galungan!

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

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

– Ally and Vincent

Thursday July 25, 2019

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

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

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

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

– Ariana and Iman

Friday July 26, 2019

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

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

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

– by Eliana

Saturday July 27, 2019

Selemat Pagi!

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

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

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

– by Mia and Eloise

Sunday July 28, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

-by Sydney

Monday July 29, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Abbey

Tuesday July 30, 2019

Good morning!

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

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

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

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

– Angelina

Wednesday July 31, 2019

Hello everyone,

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

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

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

– by Kirsten

Thursday August 1, 2019

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

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

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

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

RJ (International Mentor, GLA Bali)

Time Capsule Letter

Days and months had passed but we can still feel the summer breeze, the sunset glow, and the morning tranquility of Bali. Who could have thought that the 14 days of being in a new place, with completely unknown strangers, would end in a very special and memorable experience!

From the green pancakes for breakfast, the tempe and rice for lunch! The burger and pizza that we craved for days, and the freshest smoothies we ever had! I know it’s all food; but wait, who could forget that spicy rice and noodles wrapped up in a banana leaf that we tied in with a fresh coconut water during the herbal walk? I will never forget that.

I will never forget the sunrise boat in Amed, I will never forget the heartwarming heat of the bonfire by the beach. Will never forget the smiles and laughter of the students during our workshops (Sehat or Tidak Sehat?), will never forget the “beep” while getting the blood pressure. Never forget the songs we sing along in the bus rides, never forget the late night talks and face masks sessions. I will never forget that because I will always remember.

I will always remember how good the day was during the White Water Rafting, I will always remember how Robin shared her wisdom and the actual giving birth video she showed us, I will always remember the Futsal.

I will always remember our One Meaningful Goal: share our stories of gratitude and kindness!

And I will always remember how Riptide was our summer song.

And one more thing that I will never forget and will always remember, is that last summer, I was brave enough to travel across the globe and challenge myself to be the positive change that I hope, and I wish, and I pray, to see in this world.

Written by RJ, Mentor (GLA Bali, GHI)

P.S. When you get to read this, please send a message to your friends from this program, and tell them that: “I remember, and will never forget.”

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Tuesday July 2, 2019

Om Swastyastu!

It was a long journey to Bali for us, but we have landed safe and sound. As we waited for some flights to land and change some money we were finally headed to our homebase in beautiful Bali.

We couldn’t contain our excitement, seeing the busy roads and beautiful architecture on our drive home!

As we arrived we were welcomed with sweet coconuts and a flower in our ear. We tasted our first Balinese meal of rice, tempe, chicken and veggies!

After a quick rundown of homebase rules we settled in for the night, washing of the long day and ready to put our head to the pillow! Although some students are still in route we are excited to be complete and to begin exploring and learning.

Salamat Malam

Desiree Lopez
International Director

*not pictured: Anna Kay Knowles, Lauren Kitner ,Audrey Binns and Madison Mede

Tuesday July 2, 2019 Part 2!

We are finally complete getting our morning started with the group!

Wednesday July 3, 2019

After some late arrivals last night, everyone woke up a little jet lagged for breakfast but excited for our first day in Bali. We ate breakfast and began orientations. We were given a presentation about the local customs and beliefs including the culture surrounding entering temples. Did you know it’s against the Balinese beliefs to enter a temple while you are menstruating?

After lunch, we separated into our mentor groups and talked about our purpose in Bali and motives for choosing GLA. We also succeeded in passing two small loops around our circle while holding hands with minimal frustration. Wahyu and Beni, our local directors taught us some basic language to use in Bali, extending our Bahasa past the one number we memorized for headcount.

In the afternoon we had an amazing race competition around the community. We met many different local people who were friendly enough to open up their homes to us. It was so sweet how kind they were. Many of the locals were super enthusiastic about talking to us about their culture. We did many things in the race such as finding coconuts, and durian. It helped us get to know the Balinese culture a lot better. Along with that we also picked up trash along the way while we were exploring the town. Beni was the judge of the race.

Group 4 (my group) ended up winning. For dinner we had some delicious food which consisted of rice, Tempe, noodles, chicken and many more. All of us were very hungry and the food was really good. After dinner we chilled and had an evening activity where we had a role pay debate between the government and Pharmaceutical Company which sell malaria drugs for expensive prices. That was an interesting experience to see what we would do if we were the leaders of these powerful groups of people. After a very exhausting night, most of us head to bed at 8:30.

Selamat Tidur!

– Audrey and Cher

Thursday July 4, 2019

We started off the day a little earlier than yesterday for our morning activity, the Herbal Walk. This consisted of two groups hiking along multiple rice paddy fields. This experience made me realize how blessed and thankful I am to be on this trip. I learned about the different plants that the indigenous Balinese people use for medicinal purposes. Thankfully I was able to buy a couple of souvenirs for me and my friends. My favorite memory was participating in the traditional water purification ritual/prayer. Not only was I able to experience a glimpse of their religious practices but it was also enlightening. I felt peaceful and calm as I was following the steps. This was a day I would never change for anything in the world.

And then in the afternoon, we had the amazing experience to meet some of the local University students who study medicine here in Bali. They did not speak much English, so the language gap was somewhat of a hard barrier to overcome. We divided into groups each with 2 university students. They attempted to teach us how to take blood pressure, which was very hard to do! They were all very sweet and were as helpful as they could be with the lack of communication between us and the students. I can hopefully speak for the rest of the students on this GLA trip in saying I am very excited to see what the rest of this week of service with the medical students!

– Madison and Tori

Friday July 5, 2019

A few of us started the day by going on an early jog with Beni, our Local Director. After a delicious breakfast (Nasi Goreng and eggs!) we started off the day with going to the Banjar workshops. We tried many of the things that the locals here do; like making offerings, masks painting, and performing dances and music. Making the offerings were a lot harder than we expected them to be. The boys really enjoyed the Legong dance practice and put on a great show for the rest of us.

We headed back to the home base for lunch and awaited the arrival of the Med Students! In our groups we went door to door in the communities taking their vitals such as blood pressure, blood glucose, height and weight along with asking them simple questions about their health. We also brought soap and used our newly learned Bahasa to teach the children how to wash their hands properly. Exhausted, we finished dinner and our night activity, succeeding in flipping yoga mats over while standing on them without our hands. Teamwork!

– Audrey and Cher

Saturday July 6, 2019

Now that we’ve reached day 5 of our adventure, we are starting to get into the rhythm of things. The day began with Beni’s Running Team taking on the streets of Mas for a 5k, while the others went for a Photo Walk with RJ. After that, the group gathered for breakfast before heading to laughing yoga. The yoga leader taught us exercises on how to laugh and what that kind of laughter would do for us. It was a bit awkward at first, but being surrounded by friends, that quickly melted away. The “Happy Bali” dances were super fun and really got the energy of the group going.

When we got back to the Kaya House, we had lunch and then took a trip to the convenience store to get some snacks. It was fun to see the different snacks they have here in Bali. After our morning of fun and culture, it was time for our service. We walked through the streets of Ubud, going door to door and doing health checks for the people that lived there. The things we were doing seemed small— measuring height and weight, taking blood pressure, and teaching kids to wash their hands, but hopefully it meant more to the people living here. Along with the good feelings we got from the medical service we were doing, it was amazing to be able to engage with the Balinese locals. They were all so welcoming and kind and it was really touching to be able to help them.

After our time doing service, we cleaned up for dinner with the Prince of Peliatan at his palace. The palace was beautiful and it was really interesting learning about the meaning of its intricacies. The prince was very kind, relatable, and wise. He was not quite what we expected, he was very down to Earth, even though he was royalty. After our dinner and conversation with him, we watched a show that includes traditional music and Legong dancing. It was yet another exhibition of Bali’s very rich and intricate culture. After a long day, we are all very ready to get to bed and rest up for another great day tomorrow.

-by Lauren and Kate

Sunday July 7, 2019

Today we had a bit of a later wake up, which was really nice because everyone felt a lot more recharged. Right after breakfast we headed off to a facility for people with disabilities. We were welcomed with a flower in our hair and contagious smiles. We joined them in performing a traditional Balinese song by beating on drums. At first it was hard to follow, but then we got into the rhythm and had so much fun. We had a delicious meal and drank refreshing mango smoothies! Plus we bought really nice homemade bracelets that will help the foundation gather some funds for their projects.

We came back to home base to prepare for our last day of home visits. The last round of home visits went amazing because everybody was now comfortable with the tasks, especially taking the blood pressure. We came back for dinner and prepared for the first day of children’s workshops tomorrow. We are excited but a little nervous to begin our first presentations!

– Kamryn and Olivia

Monday July 8, 2019

On our 7th day of our Bali health initiative GLA trip, we experienced a new way of healing by visiting a traditional Balinese shaman. Each of us had the privilege to sit with thee shaman separately for a reading. And to learn more about ourselves through his abilities. We talked about our health and personal life. Here in Bali not many people go to doctors and use shaman as their main form of healing. It gave us the opportunity to see a part of Balinese culture that we don’t get to regularly experience.

For lunch we also got our fill of food that we were homesick for, which included spaghetti and French fries. There were a lot of happy faces at lunch today.

For the second part of our day we had our first service with children education workshops. We got to meet with a range of ages from local schools and help to educate them on general hygiene and health habits. Although there was a language barrier we got to work together with the children and everyone here in the program to solve the problem and end up having a lot of fun with the children.

Service for the last 4 days have been super eye-opening!

– Abbey and Emma V.

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Today we sat through a long car ride to finally reach our weekend getaway. After a long 8 days of service and cultural immersion in the depth of Ubud. Seeing other bits of Bali on the way to Amed was such a nice experience, and it was fun to bond with new friends in the bus ride to our final destination.

On the way to Amed we stopped at a Water Palace, that has an amazing scenery! After the lunch we sat in the bus for another hour to finally reach Amed, where the beach was beautiful and the hotel was different to the first one. The ride and the time spent to get was well worth it because the outcome turned out to be great.

Once we got to good “Good Karma Resort” we had time to settle in the beachside bungalows. After settling we gathered together since it was time for our swimming test. The swimming test took place in the great pool by the beach and luckily everyone passed the swimming test.

Since everyone passed the test we could freely swim in the pool or ocean but of course under supervision. While most people went swimming other were just relaxing by the beach, tanning or just enjoying the breeze.

Around 6pm it was time for dinner but after that we had our night activity. During our night activity we were tested on our knowledge on music with a fun game hosted by one of our mentors. By the time we were done and got in our mentor groups to have a recap on the day it was the end of the day.

– Seif and Ali

Wednesday July 10, 2019

To start off the morning, we woke up at 4:30 and had to leave on boats at 5:30. It was 3 people in each boat and we sailed out to sea in which we watched the sunrise. When it was bright out we went toward a Japanese shipwreck where we went out of our boats with flippers, scuba mask, and a personal floatation device and we got to see the shipwreck up close. After 30 or so minutes we went back to the beach to have breakfast. After that was free time which most people went ahead and got a massage.

After that was lunch then we hiked up a hill to a place where a German woman makes eco bricks. We, as a group, then went ahead and made our own eco bricks with the plastic we collected. After which we learned would be used to build walls. After that would be our free time which most people sun bathed on the beach. We then had dinner and then an evening activity which involved all of us to sit around a bonfire on the beach and sing songs and tell stories.

– by Nathan

Thursday July 11, 2019

This morning we left the beautiful beaches of Amed and made our way back to our home base in Ubud. We all really enjoyed our time at the water and the gorgeous rooms we were staying at, but it was time to get back to work and continue our service. Upon our arrival in Ubud we had lunch then all of us went up to our rooms and settled back in.

We came back down and started the preparation for our upcoming two days of service at the school. We all worked very hard and managed to finish both of our presentations for the kids at the school. Dinner followed right after. For our daily night activity the staff took us to play a competitive but extremely fun game of football/soccer, called “Futsal,” which we all enjoyed immensely. We were all extremely drained after tho and went straight to bed!

– by Yehya

Friday July 12, 2019

To start off the eleventh day of our amazing GLA trip we ventured off to explore a natural birthing clinic here in Ubud called Bumi Sehat International. During our time there we were able to observe their complex which consisted of many healing centers including a general clinic, an acupuncture and massage wing and a birthing center. We learned from our tour guide that this non profit organization treats the rich and poor equally: giving every mother a room to stay in, clothes for the baby, blankets, natural creams for the babies skin, and ample time to recover.

We then spoke with Robin, the founder of this NGO, and gained some perspective on the concept of midwifery and the benefits of natural childbirth. She also discussed the effects of climate change and the importance of preparedness for natural disasters to occur at any time. To relate the two ideas she also shared with us pictures and stories from her personal experiences in delivering babies during the devastating events.

After visiting Bumi Sehat and eating lunch, we continued with our second day of Health related teaching lessons at our elementary schools. The teaching is definitely a challenge at times due to the significant language barrier between us, however our wonderful local staff never fails to assist us in translations. The kids really enjoy our interactive lessons and activities regarding personal hygiene and basic healthy living.

We also encourage the students to practice their English skills in a supportive environment and have fun learning. It’s amazing to see how we able to apply our new communication skills that we have acquired during our time in Bali. It is truly a privilege to help educate the next generation and to see their eagerness to learn about prevalent health issues and how to solve them.

After walking back to home base and eating dinner, we met with our mentor groups and completed a teamwork activity. As our GLA experience is coming to a close, we reflected on long term goals as individuals and groups. As a group we decided that our O.M.G (one meaningful goal) was in short; sharing lessons and experiences of gratitude and kindness and continuing to seek knowledge and grow as people. Following our action packed day, we headed to bed looking forward to our exciting adventures in the days to come.

– Annah and Zoe

Saturday July 13, 2019

After 12 days, our service trips, consisting of home visits and children education workshops, comes to an end. This morning we woke up at 6am to prepare for white water rafting. As we drove through the narrow streets of Ubud to get to our destination, some of us were excited while others were terrified. We had a stopover at a local cafe that sold the famous Luwak Coffee, and had an amazing experience at the Bali Swing! When we finally reached our stop for the rafting adventure, both mentors and students split up into groups of four and started the journey down the river. Although the ride down the river was bumpy, we got to enjoy the beautiful scenery that Bali had to offer. We saw several towering palm trees, cascades, and waterfalls. At the end of our journey, we enjoyed a delicious buffet-style lunch next to the river.

After lunch, we drove back to home-base and quickly prepared for our last day of service teaching students about the importance of hygiene, nutrition, and physical activity. Although our last service day was bittersweet, it was rewarding to see the impact we made on all of the students this past week.

In the evening, a local NGO, the Fair Future Foundation, gave us a presentation about the free healthcare service they provide to Balinese people who cannot afford or access it. They treated us to an amazing dinner and informed us that the money from each meal allows the NGO to provide medical care to two Balinese locals. After, we enjoyed dessert at a local gelato store and headed home.

– Haidinh

Sunday July 14, 2019

The last full day! It started full of happiness and excitement. Early in the morning, we set off to Legian Beach where we all had an amazing surf lesson. Soon after, we headed shopping and all bought great gifts for our loved ones. As we got back to our home base and started our closing activity there were many emotions.

Everyone was highly grateful for this experience yet so sad to leave all of the wonderful people we have been so lucky to have met. The night ended with the family saying bye to Yayo, Ali and Seif as they were the first ones to leave at midnight.

– Anna

Monday July 15, 2019

Our last day in Bali, a group woke up before the sun to say goodbye to Cher who had an early departure to China. After going back to sleep everyone woke up for our last early morning breakfast of rice and eggs. Before our flights, we all decided to go on a snack run to stock up for the long journey home. We rested up, packed, and ate Balinese pasta for lunch.

We headed to the airport, saying our last goodbyes. There are tears shed, but we all know this experience will never leave us and our paths will cross somewhere down the line. We are all so excited to reunite with friends and family and share our experiences!

– Emma C.

Here is a video of the last 14 days –  prepared by Mentor RJ 🙂

Bali GHI 14-day session 2 video

Time Capsule Letter

We can’t believe it’s been so long since our Bali trip ended. You’re probably back in school (or starting college!) but we wanted you to know that here in Bali we are still thinking of you and the impact we made this summer together.

Another thing I can’t forget is how much fun we had together here! You guys were a huge part of making this trip so fun. We experienced Bali culture by learning to dance & to make traditional Masks. We also got to visit a local healer and learn about the different health aspects of Bali. We also explored the community on our Amazing Race and see the beautiful community we lived in.

We worked really heard on our Bahasa so the kids would understand us and although not easy helped to collect data so the community can begin to get more access to health services!

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

Thanks for helping to make these special memories in an amazing place!

Special Moments on our trip:

• That was like Zumba on Steroids- Laughing Yoga Sesh
• ‘Planter’….no I said ‘Toaster’
• Lots of bracelet making
• Karaoke
• Harold

Miss you all!!!

-Desiree and the GHI staff

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Sunday June 16, 2019

Om Swastiastu!

It has been a long journey to get to our new home for the next 2 weeks in Bali. After arriving to our homebase, we received some refreshing coconuts and Balinese food. Tomorrow begins our amazing adventure and we can’t wait to share it with everyone! We aren’t quite complete as a group yet due to some late arrivals but, we are so excited, we don’t know how we will be able to sleep!

*Isha and Lilly B. not pictured

-Desiree, International Director

Monday June 17, 2019

Twenty-two girls, all jet-lagged to no end, got to wake up in the lively and goregous village of Mas today! Lily and Isha, who arrived late last night, made us complete!

The Kaya Cultural House outlooks the original skyline of the city. We started the day with a semi-early breakfast, which everyone was extremely excited about. The meal included Pandan pancakes and fresh fruit, which was all delicious. After breakfast we were ushered to the floor of our community room/dining hall. There, the generous staff, who we already adore, gave us a detailed presentation on the culture, expectations, and geography of Bali! The information was super helpful and gave us a wider look at the country we are visiting.

Along with the presentation the local staff taught us how to wear a Sarong and Sash. They also taught about specifics surrounding their religion and beliefs. The super kind-hearted Jro Mangku Tri, the owner of the Kaya Cultural House, went into detail about their local religious practices. We even got to witness her meditation ritual! After the orientation we were served a lovely traditional lunch that contained rice noodles and curry.

When we had digested our delicious meals, we broke off into two seperate groups called Mentor Groups. Inside these groups we played games and learned more about the intricate language from one of the local staff members.

With our new language skills in tow we were sent on to an extensive scavenger hunt around the village! We spilt into four groups and were tasked with items like; picking a coconut from a tree, finding Traditional Balinese art, asking questioms about the family compounds with a typical household, and 20 more vigorous things. The group that won was lucky enough to find a local teacher that spoke really good english. Lucky ducks:)

The groups had the opportunity to interact with the locals in-depth, and even got to play with some children! When we got home, the dinner was delicious! It was rice and chicken kabobs, with cucumbers, and coconuts. Again with our bellies full, we split back off into our mentor groups and had a lovely nightime bonding activity before we all tirelessly jumped into bed. It was a memorable first day 🙂

-by Tana (Sophia)

Tuesday June 18, 2019

We started the day very excited and optimistic! We ate breakfast bright and early at 6AM, and then boarded the buses for an early morning herbal walk through the rice paddies.

On the walk, we saw the farmers tending their crops and tasted different types of traditional Eastern herbs. Our guide explained each herb’s purpose. We stopped for some fresh coconut and tasted local herbal tea. Learning about the natural remedies was super interesting and was very different from Western medicine. We then visited a traditional Balinese temple and learned how to pray and meditate using offerings and holy water.

After this, we drove to a volcano on the north side of the island. We had lunch overlooking the view, which was stunning. We’re beginning our prep for our presentations at local Balinese schools tomorrow. We can’t wait to teach the children about hygiene, nutrition, and exercise; we’re super excited for what’s to come!!

Emmy and Elle

Wednesday June 19, 2019

Today we went to the Banjar (a Balinese community centre) for a workshop! We got to do cool stations like making offerings, mask painting, Legong dancing, and playing traditional Balinese instruments.

After that, we came back to our home base for a delicious lunch. Then we headed to service to teach children about hygiene, exercise, and nutrition. We had some challenges with the language barrier but we were able to overcome them with hand gestures and drawings.

We came back to the home base after to prepare our lessons for tomorrow and eat dinner. We had a very fun day here in Bali and can’t wait for more fun tomorrow!

– Lily B.

Thursday June 20, 2019

Today we woke up early to finish our lesson plans before our busy day. We attended a laughing yoga class that was very different than anything we’ve ever seen before. The instructors incorporated dancing and laughing all into a form of relaxing yoga.

Then we went to service and taught the kids about exercise, nutrition, and hygiene. It’s challenging to come up with lesson plans because of the language barrier, but once they understand it is very fulfilling.

We ended the day by meeting the Prince and taking a tour at the Royal Palace, Puri Agung Peliatan. He fed us at his restaurant where we ate nasi (rice), chicken, and fruit. After the restaurant, we watched a traditional Balinese dance wherein the performers used their fingers in a very complicated way that was very cool to see.

-Emily and Marissa

Friday June 21, 2019

Today we woke up and got ready for another wonderful day in Bali. We had stuffed jam toast with fruit and hot tea. Then we got ready to leave to visit the NGO Site which was a disability foundation. It provides a home for people with disabilities who would normally be segregated due to the belief system in Bali. We took a tour of the site, played music with the residents, and had lunch.

Then we drove home and finished prepping for our final day of volunteering at local schools. Overall our last day was definitely our best day! We all felt like we made genuine connections with the kids. After that we went to buy snacks from a local supermarket and then had dinner. Finally we had activity time and small mentor group sessions. Also we packed day bags for our trip to Amed tomorrow!

-Ella and Rose

Saturday June 22, 2019

We woke up early and drove 2 and a half hours to Amed today. We saw rice paddies, beautiful blue water, and spider boats. When we arrived, we arrived to bungalows and a black sand beach.

Everything open, including beds outside and a hammock. No air conditioning but we weren’t complaining because of how cool the setup was, one of the features being a bathroom outside. We had free time to swim in the ocean, lay on the beach, and swim in the infinity pool. For lunch we ate a chicken and egg dish with rice and for dinner we ate chicken salad. While staying at the Good Karma Bungalows we are free to order our own food, also drinks so we’re filling up on papaya, watermelon, pineapple, and mixed fruit smoothies.

With the night coming to a close and 10:00 PM approaching, we hung out on the porch of our bungalows… lounging on the beds, chairs and hammock.

-by Emma R. & Jenna L.

Sunday June 23, 2019

Today we all woke up bright and early to watch the beautiful sunrise over the ocean. We then continued to snorkel over a reef which was absolutely amazing. For the rest of the morning the 22 of us enjoyed free time to relax by the water and swim. Lunch was at noon which consisted of chicken curry and rice.

After lunch we hiked up to meet a women that informed us of how to make Ecobricks and when they are used in Bali. It is a beneficial way of getting rid of plastic garbage. Once we returned it was time to relax for a while again.

As the sun set, some of us hiked a small mountain to watch the beautiful orange and pink sky. Dinner was served soon after which made many of us ecstatic. Finally some French fries and a chicken burger! Followed by the bonfire activity and some much needed sleep.

– Grace and Lily C

Monday June 24, 2019

Today we spent our last morning in Amed and drove back to home base for 2.5 hours. Once back, we all unpacked and got our laundry together.

In the afternoon, we listened to a presentation about the Public Health in Indonesia, in comparison also to the health statistics in the US. It helped us gain additional insight on what’s the health and medical situation here in Bali. Then we met some medical students and guest lecturers who prepared us for our service for the next three days with training exercises for taking height, weight, blood pressure/sugar, and heart rate.

-by Lily M. and Madison

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Our 10th day in Bali started off with a great breakfast of toast and jam, eggs, and fresh watermelon. We then prepared ourselves for a small trek in town to see the traditional healer. There we gained insight on Balinese medical practices. After spending time with the healer we made our way back to Kaya House for lunch. Lunch was fried chicken and fries, yummmmm!

Right after lunch we had a small break before we met up with the med students for home visits. During home visits we learned how to take blood pressure, measure glucose levels, and record the height and weight of everyone in the family. After a long day of service we came back to home base, went for a very needed snack run, had dinner, and did evening activity with our mentor groups. The End.

-Gabriele G. And Mackenzie

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Today we went to a natural birth clinic. It was a lot of fun! We learned all about the great foundation and how beneficial it is to the locals. It’s a non profit clinic that not only helps mothers but other locals too. A GLA student who now works there had an inspirational speech.

In the afternoon, we started our Home Visits, assisting the Medical Student Volunteers on checking the blood pressure, recording the height and weight, and doing the medical surveys. Then by dinner, we went to a restaurant that was founded by Fair Future Foundation. We learned about their work and their impact on the community. After dinner for dessert we got gelato and crepes! It was so good.

-by Isha and Amara

Thursday June 27, 2019

After an early 6am breakfast, all of us hopped in our assigned buses and drove to Legian Beach, Kuta. We started with some surfing near the coastline, listening to the instructors and trying our best NOT to belly flop off the surf board. After, we continued our beach day with some shopping in the city, accompanied by our mentors. They willingly followed anywhere we went to buy clothes, jewelry, bracelets, and some cool-looking items. When we made our way back to the beach for lunch, we enjoyed some spicy chicken and rice. When we finished, we all loaded back into the buses and made our way back to the Kaya House.

We started to work on inputting data from our medical examinations into a computer. Since we had some free time, we all started making our own friendship bracelets and giving each other braids in our hair. Then, Beni had his own evening activity. Hmmmmm mysterious. Once again we all loaded into the buses and made our way into Denpasar to a karaoke place called “Happy Puppy”. All of us were loaded into a room and we sat on the couches provided. Then the music started. We all shot up and started screaming our heads off to different songs. Throwbacks, rap, pop, country, the works. We ended with, of course, Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus.

We left in our buses again and headed back to the house. We all went to our rooms, got ready for bed, and instantly fell asleep when our heads hit the pillows. Now, onto another day.

-by Brooke and Sophia B.

Friday June 28, 2019

Om Swastyastu!

I am both sad and happy to report our final day on the GLA Bali Global Health Initiative Trip. We started our day with Lilo and Mami’s infamous stuffed magic toast, than at the crack of dawn (7 AM, but it felt really early lol) we loaded the buses to go on our water rafting adventure. Our mentors surprised us with a herbal walk/amazing Balinese coffee shop stop in the middle of the jungle (the coconut coffee was the best hands down). I know more than a few of us would say that we saw the most beautiful place on earth today, in the middle of the jungle, on a slightly sketchy rope swing;)

After that we once again loaded the buses for the rafting trip! We rafted 14 kilometers of sketchy-fast-hard-core-adventure-rapids and took pictures next to these amazingly gorgeous waterfalls (we also had a relatively intense water-raft-race). When the 2 1/2 hour rafting adventure ended we climbed what seemed like a mile of stairs up the mountain to drop off our rafting gear, and eat a buffet-style lunch! After that we loaded the buses and headed back to Umud for our final day of service.

We were very tired, but our last day of service was definitely our best! Everybody had their methods down and were a lot more efficient with the medical home visits. After service we all gave thanks to the medical students and exchanged Instagrams! When the medical students left, we all had to take turns entering the medical data we collected. As GLA members entered data, everybody else either packed or made bracelets (: Later on in the day, we all started getting ready for dinner and were surprised and shocked and thrilled to see PIZZa!!

We all got half a slice, and I know personally it was the best pizza I ever had! Finally to end the day we had our evening/closing activity for the trip. Our mentor, RJ made this amazing video of our entire trip and let’s just say more than a few tears were shed… We ended our perfect day with a closing ceremony (Our local director Beni explained the importance of these ceremonies to Balinese culture at the beginning of the trip; it’s also important to note we started the trip with a ceremony, and ended it with a ceremony.)

We then said goodbye to our first member leaving. (Emmy we all love you and miss you so much already!) Describing this trip as Incredible, would be the understatement of the year (I just cannot think of a better word to describe how all of us feel). This was the experience and opportunity of a lifetime, and none of us wasted it. Many of us are going to go home with a different outlook on our life and community. We wouldn’t have wanted this trip any differently and we thank you; Desiree, Beni, RJ, Ning, Wahyu, and all other GLA staff and mentors, for giving us this opportunity. Live, Love, and laugh always; Bali Global Health Initiative, 2019 June session, closing out (:

-by Lillian G.

Saturday June 29, 2019

Today marked the last day of the 14-day GHI program for these 22 amazing leaders who travelled from the west to the east: to serve, to discover a new culture, and to learn more about themselves as future ambassadors of positive change!

The day went so fast as the ladies bid farewells to each other, giving each other one final hug before departing on their flights. It just has been 14 days, but the bond they made was as strong as a sisterhood; surpassing cultural and personal challenges that came along the days of their service here in Bali.

As a mentor, I am very proud to see how they developed as an individual, and managed to create a harmonious relationship as a group while living together in a faraway place— outside their comfort zones. They have been genuinely supportive of each other, and very enthusiastic when it comes to the health service programs, consistently wearing a smile on their faces and radiating positivity to every local Balinese they met.

In behalf of the GLA Team here in Bali, we wish each one of you a great and amazing life ahead, may you indeed, be the change that this world needs!

RJ (International Mentor)

Sunday June 30, 2019

Hello GLA Bali families!

International Mentor RJ prepared an awesome video of the program to share with you all! Click the link below to watch the video 🙂

Bali GHI 14-day session 1 video

Thursday August 8, 2019

Today was day five of our stay in Guatemala. It started out with an amazing French toast breakfast at our home base (which really has started to feel like a home). After that we hopped in the GLA vans for a short ride to the school of our service site. This is the third day of applying plaster to the walls of two classrooms.

The entire group has gotten so much better at mixing paste and slathering it evenly on the walls. When we were done plastering for the day we washed out our buckets and spatulas in the pila. A pila is a Guatemalan washing station used to clean items such as clothes and kitchen tools. Pilas are usually placed in a center gathering point for the community, in this case the courtyard of the school. When taking turns washing our utensils we had the opportunity to talk and play with the students. Even though we have only been at the school for a short while, the students run up to us for hugs and remember our names.

After service we hopped in the GLA vans for a two hour journey to ChiChi. While this bus ride was a little long, it was a great opportunity to look out the window and experience more of the Guatemalan country side. We also used the time to speak with our amazing GLA leader, Brian, about his experiences living in Guatemala. Upon arriving in ChiChi we ate in an beautiful hotel with fountains and live parrots. After enjoying our delicious meal and snapping a few cute pictures we headed out into the markets.

The streets were filled with beautiful colorful objects and intricately woven cloth. After bargaining and purchasing, my group headed back to the hotel with our new scrunchies, sweaters, hammocks and more. We then hopped back into the GLA vans where I took a much needed nap! Back at the home base we had down time. The group played cards, ate dinner, and prepared questions for our next speaker. We tossed around a football outside and played with the cuddly house cat Pricesa. At 10 it was lights out and we all hopped in our beds to prepare for the next day.

By Elena

Friday August 9, 2019

Hello, my name is Ryan and I guess it’s my turn to write a blog. I’m seventeen, going to be a senior in high school, and am really here in Guatemala because I wanted to travel outside of the US but didn’t want to have to be in charge of finding things to do. For me, those things that were planned have been thoroughly more enjoyable than anything I could’ve come up with reading a tourist guide to Guatemala.

There was the best (and only) salsa class I’ve been to, and even though I was a very below average student, that experience means at my next school dance I can’t justify standing and/or shuffling around with the time old excuse: “oh, uh I don’t know how to dance.” While the big, planned events have for sure helped make this trip so far, they make up probably only half of the good times I’ve had on this trip.

The other half is random, smaller moments, like when the road to ancient Mayan and Olmec ruins (Ruinas Abaj Takalik) was closed because of construction. Loitering around under the hot sun with dwindling water supplies sounds like the stuff of vacation nightmares, but for me the wait wasn’t all that bad because of the game of conquian (an ancestor of rummy) started by our two drivers and GLA local director.

The opened trunk of our van provided the shade, and the raised bed of the trunk provided the table. I started by watching, and then was invited to play. I didn’t know the rules, and could only communicate through translated bits of conversation, but learning (and losing every game) helped pass the time. Going forward for the rest of the trip, I look forward to more of both the big and small moments.

Saturday August 10, 2019

he students of Hopkins Guatemala 2019 had a jam-packed day. A delicious selection of fried eggs, bean paste, plantains, and assorted pastries were served to accommodate the hungry students. Immediately after, the students made their ways into the van for hour long ride to a zip lining place. With a harness and helmet equipped, everyone experienced great height, speed, and gorgeous views as they passed by the Guatemalan jungle. After arriving back to home base with new experiences formed, the students had some time to relax before they were headed off to the next objective of the day.

The students arrived to the same school they had previously worked on the previous four days. Without the vivacious crowd of kids, the place seemed lonely, but the students worked hard to paint the walls of two classrooms for the same kids to enjoy. As we left, all the students could not help but ponder and think about the experiences and friendships formed. Around an hour after they came back to home base, the students had a speaker, an ex-soldier of the Guatemalan army during the Guatemalan Civil War, come over.

Together with previously formed questions, the students along with the speak had a well formulated conversation. Along with a new guest, the students ended their day off with a nice dinner of Guatemalan tacos. After dinner, everyone shuffled off to do their own nighttime activities.

-by Matthew Cotaj

Sunday August 11, 2019

Starting off the day, our group began with a delicious breakfast comprising of pancakes. Soon after we finished, we moved on to the hike of a dormant (the area is called Chicabal) volcano’s crater, which had a beautiful lagoon in it. Around this lagoon, Mayan rituals were being performed, allowing us to witness their cultural ceremonies.

After, we headed back to home base to have our lunch of spaghetti with meat sauce. We then made a quick stop at the local Burger King to pick up shakes and fries, and our group later left to visit the town of Momostenago. While traveling, we took a pit stop at a weaving workshop, where we saw the weaving process and bought a couple of “garments”. We later started to pack our suitcases, for it was our final day at home base. Lastly, we had our banana leaf wrapped dinner and were left to relax and absorb the day’s activities.

– by Andrew Cotaj

Today we had banana pancakes for breakfast that were delicious before piling into the vans. We drove to Chicabal with our new furry friend Luna where we took a bumpy, but fun ride up a mountain in the back of a pick up truck. From there we had a beautiful overview of Lake Chicabal, which was formed from a crater, and were able to take pictures before hiking down to the shore. We learned about the history of the lake and its importance to the Mayan religion.

After some snacks on the shore and a hike around the lake we started journeying back to the base of the mountain. It was an exhausting, but fulfilling hike back to the vans. After a great meal of spaghetti the group took a trip down to the local Burger King for a taste of home. Almost everybody got the classic Oreo milkshake which we all enjoyed before heading out again. We drove to Momostenango and visited a family weaving business. They showed us how to turn sheep’s wool into yarn and string using different machines.

We had an overview of the different dyes they use to change the color of the string. Unlike other businesses they use natural dyes to color all of their yarn. We were then led to a shop where we could see their different products and even purchase some Guatemalan sweatshirts for everyone (which made for a great group photo). We had an early return to home base where we were able to settle down with some hot chocolate and enjoy the rest of the night.

– by Sara Francis

Monday August 12, 2019

So, sadly this is the last day of service with the kids. We have to finish the last of the concrete and the pasting and everything. We were SUCCESSFUL!!! We finished two rooms in 4 days and I’m very proud of everyone. We hung out with the kids one last time and it consisted of lots of hair touching and teaching them a foot dance. It was sad to see them go, but I’m so glad I got to spend time with these kids.

So, after our dirty work we went back to the house to change and freshen up a little and then we went to a CHOCOLATE FACTORY. IT WAS SOOOO GOOD. We walked in and first of all there were adorable dogs and a toddler. We petted the dogs because we all hadn’t been able to pet one in a while. We then went into this room for a “presentation” and all the guy did was say “Welcome to the Chocolate Factory”, his name, and Enjoy.

There was a platter of fruit in front of us and a chocolate fountain. We feasted for about 10 minutes until we had the second part of the presentation. The woman who talked to us was a 4th or 5th generation of chocolate making and she was so very passionate about what she did. She taught us about how the origin of chocolate is not in Europe as everyone thought it was.

There are 4 main countries that worked towards creating the final product of chocolate. The countries were Sweden, Spain, United States of America, and Belgium. Each country was an intricate part on the founding of chocolate, but the techniques and strategies were extracted from the Mayan culture. It gives me a whole different view on chocolate and the “best” places to get it from. Guatemala was voted one of the top 10 places to get chocolate from.

After the woman finished talking she let us taste test some of her chocolate. There was one flavor called chocolate tea, which sounds unnatural, but it was the best flavor. It was so good that almost all of us bought it. We cleaned the woman out of her chocolate tea because it was so good. I bought pure chocolate, chocolate tea, and milk chocolate hot chocolate. I’m so excited to go home and have my family try it. After we bought the chocolate, we pet the dogs one more time and then went back to the house to get some snacks for the families we were going to visit.

Now, this has probably been my favorite part of the trip thus far. We split up into two big groups and talked to families of some of the kids who go to the school that we helped out at. At the house I was at, there were 13 animals and about 10 women and girls who lived on all of the property. I got to try on some traditional Mayan clothing and ended up wearing what one of the women wore to her wedding. The family became much more accepting of us when we decided to try on their clothes.

The fact that some of these houses have one bed and can have up to 5 people living in there is what shocks me. Coming on trips like these give you so much more admiration for where you live. I really enjoyed meeting more kids like Fatima, Daniela, and the 18 month old, Alejandro. All around it was a great experience. The best part of the night, so it seemed, was that we were able to get back to the house early and chill. We got back and killed some time before dinner as always. It was a fantastic end to the work week!

– by Ranease Brown

Wednesday August 14, 2019

Today was mainly a travel day, but as usual, our group found a way to make it fun. We woke up and had a quick breakfast in Panajachel before slowly making our way to Antigua.

Our first stop, however, wasn’t Antigua but an adorable restaurant. Ironically, we stopped at the restaurant as a rest stop on the second day of our trip. Going to that same place for lunch really made the trip feel like it was coming to a full circle. We spent an hour there playing with the bunnies, horses, swing sets… essentially we were acting like four year olds and loving it. In my opinion, that lunch was the best meal of the whole trip.

We then proceeded to Antigua where we had a few hours to explore. We walked around the beautiful streets, making our way to the center plaza, and eventually back to the hotel.

Although lunch was my favorite meal food wise, dinner was my favorite meal experience wise. The restaurant itself was in a gorgeous building with many corners to explore. On top of that, there was live music and a dance floor that a few of us made sure to take advantage of. To our surprise, five dancers in masks came out from the sides of the room and danced for all of us – so much fun.

To close the day, we further reflected on the trip: our favorite memories, the highs and lows… Everyones’ words allowed us to travel back in time and, in a way, relive our time on the trip.

Just when we thought it was time for bed, we saw the volcano, Fuego, erupting from the roof of our hotel. With the whole group soon together again, we watched the lava burst out from the top in awe. This experience, like every experience on the trip, was one like no other.

– by Casey Dies