Week Six | हप्ता छ
The sixth sense. I saw dead people. No, really. Lining the banks of the river that flows through the acres of Pashupatinath, the world’s oldest and primary Hindu temple, family members embalm and burn their dead. The smell is…
Category Stories
Home from Ecuador: Final Reflection
The last 3.5 months were filled with highs, lows, and lots of unknowns in Ecuador. For the first time, I ran community programs by myself, lived as one of the only Americans in a remote valley, and navigated daily life…
Joy Joy Joy!
Greetings from chilly Muizenberg, where it turning into WINTER! I told myself that I would be better about posting updates on this blog: So they are not novels like the past few have been So I can remember all the…
Reflections on Nonviolence
Almost a week ago I was schooled by my African brothers and sisters on the topic of nonviolence and social justice. I attended a conference put on by a local non profit that works with churches in Cape Town, serving…
Week Five | हप्ता पाँच
It was now almost March. The weather began to improve, in that during the daytime it leveled out and during the night I was not forced to wear three layers underneath my sleeping bag. Since Week Five marked a new…
Three-Month Update from Ecuador
I’ve passed the three-month mark in Ecuador, and can’t be happier about my progress advancing my Lumos goals. The Manna Project community center’s programs are booming, and I’m thrilled to be leading many of them on a weekly basis. Here’s…
Kenbe Ko Ou
The first time I was told to “kenbe ko ou” was by some ladies returning home from a day selling at the market who were concerned about me tripping on my way down from our mountainous partnering community Vielo. I…
Holiday week!
It is turning into autumn here in Cape Town! Quite a strange experience to celebrate Easter as the leaves start to change colors, the air gets cooler and the days are a bit shorter. Although, South Africa doesn’t change their…
Week Four | हप्ता चार
The Placement Week number four at Sunrise English Boarding School began to feel like another home in itself. There are certain love-hate psychological see-saws that come with being a teacher of small children. For example, I began to love the…
A Day in the Life: A Wednesday in Ecuador
8:30 am – I wake up and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast with some guayusa. Coffee isn’t popular in Ecuador and my home doesn’t have a working coffee machine, so the guayusa caffeinated tea is the…