Tah-shee-day-lay!

Time may fly but it can also be a precious gift when processing such big experiences (and places) as India.
You should be proud of yourselves. We’re sure your friends and families are. And amazed!

*Special shout-out to Alex for, as our shy 15 year old with no travel experience, making it through like a boss!

Looking back, can you believe that we stayed with royalty in the clouds full of some blindingly hot and sunny days while others stormed with monsoons, all the while with monkeys landing on our rooftops? Or that we got to make a real impact on those kids, their families and the teachers we worked with? *How’s the GoFundMe for the education of your gifted little girl here to get a good education, Carrinna and Bella? *touched, proud and tearing up again*

At the time, it didn’t feel so big, did it? We were pushed our of out comfort zones by at least an Indian “five minutes” in ways that included all those mountain roads with their steep incline/declines, conditions of the homeless dogs and people we’re not used to and some of the biggest spiders many of us had ever seen. Not to mention the trash everywhere, moist everything and smells we’re all happy to forget. Facing constant challenges, inspiration and fun moments such as shopping at McLeod Ganj and creating bonds organically during our free time, such as experience was just…big. It felt like rolling with the punches at times but what an impact it made on who we are and who we want to be.

We could have chosen an easier and smoother program/country but we didn’t want that. We wanted India and all that comes with. Well, we got it and that will forever impact us. So will the people we bonded with, even if just for those moments. That’s the travelers life and, dare we say, even the Buddhist way. To live, love and be forever impacted in the moment without any expectation of the future. Time to shake up our sand mandalas, kiddos.

You are all at such a magical place of not only being both a new adult and child all at once, you are also at a time in your lives that the platform of who you will forever become is built. You have given those of us lucky enough to be a part of that a peek of whimsical transport back into our moments of life when being the most alive and leave us with humbled gratitude for the gift of being a part of yours. Take what you have learned into your worlds, our little GLAers, and let yourselves be the light that others grow from.
Time to rally!

We would tell you to make us proud but you already have. Even by knowing you for a few short weeks, we also already know that you always will.

Some special moments from our trip:

Seeing the Dalai Lama drive by on the first day – wow!

Our first experiences with all the money’s, doggos, cows and even spiders.

Bonding with each other while sitting around during free time and those moments of first connecting with the kids at placements.

Putting together our beautiful photos with the written stories that came with.

Ashvini’s talks, the PJ photo sessions (like the Kangra tea gardens) and, most of all, the beautiful photos we ended up with.

The beauty, history and culture of the Norbulinga Institute.

The intimacy and ability to each be heard in the mentor groups.

The nature and beauty of St. John church

The serenity of the Kora and majestic symbolism of Dalai Lama’s temple.

Teddy!

Shopping at McLeod Ganj…three times.

Meeting the king.

Hikes! Just 45 steps at the Guna Temple.

Knowledge gained at the Tibetan parliament.

Learning about a culture and one women’s history with it all at Dolls for Tibet. Not to mention getting a few cute dolls!

A yummy meal hosted by the king.

The rice fields of Priyanka’s family farm.

Dancing until the floor was so wet we were practically swimming at India Funday.

Celebrating Conrad and Riley’s birthdays.

Surviving the heat and soaking in the grandness of the Golden Temple & Taj Mahal.

So now we say one last namaste,

Mentor Robin and the STL India Crew

 

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Time may fly but it can also be a precious gift when processing such big experiences (and places) as India.
You should be proud of yourselves. We’re sure your friends and families are. And amazed!
*Special shout-out to Alison as our gal from a super small town with no travel experience for making it through like a boss!

Looking back, can you believe that we stayed with royalty in the clouds with moments full of monsoon storms, all the while with monkeys landing on our rooftops? Or that we got to make a real impact on those kids, their families and the teachers we worked with?

At the time, it didn’t feel so big, did it? We were pushed our of out comfort zones in ways that included all those mountain roads with their steep incline/declines, conditions of the homeless dogs and people we’re not used to and some of the biggest spiders many of us had ever seen. Not to mention the trash everywhere, moist everything and smells we’re all happy to forget. Facing constant challenges, inspiration and fun moments such as shopping at McLeod Ganj and creating bonds organically during our free time, such as experience was just…big. It felt like rolling with the punches at times but what an impact it made on who we are and who we want to be.

We could have chosen an easier and smoother program/country but we didn’t want that. We wanted India and all that comes with. Well, we got it and that will forever impact us. So will the people we bonded with, even if just for those moments. That’s the travelers life and, dare we say, even the Buddhist way. To live, love and be forever impacted in the moment without any expectation of the future. Time to shake up our sand mandalas, kiddos.

You are all at such a magical place of not only being both a new adult and child all at once, you are also at a time in your lives that the platform of who you will forever become is built. You have given those of us lucky enough to be a part of that a peek of whimsical transport back into our moments of life when being the most alive and leave us with humbled gratitude for the gift of being a part of yours. Take what you have learned into your worlds, our little GLAers, and let yourselves be the light that others grow from.
We would tell you to make us proud but you already have. Even by only knowing you for a couple short weeks, we also already know that you always will.

Some special moments from our trip:

Getting out saris and suits made.

Teddy!

Shopping at McLeod Ganj…three times.

Mentor groups – Story of Self

Taking in the wonders of Dalai Lama’s temple and learning about the Tibetans flee to India and peaceful fight against China.

PJ Sessions, lessons and all the great photos we took.

Seeing what it’s like to live off the grid at Priyanka’s family farm.

DAR – Darmashala Animal Rescue – helping all those pups we see out on the street.

Yummy dinner hosted by, and dancing with, the king.

Surviving the heat at the Golden Temple.

Enjoying the romance (and cooler weather) of the Taj Mahal in the rain.

So now we say one last namaste,

Mentor Robin, Director Tim and the STL India Crew

 

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Dear our final group,

I still cannot believe that it has been almost 20 days since we all departed. Though I am sure that you’re enjoying your Starbucks coffees, air conditioning, and acai bowls, I know that somewhere inside each of you is a person longing for that Haiti heat and never-failing rooster alarm clock.

From cement mixing to bottling walls to painting to facilitating medical clinics to participating in nighty lectures and discussions, the list of things that you all accomplished on your trip is never-ending. We could not have been luckier to have had such an amazing group of human beings to finish off our summer. I may not have cried at the airport like many of you had wished (sorry Bridget), but it really was sad for me to watch all of you leave. While sad, though, watching everyone board the plane and leave is an exciting moment for me – it is a moment where we did become worth it because you each get to go home and share what you learned, what you saw, and what person you’ve become.

There are thousands of memories that I could recount from your trip, – some sad, some silly, some serious, and some beautiful – but there are a few in particular that I will forever hold near and dear to my heart:

-Watching all of you bond with Jacques

-Talking in depth about race and identity both in Haiti, in the US, and in the world as a whole (cough* cough* social justice)

-The Rooster

-Watching Jake and Ian (and others) improvise at the vocational school when we didn’t have enough ladders

-Having in depth discussions with you all about effective development and the repercussions of just giving hand-outs

-The clinic trip with Caroline and Kate

-Seeing all of the dietary restriction people show admirable patience with the chefs

-Mentor groups <3

-Mystery pooper

-The never ending clogged toilets

-Beating the Cap Haitian women’s soccer team

-Dancing on stage at Bookanye Restaurant

-Genuine hugs at the airport

Although I didn’t cry at the airport, Jacques shed a few tears on the car ride back home. He was overcome with sadness that you all were leaving and he said that he hoped you would come back someday. Hopefully Jacques’ wish will come true and I will see each of you back in Haiti some day in the future.

Love,
Sarah Stubbs

 

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“IT’S 2001!!!”

I’m not sure about each of you, but I still cannot believe that the summer has come to an end. It seems like just yesterday we were at the airport frantically searching for a (thought-to-be) missing student, AKA mystery man Callum. You guys were our second group of the summer and we could not have ever wished for anything better.

Over the course of our ten days together I came to know and love each and every one of you. Together we faced many challenges and also many incredibly beautiful moments. From the views at the Citadel and the school/clinic on the hill to discussing effective development and the negative implications of hand-outs, Mark, Isabella, Emily, Jacques, and I had the privilege of watching each of you grow so much in a short period of time. Your group had a unique drive, beyond that of most, to understand not just what you were seeing but why what you were seeing existed. You each brought a level empathy and maturity to the table that makes me more confident in our world’s tomorrow. I remember one night – after lights out – I heard one room talking pretty loudly to one another, so I got out of bed to tell everyone to be quiet. As got closer to the room, I realized that you all were talking about the 7 elements of human security and repercussions of poverty tourism… These are the moments I love. These are the moments that make me feel like the luckiest person in world for having the job that I do. For me, your trip was filled with moments like this.

Whether it be your work in Blue Hills or your ability to navigate cultural and language barriers at the clinic, your group accomplished so much in just ten days. However, I feel as though your biggest accomplishment, was realizing that there is more to be accomplished and how you can play a role as an agent of change. I do not have words for how proud I am of each of you and how excited I am to see where the future takes you. Looking back on your trip, there are countless moments that make my heart feel so full.

Though I wish I could go over each one, here are a few that I will always cherish:
-Realizing that mystery man, Callum, stayed home and did not come on the trip

-Talking with you all as you processed difficult moments at the citadel

-Expecting everyone to hate the hard labor of cement work and then being surprised when you were all practically fighting over who could do it next

-Jazz in the pharmacy

-Enjoying the view from the Satama School clinic on the hill

-Watching each of you 100% commit to the Groot Farma debate

-Seeing your attentiveness during the Blue Hills community meeting

-Watching you all continue to persevere through heat rashes and stomach problems

-Jacques’ ability to sleep anywhere and everywhere

-The Blue Hills community dance off

-Taylor is the messiest and most unique human I have ever met

-Mentor groups <3

-Rose, bud, and thorn on the last night

I know that there are countless more memories that we could talk about, but I will save recounting those for when I see you each in Haiti (or life) again one day.

Love,
Sarah Stubbs

 

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Wow. This is the only word that I can think of to properly begin this letter. It is so unbelievable to me that the summer has already come to end. It seems like just yesterday that Mark and I were picking up each of you – confused faces and all – from the airport. You guys were our first group of the summer and we absolutely could not have asked for a better group of humans.

Whether or not you knew it, your group – you eleven, empowered and motivated young women who I am so proud to know – played a pivotal role in not only determining how our service projects went this summer, but also in setting a precedent for operations of GLA and 7 Elements as a whole in Haiti. On top of being our first group of the summer, you girls were the first group of high school students to ever embark on a GLA and 7 Elements trip to Haiti. You eleven were our pioneers.

From heat rashes to constipation to diarrhea to culture shock to language barriers to homesickness, there were many challenges along the way. Some of these challenges played out in laughter, such as Annie R’s confusion with the pastor’s toilet in Limonade. While other challenges, such as learning to say no to individual requests for handouts of food and water to children, played out in long discussion and painful reflections. However, regardless of the challenge, you all met each of them in stride. Alongside every moment of frustration or confusion, Mark and I had the privilege of seeing your “Aha” moments – the moments of clarity and purpose where you realize the complexities of the world, where you better understand humanity, and, most importantly, where you see yourself in a clearer lens than ever before.

Everyday, we pushed you all physically, mentally, and emotionally. Before you all arrived, we estimated the amount of work that your group would get done in the vocational school – our estimations were tripled. The two groups following yours had over double the attendees, but (and shhhh!, don’t tell the other groups I am saying this), neither of them came close to accomplishing the amount of work that your group did. That said, if we learned anything from the social justice presentation and discussions, it is to never underestimate the power of women on mission.

There are too many amazing memories for me to mention them all, but here are some that I will always cherish… some are serious, some are silly, and some are simple, but they are each pretty darn special to me:

-Watching you all process your day at the citadel – both the beauty and history of the site, as well as learning about effective development the negative effects of handing out money
-Seeing you all work alongside and bond with the masons at the vocational school
-Listening to you all discuss HIV/AIDS stigma after visiting the local hospital
-Looking at everyone face DROP at the supposed-to-be “pickup” soccer game when we saw the team of Haitian – not girls, but WOMEN – come around the corner in full uniforms and cleats
-Dance party at the lodge with Betsy as a special guest
-Discussions on racial issues following the documentary, An Island Divided
-Seeing you all challenge yourself to be culturally competent and mature beyond your years during our clinic days
-The Pooper Scooper incident (you all know what I am talking about)
-Talking about social justice issues both abroad and at home
-Riding to Bookayne in the motor tricycles
-Dance party at Bookanye Restaurant
-Watching the sunset over the zinc roof at the lodge

Your group was one of the deciding factors in why I chose accept a full time position living and working in Haiti for the next few years – you guys helped remind me of my purpose. I would go on and on about more memories I have from your trip, but I will save talking about those for when I see each of you again in Haiti one day.

Until we meet again,
Sarah Stubbs

 

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