tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2117783803394028082024-03-18T21:23:31.599-07:00THE LIFE OF A WANDEROUS MINDBRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-14747280384699056252014-12-08T22:17:00.001-08:002017-09-24T08:27:25.097-07:00THAT TIME I OPTED OUT OF STUDYING<div style="text-align: center;">
That one time Kristin and Risa decided to bring this home with them...</div>
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...also happens to be the one time I opted out of studying for finals to join them.<br />
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Don't go thinking I'm a complete slacker though. I did manage to write a nutrition paper, make some taco seasoning, a batch of hummus, some banana muffins and deseed a pomegranate beforehand. That counts for something, right?<br />
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Anyways, this movie is one of those things that will forever remind me of the Philippines. That is also probably why I couldn't pass up the chance to watch it again. The first time I saw it was in Cebu with Arturo as we were trying to figure out how on earth we were going to get our <a href="http://awanderousmind.blogspot.com/2014/05/projects-pictures-and-passports.html" target="_blank">new passports</a>. The second time was just days after Robinson's, a mall in Tacloban reopened. For months Chris, <a href="http://awanderousmind.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-team-wave-one.html" target="_blank">one of our country directors</a>, just wanted to go to the movies so when Robinson's opened back up that was exactly what we did. These memories associated with this movie go a lot deeper than that though. Just rewind with me a tiny bit and you'll see. </div>
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I went to Cebu quite a few times over the summer. Arturo and I went twice to figure out passports, which could be and should be, an entire series of posts all on its own. </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Exactly six weeks later I was in Cebu again, this time alone, but with my passport finally in hand. </span></div>
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Little did I know that just one week later I would be on my way back, this time with, Stephen, Amber, and Ian, Dalyn, and Clark Carel. No passport drama, just a day at the temple dedicated to making this family eternal. </div>
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Thought my time in Cebu I felt guilt but also acceptance. I felt frustration but also achievement. I felt unsure but hopeful. But more than anything in Cebu, I felt inspiration and love. Cebu brought some of the most incredible experiences. While I was there I learned so much from the people around me, and the people I met while I was there. I developed a trust in myself that I didn't have before, and reaffirmed to me that God's hand really is in all things. Cebu was the trip I never intended to make, but the exact trip I needed each and every time. </div>
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To me, the reopening of Robinson's seemed to be a symbol of just how far Tacloban had come since Yolanda. Robinson's had everything. It was a place where people could get the things they need, such as groceries, clothes, or prescriptions. It was a place where they could get things they wanted such as construction materials for a project, or accessories for a phone. It was a place they could go to escape the struggles of everyday life; like at the arcade or the theatre. For at least seven months that wasn't available. The day Robinson's opened was a day of major accomplishment for Tacloban. </div>
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Leave it to me to turn a night watching The Amazing Spiderman 2 with my roommates into a trip down memory lane. Hopefully, it doesn't bother you. If it does you probably stopped reading a long time ago. But for me having those memories to look back on is something that I will treasure forever because some of those moments are what inspire me to be better each and every day. </div>
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Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) Update: From what I've heard from people in Tacloban, everyone there was kept safe throughout the duration of the typhoon. Samar is another story, and I am still waiting to hear from people assessing damages there, but there is no doubt in my mind that because of Yolanda in 2013, more lives were spared when Ruby came knocking in 2014. </div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-19472734943408655992014-12-06T11:59:00.002-08:002014-12-06T11:59:37.825-08:00YOLANDA AND RUBY.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Haiyan and Hagupit. For me there is one extreme difference. I don't remember hearing much about Haiyan until it had already made landfall. The damage was already done. I read every article, and watched every report. I talked to people that I knew in the Philippines to find out how Haiyan had effected their city. I wanted to be a part of every fundraiser, and every group that went over to help. I wanted to do something for the people that had done so much for me over the last year and a half. </div>
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Hagupit has been almost exactly the same. I have watched every report and read every article, only this time I am getting updates from people in Tacloban. I am getting updates from my friends.</div>
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Over the summer these people became some of my closest friends. When I would have a bad day they would be right there cheering me up. They were the only people that never failed to bring a smile to my face. I watched them give when they had nothing to give. They are some of the most hardworking people I know. They made my experience in Tacloban. </div>
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For the last three days I have talked to them as they've prepared for Hagupit to make landfall. I saw the Facebook post telling the members that the church in Tacloban were once again open for evacuation. They've told me of their fears for parents who were far away. I have worried as they have returned home to make sure they can get their family together before returning to the evacuation centers. </div>
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Even amongst the fear they have been able to keep their spirits high. They have done their best to distract each other. After hearing the stories that followed Haiyan, I know that the chapels are the safest places they could possibly be. My heart aches knowing that they have to go through this again. Heaven only knows that I would give anything to be there with them right now. I've never met a more faithful group of people and I am so very grateful for their examples in my life. I add my prayers and faith to theirs, that Hagupit with pass quickly and that they will be blessed with the safety and supplies they need to make it through. </div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-82629261776839611042014-12-02T22:30:00.000-08:002014-12-03T07:25:31.473-08:00NO SUCH THING AS A LONG DAY<div style="text-align: center;">
Every Tuesday for the last 15 weeks my day has gone a just like this:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9 AM to 1:45 PM </b>- </span><span style="font-size: large;">HELP Internship</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2 PM to 10:20 PM </b>- Shift @ Aspen</span></div>
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Usually the first thing people say is </div>
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Maybe it is, but to tell you the truth I love it that way.</div>
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I made it that way. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is something about </span></div>
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<b>BEING SURROUNDED BY GENUINELY GOOD PEOPLE.</b></div>
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<b>PEOPLE YOU ENJOY BEING AROUND.</b></div>
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<b>BEING NEEDED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME VALUED.</b></div>
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<b>BEING ABLE TO HELP SOMEONE DO SOMETHING THEY CAN'T DO THEMSELVES.</b></div>
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When you can spend an entire day with people who build you up, make you laugh, and motivate you to be your best self then there is no such thing as a long day. If anything it is way to short. </div>
BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-18928662518651273242014-11-06T21:04:00.000-08:002014-11-06T21:04:08.280-08:00FOLLOW YOUR PASSION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If there is one thing that I could tell every person I come in contact with it is this:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">FOLLOW YOUR PASSION.</span></b></div>
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I've been on both sides. The side where you have absolutely no idea what you want to do with your life, and the other side where you are so passionate about something that it is all you want to do. At times I thought I wanted to be a nurse, a photographer, or even an ultrasonographer. I got certifications that would allow me to work in the medical field. I took classes; so many in fact that I was one class away from applying for the nursing program. I worked, and still do work in the medical field. I love it, and for so long I thought it was my passion. I started college with a medical mind, switched out of it for two years and took other classes to explore other options. Where did I end up after that? Right back on the medical track. For three years thats where I stayed. I liked what I was learning, but that passion for it just wasn't there. That's when I decided that I needed to take some time away from school to figure out what I wanted to do. </div>
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Taking time off of school was both the greatest and more difficult things I could have done.During those two years I didn't take any classes. I didn't go on a mission. I was constantly worrying that people thought I was wasting my time. I as 25, had been working on my bachelors since I graduated with my associates at 18, and had absolutely nothing to show for it, or so I thought. Whether I liked the job I had at the time or not, I worked to earn money. Because I wasn't in school often times held two, sometimes three jobs, just to make sure I wasn't wasting my time. Much to my surprise it wasn't the work experience that led me to something I was passionate. My work experience led me to a bunch of things I realized that I wouldn't want to do forever. It was my free time that made the biggest led me to where I wanted to go. In my free time I would immerse myself in things that made me feel like I was making a difference. I didn't do it thinking that it would turn into anything special, or in hopes that it would give me experience in the field. I honestly didn't even know the field existed. I did it because I loved it. I did it because, paid or not, it was something that I was passionate about. </div>
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I'm now back in school, and yesterday in my speech com class we watched a speech online that was given by a man named Patrick Combs. I had never heard of him before that, but I swear he used my life as an example when putting the material together. I know what it's like to do something with no passion. To do something because it's "just a degree." Don't settle for something you don't love though. And don't be afraid to take some time to figure it out. The trick is to never stop learning. Never stop learning about the world around you, and never stop learning about yourself.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"The only way you do great work is if you love what you do." </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">STEVE JOBS</span></b></div>
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"You don't have to be a celebrity to live your passion." </div>
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"Don't let fear stop you from doing what you really want to do. "</div>
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"Fear threatens to hold you back from what you are really good at."</div>
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"It does take courage for you to go for that think that you actually want love to be. That thing that makes you come alive. That thing you do for fun. That thing that would really start to put the pieces of your dream life in to place."</div>
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"The bizarre thing about college is that they only advertise about five jobs. They always publish the entry level salary."</div>
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"You have to manufacture and create your dream job."</div>
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"What if your dream job, maybe a job you haven't even discovered yet, pays decent." </div>
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"Maybe the money will take care itself if you follow your passion."</div>
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"If you're great at what you do you are rewarded handsomely for it. If your good at what you do you are probably going to get laid off soon."</div>
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"I'm hoping that you don't go in to something that you feel mediocre about because you'll be mediocre at it. I'm hoping that you do into something that you feel excited and great about because then you'll be excited and great at it."</div>
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"It doesn't matter where you go to college. It's not your grades. It's what you do in college." </div>
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"Learn to work with your mind."</div>
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"The most important homework you are ever going to do is never going to be assigned."</div>
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THE UNASSIGNED HOMEWORK</div>
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1. Do three internships.</div>
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2. Run a student organization.</div>
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3. Study abroad.</div>
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4. Join 1-3 professional associations in your field.</div>
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5. Get a mentor.</div>
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"The unassigned homework makes the difference."</div>
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"If you can do in college what it takes to be standing at the end of the game you will be ahead of 99% of every one else."</div>
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"This university experience is not designed to teach you about your career."</div>
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"You just don't know what you don't know, but somebody else does."</div>
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"48% of graduating high school seniors reported they wanted to go overseas in college. 1% actually go."</div>
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"You do not have to know how to get to your dream job. Nobody who is starting off to go towards their dream job knows how to get to their dream job. Your responsibility should you want a passionate life, is to just be committed to a passionate life. And when you think you've spotted a job that you might like to have just start taking steps in that direction without knowing how it is going to come true." </div>
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"When you are bold mighty forces come to your rescue."</div>
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"When you engage with your passion, your passion knows how to get you there."</div>
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"Is this who you truly are? Does this make you come alive? If not, say no."</div>
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Take a risk. </div>
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"Fear is the only thing that can stop a person from reaching their dreams."</div>
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PAULE COELHO</div>
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Decide it is time to attack that fear.</div>
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"I did not know I loved the water for 36 years of my life. That is what fear will do. Fear will kill you over and over again."</div>
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"Your fears lie to you all the time to keep you small. When you dare to live your dream job you acer going to feel that."</div>
BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-3242167394361496412014-10-23T22:15:00.001-07:002014-10-24T08:57:17.506-07:00OH HEY PALEO. IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU.I'm not one to get stressed out often, but I will tell you what, on days like yesterday I am so grateful for my mom. School I'm good with. Work I'm good with. Interning I'm good with. Major diet changes...those I'm not so good with. Ever since I got back from the Philippines I've been trying to eat a little healthier. I switched to whole grain bread. I didn't buy anything that had high amounts of sugar in them. As a matter of fact the only thing I did buy that had some sugar in it was granola bars. Granted, I'd let myself slide when I was out with friends or things like that, but compared to pre-Philippines I was doing a million times better. Then this happened.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnvNdHpQiJh6ARz5ituo-iaj2O6_k9gO8w50vm6tr5jl_ViqcQ5yeq05Sj46fi-DBXSF7sYf4OJtoyCBlsjq1XSzjtTIUBJ3vzVTDq3nKmKbOQZ89euoVYdMvrnxgBA7bjq-rdu4OVdpt/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnvNdHpQiJh6ARz5ituo-iaj2O6_k9gO8w50vm6tr5jl_ViqcQ5yeq05Sj46fi-DBXSF7sYf4OJtoyCBlsjq1XSzjtTIUBJ3vzVTDq3nKmKbOQZ89euoVYdMvrnxgBA7bjq-rdu4OVdpt/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
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One day. That was about how much I was losing in one day. It got to the point where I was afraid to wash my hair because that is when I would loose the most. I would wear my hair up in an extremely loose side pony so that I wouldn't have to worry about it falling out throughout the day. I had already cut back on blow drying and straightening my hair, but at that point I just quit all together. Nothing helped. </div>
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I told a few people that I am close to. Usually their first reaction was stress. My schedule was crazy busy, but I really liked it that way. School wasn't getting to me. Work wasn't getting to me. My internship wasn't getting to me. In fact I loved it all; classes, my patients, the people in the office I intern with. Other than the fact that I was terrified of being bald in two months, I could only think of one thing that stressed me out. Even that I was only having to deal with a couple times a week. The only other thing I could think of was that it was a delayed reaction from dengue. The more I looked into it the lease likely it seemed that dengue was the problem.</div>
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At that point I decided to go in to the doctor to get my blood tested. When the test came back it showed that I had hypothyroidism. I got put on a thyroid medication and all I knew was that I would have to go back in six weeks. Naturally the first thing I did was jump online to figure out what it was. The symptoms made sense, but the causes didn't sense at all. </div>
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I still don't know what caused it, but I do know that there is something in all sorts of foods that makes it worse. Goitrogens. I won't bore you with the list, but I knew that if I wanted to stay on top of it I was going to have to completely revamp my pantry. Paleo websites became my new best friend. Looking at the recipes I was going to have to modify them somewhat, but I found quite a few that looked good. I even found some cupcakes :) So yesterday after looking up enough recipes to get me through the next couple days my ever-so-patient mother went with me to restock my pantry. Overwhelmed is the only word that comes to mind when I think of how that experience was. My mom definitely made it a million times better though. </div>
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So here's to a new lifestyle. It's not going to be easy, but if this past year has taught me anything it is that these are the times when I really get to learn, and I am so grateful that a loving Heavenly Father that knows what I am capable of. I'm still the same me. I'm still loving school. I'm still loving work. I'm still loving my internship. I have great friends, and and incredible family. What more could I possibly ask for? :)</div>
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PS. I apologize in advance if this blog all of a sudden has a million recipes on it.</div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-88340046635267726812014-10-18T10:21:00.000-07:002017-09-24T08:51:51.282-07:00THE CURLY-HAIRED MAN IN THE CENTER<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This curly-haired man, </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">MY DAD.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb7NyI048tD_h28b0HRu_vXa9IyXwtDfcnL94zVvMzh3J1JHXCq78O8jBIBYoGUJTNq2AwlW83gLUECuq1PrUMjDWfu4ycY6GpHFTeaVwEZ2zLWJq0GIRdFHSowo-zPi3SFRkE0b7qpM7/s1600/IMG_4392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb7NyI048tD_h28b0HRu_vXa9IyXwtDfcnL94zVvMzh3J1JHXCq78O8jBIBYoGUJTNq2AwlW83gLUECuq1PrUMjDWfu4ycY6GpHFTeaVwEZ2zLWJq0GIRdFHSowo-zPi3SFRkE0b7qpM7/s1600/IMG_4392.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I owe so much of who I am today to him. Growing up my dad gave me the type of childhood that I hope to give my children one day. He was always outside with us, playing night games or helping us figure out how to build a treehouse. I have no doubt that my love of exploring new things came from the many times he took us kids down the street to explore all the new homes that were going in. It's been years since I've done any of those things with my dad, but the appreciation I have for my dad now worth more to me now than most anything else. In no particular order here are some of the:</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY DAD</span></u></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. He is my partner in all things "Hunger Games."</span> </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq0nrRntBP7Ac4VtCb0f3kpCFpHdJhxaAb3D_CXIowARxf2v5r8rmS5mScKcXmnVJxzzbUwthrIeDzL-snWVth1Dbl3nPrZVjXuO4jvpBirnsk2HvBUrq9m6_g1YGmfDOBM37njGVCSs2/s1600/Ribbet+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq0nrRntBP7Ac4VtCb0f3kpCFpHdJhxaAb3D_CXIowARxf2v5r8rmS5mScKcXmnVJxzzbUwthrIeDzL-snWVth1Dbl3nPrZVjXuO4jvpBirnsk2HvBUrq9m6_g1YGmfDOBM37njGVCSs2/s1600/Ribbet+collage.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This one all started the end of 2010. If you want to know the story head over <a href="http://awanderousmind.blogspot.com/2012/03/fillin-up-on-hunger-games.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but the condensed version is that I got really into reading "The Hunger Games" about two years before the movie came out; so much that it made my dad want to start reading it. One thing you need to know about my dad is that he absolutely HATES going to the movies. He'd much rather wait for the movie to come to Redbox and watch it from home. Never ever has my dad suggested going to the movies. He also works early, which means he is usually in bed early. So when my dad came up to me and told me he wanted to go to the midnight showing when the first one came out I was ecstatic. We did it for the first one. We did it for the second one, and you'd better believe we'll be seeing the next two. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2. He puts other's wants in front of his own.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen my dad set aside his dislike of something because it meant a lot to someone in my family. That kind of selfless support is something that has shaped me a lot in the way that I am with my friends and family. He taught me that in relationships, whether it be with family or someone you're close to, that at times you are going to have to do things out of love even if it's not something all that exciting to you. He taught me to put people before wants. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. If I get caught in a pickle he will drop everything to help me.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am notorious for locking my keys in my car. My car is also notorious for having things go wrong everyone in a while. I just moved a bunch of rather large furniture into my </span>apartment<span style="font-family: inherit;">. My dad has been there with my keys, some tools, or as an extra set of hands every single time. I even called him on Tuesday after I got off work (it was late) and the first thing my dad said was "What's wrong?" Nothing was wrong, but I know that if something had been, then he would have been at my front door in a heartbeat to help me. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">4. He is a problem solver.</span></b></div>
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A couple months ago as I was moving into my old apartment my roommates and I could not figure out how to get one of the couches downstairs. The doorframe we had to squeeze it through seemed smaller than the couch in every direction we could think of. I finally decided to call my dad, hoping that by taking off the screen door in the basement that we could take it in that way. My dad showed up and realized that taking the door off wasn't an option, but just by looking at the couch he realized that if we opened up the recliner and turned it in a specific direction that we could shorten one of the lengths, making it possible to take it down the stairs. All he has to do is look at something and he's got it figured out. </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">5. He is a handyman.</span></b></div>
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For as long as I can remember my dad has been able to fix just about anything. Or if he sees something he likes he can figure out not just how to build it, but how to build it better. Plumbing, electrical, installing flooring, framing, putting up sheetrock, painting and texturing. Rarely have I seen my parents pay anyone to do any kind of remodeling. My dad has always know exactly what to do, and if he doesn't then he'll look it up and find the answers until he does. </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">6. His love of the outdoors. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">My dad has always been a mountain biker, a backpacker, a hiker, a camper and a fisher. He would always take us on rides up in the mountains growing up, or when we would have ward activities up the canyons we would go wander off on some trail. I always loved when he would come home and we'd get to hear stories from his fifty-mile hikes and winter camping with the scouts. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRsY56HOZWiI0qioPpCrW5Y_dORMzjnpxO-n5ZJzBJYeuGpfhECXqDNfD5mUCBvye_DeOv_ZZwTVH21RASAGc7nGxivlVghC0F65pdgRyBe-CP1d0UqqkKaxq0tklAZZvTsvYrTzfM-hr/s1600/Ribbet+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRsY56HOZWiI0qioPpCrW5Y_dORMzjnpxO-n5ZJzBJYeuGpfhECXqDNfD5mUCBvye_DeOv_ZZwTVH21RASAGc7nGxivlVghC0F65pdgRyBe-CP1d0UqqkKaxq0tklAZZvTsvYrTzfM-hr/s1600/Ribbet+collage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">7. The things he teaches me. </span></b></div>
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My dad is constantly teaching me new things. Last Christmas break he let my sister and I into his world and taught us about woodworking. This summer I needed to know what knots would work the best for putting up a temporary shelter and he taught me exactly what I needed to do from thousands of miles away. The lessons that have meant the most to me though have been about different aspects of the gospel. He's taught me how to strengthen my faith when I've needed it the most.</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">8. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Nobody worries about me more than he does.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></b></div>
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With all the time Taylor and I have spent abroad the last couple years, I am positive that we have unintentionally caused my dad quite a few sleepless nights. He is always so good about letting us do the things we love, even if it means we are in places he's never been to. When I got sick my dad was the person who checked up on me the most, and when Taylor came home early I remember my dad pacing around the airport as we waited for him, just wanting to see that Taylor was ok. My dad is the most caring people I know, especially when it comes to his kids. </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">9. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The advice he gives. </span></b></div>
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School, friends, church, work, life. For the most part, I am able to handle the ups and downs of it all pretty well. It takes a lot to really shake me, but every once in a while it happens and my dad always knows just what to say. One of the moments I look back on quite a bit was right after Kaesi got married. It was just my dad, Kaesi and I out on the back porch and my dad gave my sister some marriage advice that was so sincere and so from the heart. I will never ever forget that or the many other times that my dad has been there to guide me along.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">In all things church-related, my dad has been a huge example to me. He's taught me how to persevere when I don't feel like I'm getting answers, or when I struggle to read the scriptures. He's taught me what it means to magnify a calling, and how to really care for the people around me. He has shown me what it means to honor the priesthood and to always go the extra mile. He's showed me how to be simply by being himself. </span></div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-2656142964519303602014-10-10T21:30:00.000-07:002017-09-24T13:59:29.519-07:00THE ELK AND THE SCALPEL <div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time around me can probably tell you that I love being spontaneous. There is something about going into something with no plan, being able to hope for the best, working your way through the unexpected, and being able to do something you never could have planned that is just so exhilarating. </div>
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I can tell you right now that the last thing I thought I would be doing tonight was learning how to skin an elk's head with five little girls, 2 younger boys, and two of my closest friends. </div>
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Cole has been a rancher for life. I have risen horses. Kelly grew up around with farms and such all around her, but I'm pretty positive she has never had to skin any animals head. Yet here we were in Cole's backyard, his nieces and nephews all around. They had all just finished hauling hay when Kelly and I got there. Then, out of nowhere, this happened (WARNING: If you have a weak stomach I would probably skip the video).</div>
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I have to admit, that after taking anatomy I found the whole thing to be extremely fascinating. Do I ever want to skin an elk's head on my own? Yeah, not really. Next time Cole skins one do I even want to be there? If his nieces and nephews are there I will happily sit back and watch their commentary for hours. The things they had to say had Kell and me in hysterics the entire time. </div>
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Had you told me when I woke up yesterday morning that I would end my day like that, I would have looked at you in complete shock. "Seriously?" As gross and gruesome as it was though, I really did love it. I loved being able to watch Cole do something he is passionate about. I loved learning all about elk. I loved being able to hang out with his incredible family. I loved spending time talking to Mama Ras, and just catching up with my friends. I loved the conversations Kell and I had in the car, and I love that I can add something new to my list of firsts. Life throws some rather unique opportunities at you sometimes. My advice: Take them :)</div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-2050348518502245512014-10-06T07:34:00.000-07:002017-09-24T14:04:12.111-07:00The Chatterbox in the ConventThe first half of my senior year in high school I decided to take a CNA class. Up until that point, all I ever wanted to be was a nurse, so I figured I might as well take that first step and get some experience under my belt. By January 2007 I had my CNA certification. Although I didn't end up going on to be a nurse, working with my CNA has been such an incredible opportunity. I've been able to work in an Alzheimer's unit, as a Health Counselor, in long-term care, short-term care. The area I have spent the most time in has been transitional rehabilitation; in other words, post-surgical rehab.<br />
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I'd be lying if I said that the work was always easy and that I have loved every second of it, but for the most part I really have been able to enjoy it. Working in transitional rehab has given me the chance to meet so many different people in a wide variety of ages. We've had people as young as 26, and as old as 103. Sometimes they stay for three days, and sometimes they stay for 3 months. That's where the love of my job comes in. For most of these people, they have never had to be completely dependent on someone else's care. As a CNA I get to know people on a level that most people will never come into contact within the workplace. The fact that they are living in this new place, away from home stirs up a lot of uncommon emotions in these people, and sometimes all they need is someone to talk to. Their stories are so different from one another and having the opportunity to listen to their backgrounds, and the lessons they've learned throughout all of their different experiences has been so neat for me. That is why I love doing what I do.<br />
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For instance, earlier this week I was in talking to a lady that has been with us a couple of times after different surgeries. The first time it was her right knee, the next her back, and this time her left knee. I was working there when she had her first knee done, but not for her back. She came back a few weeks ago after having her second knee done and remembered exactly who I was. There is nothing work related that I love more than having return patients. It's bittersweet because you have to see them go through another surgery, but the connection that comes when the patient comes back for the second time is like running into a best friend that you haven't seen in years. That is exactly how it was with this lady.<br />
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For the sake of this story, we will call her Maria, and Maria loves to talk. We talk about Africa. We talk about the Philippines. We talk about the adorable little lady down that hall that everyone loves. Well this time as I was getting her all settled into bed she wanted to know about my relationship status. The next thing I know we are talking about the time Maria, a very devoted Catholic, decided to join the convent. Understand that this lady and her chatterbox ways also happens to be a little rebellious at times, hence the reason we are calling her Maria. My mind immediately went to "The Sound of Music."<br />
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I love learning about other peoples beliefs, and the way other cultures and religions do things. For instance, did you know that the Roman Catholic convents worldwide house over 800,000 nuns and sisters? Did you know that the two are different? Or that the clothing they wear is called a "habit"? Did you know that before they have taken their vows they wear white and after they wear black unless they are Missionaries of Charity, then they wear blue? I also learned, although this could have just been in Maria's specific convent, that while there they are only allowed to talk during two specific time frames a day and that they are usually no longer than an hour. I learned that when leaving the convent you are not allowed to tell any of the other women that you are leaving. No goodbyes, you just simply have to disappear. I learned that they attend college at a typical college with everyday people. I learned that there is so much more to their devotion than I ever realized.<br />
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Maria went on to tell me all sorts of things about her life outside of the convent; how she met her husband and what their life was like together. Those are the moments that make me love what I do; the moments that I get to hear the stories of others. Am I going to be a CNA forever? No. But it is something that I will cherish each day that I am.BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-60117679735038456972014-09-28T20:30:00.000-07:002017-09-24T14:09:01.608-07:00The "Otherness" in the PeopleThe day I was to have my blog topic picked I texted some of my closest friends one question.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"If you could pick the subject for my blog, what are a couple of things that you would reading about from my perspective?"</span></blockquote>
The responses I got back were so descriptive of me, and I loved being able to see just how well people knew me. Some people wanted to hear about traveling and the outdoors. Others wanted to hear about service and humanitarian work. I had friends who simply wanted to hear about my job, or what life was like outside of the United States. There were two responses that really stuck out to me though.<br />
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<i><b>"You are good at understanding "otherness" in people. You see people as they are and, whether or not you share a lot in common, you always try to understand them. It doesn't mean you have to embrace contrary ideas; it just means you seek to gain greater understanding. A blog about oneself is sort of interesting. A blog that generously observes others might be even better." </b></i></blockquote>
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<b><i>"You soak in people's individuality and when you write about them those characters come to life and the audience connects with them. I think your blog could be just day to day life and ironic interactions with people that display the diversity and uniqueness of people in a way that makes others appreciate differences." </i></b></blockquote>
The responses these two men gave were both exactly what I wanted to write about and incredible compliments. I remember loving the idea from the very beginning, but somehow in the mix of everything I'd forgotten. The story aspect was still there, but the "otherness" and diversity factors were replaced with good deeds instead. Now, I don't know if I am allowed to do this part way through the semester, but I am going to do it anyways. I'm going to change my blog to the idea I fell in love with originally. I'm going to make this a blog about differences and my everyday interactions with people.<br />
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-56019763815382306572014-09-23T07:31:00.000-07:002017-09-24T14:11:56.366-07:00The Man at the DoorAm I the only one that feels like some people are just blessed with the natural ability to go out of their way for other people? It's like they don't even have to think about helping others, yet they are constantly doing it. That is the kind of person I want to be. Now, I don't know this next man that I am going to tell you about; not in the slightest. I have only ever observed him in passing and it was only one time, but as I caught a glimpse of what it was he was doing I was convinced that he fell into this exact category of selflessness.<br />
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It was a Friday, which meant I had a nice two-hour break in between classes. More often than not a break from class meant homework in the library, which was true for this particular day too. My next class was going to start in 15 minutes, so I packed up my things, logged off one of the many university computers and began to walk to my next class. It wasn't long before I had neared the outdoor stairs I would have to take to get to the building I needed to be in. That's when I noticed someone standing at an open door by right next to the staircase. </div>
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People were leaving the building one after another, and at the door was a man holding it open for every single one of them. I myself probably watched 20 people exit through the door he had in his hand before the rush of people disappeared. At that point, I just thought he would let the door slip from his hands so that he could get to where he needed to be. I was wrong. Even with no one coming through the door, he stood there and waiting, with the door still in his hands, for the next group of people that he couldn't even see yet. </div>
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I don't know how long he held the door like that, or how many people went through. It was something so simple and even though I didn't actually go through the door I want to thank him for the example he was to me. Like I said, I don't know who this man is but surely someone in this world of Facebook knows him. The picture doesn't give much to work with and I know that chances of finding him are slim, but how neat would it be if we could find him, even if it is just to say "thank you."</div>
BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-78146234404648118232014-09-21T19:30:00.000-07:002017-09-24T14:17:31.549-07:00The Disconnect in the Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Do you know what I love about the mountains? Being able to actually get away. There is no cell phone service, no Wi-Fi, no homework. Sometimes you know the trail, and other times you have no idea what to expect. Sometimes there are other people along the way, and sometimes you are in complete solitude. It's adventurous. It's peaceful. It's a time to reflect and to learn all at the same time. </div>
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This past weekend I went backpacking up in Idaho on a trail I'd heard about for the first time just two weeks ago. We all knew what the plan was; it was to get to the lower lake where we could set up camp. We were able to do just that, but it required something of us to get there. This backpacking trip got me thinking a lot about the journey. It had me thinking about the goals we set, the focus we keep along the way there, and how we have to push ourselves to do more when we've accomplished what we set out to do. </div>
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Anyone who has hiked before knows that hiking on a trail is typically a lot more work than walking down the sidewalk. There is something about the journey along a trail and accomplishing something in the end that makes you push yourself a little harder than you would otherwise. Hiking a trail can mean mud. It can mean carrying a lot of weight. It can mean steep elevation gain. But it also doesn't matter. When you allow yourself to forget those things and take in everything around you then you will find ways around the mud, and you will make it up the steep trails. And guess what? It won't even seem that difficult. </div>
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Lower Palisades Lake was situated right in between two mountains. It had a creek running into it on one side and one running out on the other. It was surrounded by trees, home to a few moose, and contained the perfect spot to set up camp in an area overlooking the whole thing. We spent that night enjoying everything about that place. We explored as we gathered firewood and water. We made a fire and shared stories until the stars freckled the sky. We accomplished what we had set out to do and nobody was going to object to making that home for the next couple days. </div>
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The next day was the day we were going to leave camp at the lower lake and hike three more miles to Upper Palisades Lake. That portion of the hike seemed to be more strenuous than the portion from the day before, but the upper lake was beyond worth it. The lake was almost a Caribbean blue in parts, and it had a trail that ran all along its northeastern side. It had beaches, in some parts and rocks to climb around on in others. It had fish and crystal clear water. It was incredible. </div>
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Why do I tell you all of this? Because there is a lot to be learned from every day if we just take time to think about it. The journey to the destination, the time spent at the destination and pushing ourselves to go further into something we never would have pushed ourselves to do before is something that has helped me a lot this year. That's probably why it keeps popping up in my life so much. So set a goal, enjoy the journey, and don't stop once you've accomplished what you set out to do. </div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-75317415703732108472014-09-19T07:25:00.000-07:002017-09-24T14:26:14.988-07:00The Idahoan in Tacloban<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">THE PEOPLE</span></u></b></span></div>
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I want you to meet someone that I absolutely adore. This woman right here, her name is Beth Moore and she is one of the most hardworking, passionate people I have ever met.<br />
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I will tell you more about her and her story in just a second, but before I can do that I need to introduce one other person.</div>
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The guy in the foreground talking to Beth, that is Arturo. He is the Executive Director of an organization called HELP International, but he is more than that. He is an incredible person and a mentor that has taught me so much about life and other people in both word and example. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>THE STORY</u></b></span></div>
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Last April Arturo and I flew out to Tacloban, Philippines to prepare the country for HELP International's Crisis Team that would be arriving about a month later. Arturo had never been to the Philippines before, and although I had been to the Philippines before, Tacloban was never one of the places I'd ventured to. We knew what we needed to accomplish and that we could do it, but what we didn't know was a single soul or what to expect when we did arrive. And then we met Beth. She was heaven sent, and this is her story.<br />
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Last December Beth had spent some time on a cruise in Asia. When that was done her plan was to go to Cambodia, but she had one rather large problem. She was having trouble getting her visa. After a few failed attempts to get it sorted out, she decided that maybe that wasn't where she was supposed to go. <br />
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Just a month before Cambodia fell through Super Typhoon Yolanda had devastated the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The devastation was unlike anything else, and people and organizations from all over the world went out to help. Beth decided that Tacloban was where she wanted to be. She wanted to help.</div>
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Why do I tell you this? Because what Beth did for the people of Tacloban in the six months she was there helped to restore hope in so many people. She built houses for people who no longer had them, gave loans to businessmen and women who had lost their only source of income. She helped people move, hauled supplies, and treated so many people as her closest friends. When Arturo and I landed in Tacloban she picked up two complete strangers from the airport and gave them a place to stay. She introduced us to people that became some of my closest friends there. She showed us around, set us up with partners, and let us borrow her little red truck to get things set up the way we needed to. She had the two of us in a constant state of laughter. She was a giant part in making my experience in Tacloban what it was. Talking to her always made me smile when things were rough, and what I love the most is that if she could find a way to do something for someone she would, always. Never ever did she did Beth ask for anything in return.</div>
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After Beth left she still continued to help the people in Tacloban. She let our team borrow her truck so that projects would be easier to get to and from with all of our supplies. When we left she gave it to another family to use so that they could help the people around them. She continued to give loans to people so that they could get back on their feet and has kept in close contact with the people who adore her as a friend that had helped them in a time of desperate need. Back home she runs a machine rental business, is a mother of four boys, and constantly has her home filled with people who want to spend time with her. She is an absolute joy to be around, and I look forward to anytime I get to spend time with her. </div>
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One lesson I learned from Beth:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If one person really wants to, they can make a huge difference in the world around them. </span></div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-83058671132984251792014-09-15T10:38:00.000-07:002014-10-08T07:25:01.331-07:00The Purpose in the Blog<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">LIFE:</span> It's the people we interact with, the situations we find ourselves in, and the lessons we learn. It's deciding to see the little things, seeking to understand others, and giving the benefit of the doubt. It's how we spend our time, the attitude we have, and the meaning we give to all of these things. </blockquote>
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I can't say which specific experience lead me to this topic for my blog, because truth be told there isn't just one story. I'll open up about a lot of these stories over time, but for now just know that it wasn't a single event. I want this to be a place where I can write about people. A place where I can write about experiences. A place where I can write about the everyday things that make my life enjoyable. I want this to be a place I can write about what inspires me, and hopefully inspire others along the way. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THE GOAL: </span>To write about life. To find people trying to do good regardless of their situation. </blockquote>
Life is not always easy. Life is not always pleasant, but there are people all around us trying to do good. There are things to remind us of the good things to come. There are things that inspire us to be a little better today than we were yesterday, and things that push us to do more than we think possible. Those are the things I want to find.BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-63348624521741234382014-08-09T04:44:00.001-07:002014-10-08T07:34:55.238-07:00The Twist in the RoadComing home early from the Philippines was definitely the last thing I thought I would do when I decided to go to Tacloban last March. Arriving in the Philippines before most of my friends even started taking finals and coming home the day school started seemed like the perfect plan. Maybe it was FOMO or maybe it was just the thought of being there from the day HELP landed in country until the day HELP left. Either way I would finally get to spend the entirety of my summer in the Philippines; something I'd wanted to do since the day I first stepped in to the country.<br />
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There were days when it was harder than I ever imagined it would be. Days when projects would fall through, or supplies wouldn't show up. Days when all I wanted was some food straight from mom's kitchen. Days filled with phone calls to the consulate that left me wondering if I would ever get my passport back, and days when all I wanted was to do was sit on a couch in our living room or lay on the grass after a day of work. </div>
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There were so many things I could have focused on, that had I chosen to do so, would have eaten at me until I decided to go home early all on my own. But in those moments I would think about the friends I had made there, the needs they had, the lives they lived, and the happiness and hospitality that the were always willing to give. You would think that simply living in a place where poverty is so prevalent would be enough of a reminder, but for some reason it was still so easy to forget that although their way of life worked for them there were things that could be done to better the lives they are living. The friends I made there are what would bring me back to reality. They are what helped me keep focus. And they are the reason that Heavenly Father knew the only way to get me home early was to completely knock me off my feet. Although being there was one of the most challenging things I've done, he knew that there was no way I was going to leave those people behind. Not unless he did something drastic. </div>
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Each day I am home it becomes more and more clear. I needed to be in the HELP office. I needed to be set up an internship for the next year. I needed to go back to Aspen. I needed to move in to an apartment with roommates I already knew and love. I needed to spend time with my family after being away for so long so that I could better appreciate them. I needed to be at my cousins wedding. I needed to be home for Taylor's sake. There was no possible way for me to accomplish all of those things from abroad. Most of it I didn't even realize was an issue until I was here. </div>
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Since being home I have been able to see so many friends and family, some of which I haven't seen in years. It's amazing to me how timing works out. Leaving Tacloban was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was exactly what I needed to do. I know that one day I'll go back, and I am so excited for the day that chance reappears. For now though, I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows the bigger picture. I am grateful that he has the knowledge and ability to intervene when I'm being stubborn, and I am grateful for the opportunities and people he has places in my life. </div>
BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-43578658846966866022014-07-03T17:00:00.000-07:002014-07-04T19:40:06.215-07:00THe CR PRoJeCT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yolanda. She changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in just a few hours. Each and every person here has their own story, and although a lot of people have been left in similar situations I still come across a completely unique story on almost a daily basis. Like 44 children who, although attending school, have no place to use the bathroom; meaning that they use the two-foot wide area between school buildings or they wait through a full day of school until they can get home. It is those kids that we decided to visit today in hopes that within the next couple weeks we would be able to get a CR (Comfort Room) together for them. </div>
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After dedicating our morning to a few other projects Stephen, Amber, Kulia, Bekah and I made our way to Barugohay Norte Elementary School in Carigara. Let me just say that one of the most heart warming things you will ever hear is a classroom full of Filipino elementary students say in unison "HELLO VISITORS" as you walk passed. It never ever gets old. Your first instinct after that is to turn around to say "hello" or "thank you" in return, but what you may not realize is that the second you do the classroom full of students will scream with joy, jump from one foot to another, and then throw their hands over their mouths in excitement. I only offer this advice on the matter: do it anyways. Not only will it make you day, but it will make theirs too.<br />
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When we first got there we were greeted by Veronica, the teacher for those 44 students. She is the one that originally contacted us about the project, and also happened to be one of the people I was able to spend my very <a href="http://awanderousmind.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-not-so-black-saturday.html" target="_blank">first full day here in Tacloban</a> with. After a few introductions we made our way to her classroom to see what kind of work was in store for us. Over the next 30 minutes Amber and Mhytay entertained all 44 children while Veronica explained to the rest of us what it was that they need. She showed us the area they would need to place the CR in and gave us a general idea of the supplies we would need. She then took us elsewhere to show us a different CR that we could model the new one after. She even asked if it would be ok for the parents to be involved in various part of the project. It couldn't have been any more perfect. </div>
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After getting all the information from here that we needed a few of us went in to talk to the principal. We wanted to make sure that he approved of the CR before we got to far in to it, and also ask if there were any other projects the needed a hand with. I personally never heard about other projects, but I did find a few I wouldn't mind doing if they will allow it. I can't think of a single child who would object to few more playground items or a mural on this wall. One thing is for sure though, as long as the office approves it these kids will have a CR :)<br />
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-9657371453451068482014-06-27T22:00:00.000-07:002014-07-01T16:04:55.136-07:00THe CHiCKeN CooP PRoJeCT<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">About a week and a half after getting here Beth, Arturo and I decided to go to Tanauan. Beth was going down regardless of whether Arturo and I came </span>because<span style="font-family: inherit;"> she needed to meet with some members there, but when she </span>invited us<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to go we jumped at the opportunity. Beth told us that she would be at the church for about an hour and a half, and that we were welcome to take the truck around, so that's </span>exactly<span style="font-family: inherit;"> what we did. While she met with her friends Arturo and I took the Lil' Red around Tanauan to scout out some possible projects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was blown away by what I saw and all the work there was to do in Tanauan. Up until that point the only places we'd really seen were Tacloban and the more inland areas. Those areas still had a lot of work to do, but most of the relief efforts were already focused on Tacloban City, and the more inland areas didn't get hit quite as bad as the coastal regions. Tanauan is one of those cities on the coastal region. There were a few tents donated by various NGO's but for the most part there was so much work to be done. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It wasn't too long before we needed to get back to the church in Tanauan to pick up Beth. Before making our way back to the Burgos Chapel there were a few other stops she wanted to make; one being Magay. There was a person there that she wanted us to meet. That person was Gil Bermiso, barangay captain of Magay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gil is one of the most loved barangay captains I've met here. As we walked around Magay the kids would come running out of their houses to say hello to him. In talking to him it was easy to see why. Since then I've met with a number of barangay officials and almost always the main concen is some building that they've lost. They usually buildings that will benefit a whole community, such as a health center, so the cause is not a bad one in the slightest. The concern Gil showed for the individual people in his barangay was a really neat thing to see. He spent time in their homes, walking from place to place talking to people along the way. Because of that he was able to know that shelter, self-sufficiency, and livelihood were what his people needed, and he was willing to address it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We talked about a lot of different projects with him that day. The chicken coop project was one of them. Typhoon Yolanda took the livelihood of many and the chicken coop project would help some people get that back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I was I Cebu last week working on my passport Shaley was back in Tacloban doing all kinds of research. She found out how much food we would need and pricing. She figured out what supplies we would need and then designed a chicken coop with the proper spacing needed. In the days following my return home she was able to meet with Gil to propose our plan to him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our plan was this: To get five people who had previous experience raising and selling chickens for meat, then to have them provide their own chicken coop. There were a couple reasons for this. 1) It would show us that they were committed and 2) It would help avoid jealousy within the community because this is something these people had to put something of their own in too. From there we would provide the farmers with 40 chicks as well as the food and medicine they would need to raise them. After that those five farmers would be able to buy more chicks and supplies to begin the next batch and it would just cycle from there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Shaley and Stephen met with Gil to tell him the plan he was ecstatic. He was able to help us find five farmers by the end of that week and told then that we would be back on June 27th to check out their finished coops. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That deadline was today. Chris, Stephen, Shaley and I were able to go down to Magay to see how the coops were doing. We didn't find five finished coops, but the two that were finished looked so good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We spent the rest of the morning talking with each of the farmers, learning their families and talking about how they had gone about raising chickens in the past. What we hadn't taken in to account was that majority of the days leading up to the 27th were filled with rain. Filipinos are some of the most hardworking people I've met, but when it rains they hide. There are cultural reasons that they so it, but because of it we had to extend the deadline. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the two farmers that were finished Shaley and Stephen were able to bring chicks and supplies too that night. When the arrived in Magay to drop the supplies off the farmers that hadn't finished were busily working on their coops; some of them were almost finished. We told the farmers that we would be back on Sunday to make sure they had finished, and that if they did we would bring them chicks and supplies on Tuesday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A chicken farm might be something so small, but to those five people it could be the difference between employed and unemployed. It could be the thing that helps them pay for a child's education or it could be a meal on the table that they weren't able to have before. It is just one small thing that will help the people of Magay on their path towards self-reliance. </span></div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-60370174647830441922014-06-08T18:44:00.003-07:002015-08-12T16:00:00.945-07:00THE TEAM - WAVE ONE<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A group of people working together to accomplish one common goal. </div>
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In our case the goal is to help the people of Leyte and Samar get back on their feet after being struck by one of the worst typhoons ever recorded. Typically a HELP team is made up of college students from various backgrounds, a lot of which are seeking internship credit. Every once in a while you get the students who are just looking for a chance to look out side themselves for a summer. Our team has all of that, but it also has a dynamic that isn't as common within HELP. Almost all of the people who are on our team have served their missions here giving us a connection to this place that isn't found in most teams. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>HELP Philippines Crisis Team 2014</u></b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">STEPHEN ANDERSON</span></td></tr>
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Stephen stepped foot in to the Philippines for the third time on April 27th. He was born and raised in Utah but left in 2010 when he was called to the Philippines Tacloban Mission. For the next two years he spent his days teaching and serving the people here. A month after the typhoon struck the Philippines Stephen was able to come back with his dad and a group called Charity Vision. They were only here for two weeks, but the amount they were able to accomplish was great. It was shortly after his arrival home that he was asked to be a country director for the HELP Philippines Crisis Team, and by so doing signed up for an entire summer here in Tacloban.<br />
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Chris' story is a lot like Stephen's. He is also from Utah and also left in 2009 to serve in the Philippines Tacloban Mission. While Stephen was in Tacloban with his dad, Chris was busy planning Run4Philippines with his brother Jaron. It was never in his plan to go back to Tacloban. All he was trying to do was raise some money for the people he grew to love. But when HELP caught word of it all, they approached Chris with the opportunity to return to Tacloban. On May 5th Chris arrived in Tacloban as a HELP Country Director, ready to help and determined to make a difference. <br />
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Kulia is about as Hawaiian as they come. He was born there, raised there and will continue to live there after he finishes his time in the Philippines. He spent his mission serving the Filipino people in Bocolod, but that hasn't stopped him from giving his all to the people of Tacloban.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Adam needs to be a motivational speaker. He was only here for ten days but he has the ability to captivate and inspire any audience. Adam is a half Native American, half Filipino from Arizona that spends his days in Hawaii. He was able to spend his mission days getting to know his culture in the Philippines Naga Mission. On thing is for sure; he definitely has the heart of a Filipino. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Regina was a lot like Adam in the sense that she couldn't stay for very long.We all would have loved for her to stay longer, and begged her to do so. One thing is for sure, she made the most of every second she had here. She was also raised in Utah, and later served her mission here in Tacloban. She loves to dance and the youth here loved every bit of </span>choreography she taught them.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Shaley is the last of the four to serve her mission here in Tacloban. She returned home just a couple months before the typhoon hit and jumped at the opportunity to come back to and help the people that she had spent all that time with. Shaley is always willling to help, and if she says she'll get something done you can count on it. No body is more excited than I am that she will be here all summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Becca is another Utah local, and although she'd never been to a third world country before she loved it right from the start. The excitement she had for the Philippines was so fresh and exciting and really helped us all to remember what it was like coming to the Philippines for the first time. The kids here absolutely adore her and her passion to help others through their struggles is so genuine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sean came to the Philippines for the first time when he served his mission in Cebu. He is a Utah local who is always willing to help out on a project, and does so without ever complaining. He has a sense of humor you have to love and a real talent for bringing smiles to the faces of all those around him. </span><br />
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DeeJay is our Hawaii-born, Utah-residing, Cebuano speaking friend. What is not to love about DeeJay is the real question. His love of people and ability to teach has been such an asset to our team. He can have you in a deep conversation about life one second and rolling in laughter the next. We only wish he'd decide to stay longer.<br />
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Can I say that we have the best HELP team there is? I don't know the other teams so that wouldn't really be fair. What I can say that I am so grateful for the team that I am on. I have loved seeing each of our strengths in action as we do our best to help the Filipino people. There is no doubt in my mind that we are all here for a reason and I cannot wait to see what else we will be able to accomplish. </div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-72058305456785390162014-05-20T16:30:00.001-07:002014-05-20T16:40:55.144-07:00THe SiDe YoU DoN'T uSuaLLY See<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Department of Health, DepEd, CRS, JPI, CSWO, DSWD, Samaritan's Purse, YWAM, Volunteers for Visayas, UNICEF, World Vision, Caritas, INTERSOS, LDS Humanitarian, barangay captains and officials, woman's shelter staff. Meetings, meetings, meetings. I knew when I came out here with Arturo that I would be doing a lot of the prep work, especially when it came to finding partners. That was bour goal in coming out 3 weeks before everyone else. To find people that we could work with not just this summer, but in the future as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Doing that kind of work was something I'd always been interested in and while I was working with PIG/Revive I was able to spend a lot of time talking to potential volunteers but it wasn't to often that I got to talk to a potential partner. So having the opportunity to shadow Arturo for those few weeks, and then being able to take the things I learned to continue what we started has been an incredible experience. With so many NGO's working here right now Tacloban has been the best place to get that kind of experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That being said my HELP experience abroad has been very different than most. The rest of our crisis team arrived just last Thursday and since then they have been able to spend every work day up in San Juanico working on housing projects, CR building, supply distribution, painting and a whole range of different projects. Although I was able to make it up to San Juanico on Friday, the rest of my days have been spent in Palo, Tanauan and downtown in meetings or shopping for necessary supplies for upcoming projects. Some of the meetings have been making initial contacts, but a lot of them have been follow up meetings where we have been able to solidify details for upcoming projects. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Is sitting in meetings majority of the day the most exciting thing in the world? Not hardly, but it's been extemeely insightful and inspiring to work with so many many different groups, all working their hardest to accomplish a common goal. It's been an amazing opportunity. It may be a different kind of work, but I really have loved it. Does that mean I don't like doing the hands on projects, or have zero intentions of picking up another hammer this summer? Not at all. The few times I've been able to go out to Armi's and pull out the tools have honestly been some of my favorite days. I will spend more time in the field but for now these meetings are what need to be happening. Plus it's been a blast being able to take some of the volunteers in to these meetings and seeing their faces light up with excitement when they see all the potential things we can do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today Chris and I were able to go meet with Lili, a lady we've been working for over the last week to put together an encampment, without the overnight portion, for a group of 300 adolescents in the Tacloban area that didn't quite get the psychosocial help they needed after the the typhoon hit. I'll save all the details of what those days will be like until I can just write about the event, but our team is so excited to help give these kids an outlet while helping them learn how to deal with these emotions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A little later we were able to go down to Palo for a few hours. In order to make sure that the relief efforts on Leyte and Samar are not being duplicated by all the NGO's that are here UNICEF has organized meetings where the NGO's can come together and talk about everyone is doing. The have them in a number of different categories, today's being education. They covered everything from the number of classrooms destroyed and plans to rebuild to how Yolanda effected drop out rates in all the areas within Leyte and Samar. The numbers were completely mind blowing and have us some good ideas on ways we can help. I can't wait to see what kind of work we can do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all my experience has been a lot different than I thought, but I feel like it has been exactly what I need. I have got to meet with some incredible people. I have got to spend time in places that some of these volunteers probably won't see. I have wound up in unexpected situations that will forever bring a smile to my face and I wouldn't have it any other way. Being in this side of things has taught me so much about myself and my ability to accomplish things I'd never thought I'd be doing. It may not be the typical HELP experience, but I love it!</span></div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-30921371853329534152014-04-25T09:15:00.000-07:002014-06-09T17:28:19.875-07:00PRoJeCTS, PiCTuReS aND PaSSPoRTS<div>
Construction projects. Am I the only one that gets the biggest kick out of them? This last Christmas break my sister and I were able to build console tables with our dad. I was definitely a lot of work, but there is something so satisfying about taking a pile of lumber, cutting it to size, nailing it together, and watching it take shape right before your eyes. That and the memories mean so much more when you really invest yourself. </div>
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Well Friday we had just that experience. After a rather interesting conversation at breakfast we got in to Beth's truck and made our way to San Juanico. Part of Beth letting us use the car the day before included us promising to help build her friend Armi's house. It would be good for us to try it anyways so that we knew what we'd be getting the volunteers into. </div>
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The area was really neat, and quite unlike anything I had ever seen in the Philippines before. It seemed as if it had been nothing more than a field before the typhoon, but it was now it was home to a brand new subdivision for those who had been displaced by the typhoon. I'd seen a lot of houses going in here and there, but never so many in an area that didn't have them already. </div>
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We did everything from cutting and placing 2x2's for the walls to putting in the floor up on the second level. By the time we were finished that evening the walls were framed and two of them were even finished. We bent more nails and had more slivers than I can count, but I laughed harder that day than I have while watching Chinese pranks on YouTube. Maybe we were beginning to suffer delirium from heat stroke but it really was so much fun!</div>
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After that Beth and Armi took us to see the San Juanico bridge. Let me tell you one thing I love about Beth. If there is a picture moment she will pull the car right over and make us all take pictures. On the bridge, after the bridge, or at the Samar sign. She had us stopped at them all, and heaven knows I almost laughed so hard I cried at each and every one of them :) </div>
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Our next stop was a municipality called Basey. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Beth had just started doing micro loans for some of the people here in the Philippines and one of them happened to be over in Basey. <span style="font-family: inherit;">W</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">hile Beth was working things out there Arturo and I made some new friends. Right next to their homes was a section of concrete littered with tents and rubble. Something about that area spoke loud and clear to both Arturo and I. We knew at that point that we wanted to set up some projects there. </span></div>
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Just as the sun was setting we saw a Catholic Church up on the hill above us. The side of me that loves to explore kicked in at that moment, so the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> four of us headed up the stairs to see what was up there. What we weren't expecting to find was a big group of kids and a volleyball. It wasn't long before I had thrown off my backpack and we were all playing volleyball. There was only about 20 minutes of sunlight left, but we loved every second of it.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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Next it was mango shakes at a hole in the wall restaurant, naked children running through the streets and a circle of new friends, raw fish and all. Basey was good to us indeed. </div>
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By the time we wrapped everything up it was completely dark. One of Beth's least favorite things is driving in the dark. Up until that point we hadn't really had to do it (except to the time we needed get Arturo's antibiotic, but that was right down the street). That hour long drive home was absolutely beautiful! The sky in that part of the Philippines is so unpolluted by light. Stars shine brighter. There were fireflies everywhere. At first there were just one or two here and there. Later on we passed tree after tree after tree full of them. I had never seen anything like it! It was absolutely incredible. Everything about that day was. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The house building, the laughter, the sights, the kids. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It wasn't until we got back to the church that my stomach completely sank. My backpack. It was right where I left it. On the grass up by the church. My debit card, credit card, drivers license, Philippine pesos, US dollars, the two phones we had just bought, passports; they were all inside. OUR passports. Not just mine, but Arturo's too. Had it just been mine i wouldn't have worried so much. It would take 6 weeks max to get a new one, and I was already planning on being here long past that. Arturo on the other hand was scheduled to fly out a whole lot earlier than that. I was sick. Absolutely sick. </span></div>
BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-9229567189904880862014-04-24T22:30:00.000-07:002014-05-04T03:36:56.970-07:00THe PaTHBeth's oils or the antibiotics we bought without a prescription (from a pharmacy of course). We may never know what really made Arturo better overnight, but whatever it was made the top of my list! And Arturo's. And Suzanne's. And Beth's. And everyone else at the church. There was never anything in any of my medical training about Tonsilitis, but I'll tell you what, after watching it take it's toll those last few days I don't EVER want to have it.<br />
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Thursday was the first day we were really able to go out in the city to meet with potential partners. It was a day full of one thing leading to another which I absolutely loved. Being able to look back at the path something takes to get from start to finish has always been something I've enjoined. In life or in projects. It doesn't matter to me. </div>
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The Department of Health. The Department of Education. The Department of Social Welfare and Development. At each and every single one we were able to meet with the department head. Being able to listen to some of the problems Tacloban has faced in the past, as well as the problems that came as a result of Yolanda was such an enlightening experience. I'm beyond thrilled to see what the groups that cycle through this summer will be able to do with it all!</div>
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I don't know if you've caught on at all throughout the last week or so of blog posts, but I'm all about the little moments in a day. Today I saw things that would break any heart. Like driving through town and seeing a building still completely filled with debre. Or the house you come across while walking down the street that has been smashed by a gigantic tree, but still people are living inside. Or when the department head tells you to go check in to the Department of <span style="font-family: inherit;">Education just down the hill, and the way it is described is "the big building on the corner without a roof." Or the time you spend at walking through a market five looking for an ATM that works because even though the bank has one Yolanda left it as nothing more than a box, like it did with so many other everyday items. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But still there are the moments that just keep you laughing. Like the moment when a Mexican and an American decided to get behind the wheel in the Philippines for the very first time. Or the time you are told by a three-year old that everyone in the church is a "artista" or celebrity except for you and her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I love the most though are the moments that make you feel nostalgic. The moments when you find yourself doing your favorite things without even planning them to happen. Things like stopping at a corner stand to buy mini pineapples for a quick merienda, or walking the street talking about how a motivated person really can make a difference. Or how about when you decided to park the car for a moment just so you can walk through a little market where the kids stop to talk and at the end is a beautiful view of the ocean around you and the nearby islands that call it home. Or when you all of a sudden just decide to explore because you know what, life doesn't need to be hurried; it just needs to be lived. Those are some of my </span><br />
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0Tacloban City, Philippines11.25 12511.0008375 124.6772765 11.4991625 125.3227235tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-55135803019996436032014-04-23T22:30:00.000-07:002014-05-04T03:35:09.571-07:00QuaRaNTiNeD<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and even in to Wednesday. Those were the days that Arturo spent sick in bed. All I have to say is that I am oh so very grateful that I have never had Tonsillitis. You know how sometimes being sick isn't so terrible because the illness isn't really that bad, and you may even get to catch up on some much needed rest? Yeah, nothing about that monster of an illness seemed like it was bringing him that kind of relief. He's not a sissy either, and it completely did him in. Here we were in a foreign country that is still in major recovery mode, living under one giant roof with people we'd only met a day and a half ago, and he was so so so so sick. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Those few days were full of Beth teaching the ways of the oil pull, kalamansi juice shots, noodles, a failed attempt to the doctor, a lot of ibuprofin and finally some perscriptionless antibiotics. Who ever knew there were so many ways to treat the same thing? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While Arturo was busy trying to fight the Tonsilitis I was at least able to get some logistical things taken care of. Beth and I went downtown one day so that I could get some things that we would need for the next couple weeks, as well as the rest of the summer. Tuesday Arturo and I even made it out of the church in an attempt to get him to the doctor. We didn't think about the fact that maybe the hospital would still be closed from typhoon damage. That led us to an hour or so at Robinsons where we got him some food he could eat, and something a little more comfortable to sleep on. Even that was a little to much though. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By Wednesday he was beginning to feel better. Not much, but it was something. While we were sitting in the cultural hall eating lunch President Aban came up to us and began telling us about a program the church just set up for the Tacloban Mission. In a nutshell it is an excellerated way for church members in this mission to use the skills they have, and through theis program gain an education of sorts that will make them more marketable in the vocational world. They are given a loan and a stipend for the three months it takes to complete, and after that all they have to pay back is 15% of the loan. We decided to head I. To the chapel where they were holding a huge meeting about it, and afterwards talked to the program managers for quite a while. It was full with good stuff and got us super excited about the possibilities here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It wasn't an easy couple of days, and it definitely wasn't expected but like I mentioned before it helped me to appreciate the amazing people surrounding me! Everyone here was so kind, so friendly, and so caring. Having each of them around truly was the biggest blessing!</span></div>
BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0Tacloban City, Philippines11.25 12511.0008375 124.6772765 11.4991625 125.3227235tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-63674403062215566982014-04-20T22:30:00.000-07:002014-05-04T03:34:10.813-07:00An EaSTeR BiRTHDaY To ReMeMBeR :)<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first time I came to the Philippines was almost exactly two years ago and ever since I have wanted nothing more for my birthday than to be able to spend it here. It's not that I wanted some big Filipino celebration. In fact my grand plan was to not let anyone here find out until after it had happened. That way they didn't feel like they had to do anything for me. That was the plan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then we went to the Black Saturday Celebration. I was talking to Beth and my new friend Mhayty when all of a sudden he asked when my birthday was...uh..."Tomorrow" I muttered under my breath. I couldn't lie. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Beth got so excited, "Oh my gosh, I am so glad you told me! We have to have a party" she said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"No really, it's ok" I replied. Then we moved on to talking about the celebration and I didn't hear much more about it. Maybe they"d forget. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then Saturday night rolled along. One of my church mates added me on Facebook. I don't know why I didn't think about it, but I accepted him right then and there, not thinking about Facebook being the big discloser of birthdays. Within moments I had a message from Ian. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Is today really your birthday?" He asked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's the moment I knew my plan had failed. The celebrations began a few hours later at dinner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know that many Americans have ever spent much time actually living under the same roof as 13 other Filipinos, but it is the best!! It was "Happy Birthday" at the dinner table. It was "Happy Birthday" in the halls. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next morning, on my actual birthday, I had forgotten that it was even my birthday until I went in to the cultural hall to get some water. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Happy Birthday" shouted Lani! Only to follow it with the Happy Birthday Song from Sesame Street, "You're a little bit older, a little bit wiser." I heard that song for days and I loved every second of it :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love that every once in a while I get to spend my birthday remembering the Resurection of he Savior and how his work on this earth makes it possible for me to receive the greatest gift I could ever receive. I know that I will be able to live with all the people I have come to know and love throughout my life forever because of His selfless sacrifice, and I am so grateful for that knowledge. </span></div>
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After breakfast we walked to the other side of the church and sat down in the Chapel. It's not uncommon for visitors to be introduced in church. What I wasn't expecting was a birthday wish over the pulpit. But there it was. The sister who gave the first talk, whom I had never spoken to before, wished me a happy birthday right then and there. How she even knew it was my birthday is completely beyond me! Did it make me super uncomfortable? Maybe. Was it really sweet of her? It sure was. </div>
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The remainder of the three-hour block was all the same way. Full of birthday wishes from people I'd never talked to. People here are so kind. I am constantly in awe at their ability to look outside themselves as they love and serve those around them. I hope throughout my time here I will be able to learn from their example, and be able to love not just those close to me, but those people who I barely know too. </div>
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After church that day we stayed at the church. Unfortunately that was also the day Arturo began to get sick. We weren't sure at the time but the Tonsilitis monster had made its way in with a vengeance. Arturo would say I was bored out of my mind, but other than feeling completely helpless in getting him to from sick to better I really didn't mind at all! It gave me a chance to really spend some time with the others living here. Bishop and Lani. Juvy, Imel and their girls. Ian, Dallin, Clark and Christene. Albert, Gilbert, and David. I'll talk more about them tomorrow, but I loved the time I got to spend with them! These little girls especially. </div>
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With an ube cake and a room full of friends to end the day, I'll have to say it was perfect! The birthday I finally got to spend in the Philippines was at last a reality :) </div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0Tacloban City, Philippines11.25 12511.0008375 124.6772765 11.4991625 125.3227235tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-35484015169853449852014-04-19T22:00:00.000-07:002014-06-15T20:36:13.644-07:00CaRaBao, CaR RiDeS, aND CHiLDReNHoly Week. I'd never been in the Philippines the week before Easter, so that wasn't ever a thought that crossed my mind. It all starts on Maundy Thursday. Stores either shut their doors or drastically reduce their hours from then until Black Saturday, with Good Friday falling in between.<br />
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As we were driving down that street on the coastline I talked about yesterday I remember seeing a group of five young boys walking down some stairs towards the water. Two of them had on dark red hats that looked like something the ancient roman solidiers would wear. In between those two boys was where the other three boys were. It wasn't until we got closer that I realized what was going on. Two of the boys had whips in their hands and right in front of them was a boy with a cardboard cross on his back. That was the first, but certainly not the last time we would see something like that. Good Friday was in full swing. </div>
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The next morning began Black Saturday. Bright and early Beth got a text inviting us to a Holy Week Celebration in a place called Carigara about an hour away from where we were staying. One of our goals in coming to set up the program was to get a better understanding oh the people, their needs and the culture, so Arturo, Beth and I jumped in her truck and began the drive. </div>
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When we first got into Carigara we pulled in to a church parking lot to meet up with the people that had invited us. We piled five more people into the back of the little red truck and made our way through about ten barangays (the native term for something equivalent to a village). With each barangays we passed through we picked up more and more people. Everyone was on their way. It almost felt like a parade with everyone lining the streets and making going in the same direction. Only this was a parade that anyone and everyone could join, and believe me they did; bands included. I love about the culture here :)</div>
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Over the next couple hours we would see native dances, listen to a local singer, get trambled by people trying to catch a better look at the horse fights, watch as people got chased by carabao, and stare in shock at the cock fight. There were police everywhere trying to keep people from getting to close to the animals, but it never worked. It was absolute chaos, but that's just the way things are around here. The culture is it's own and it is such an exciting thing to experience. Although the cock fight was a little too intense for my liking, being able to see life through the eyes of a local is one of my absolute favorite parts about traveling! </div>
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We were just about to head back to the little red truck when some of the missionaries that also happened to be at the celebration asked us if they could catch a ride back to the church with us. In true Filipino fasion we told them to pile in. There were ten of us in the back of that truck on the way down the hill. Five of them were missionaries, and three of the five missionaries were American. All of them were all here when Typhoon Yolanda hit. The stories they had were almost unbelievable. Three days without food or water. Some of their homes flooded with over 4 feet of water. In the church we had stopped at the day before 500 people had climbed up into the ceiling and straddled 2x4's for 5-6 hours to avoid the contaminated water below. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before the typhoon there were abot 240 missionaries in the entire mission. Afterward about 80 of them went home on temporary leave until they could find a place for them, but not many of them came back to Tacloban. Elder Baird was one of the missionaries that went home for a short amount of time, but he was able to come back to Tacloban and happened to be one of the missionaries riding in the back of the truck. He said that while he was home he was able to write his entire account on a website (www.ElderBaird.com) and as of now it is the most detailed account of that day written by a missionary. For the last six months I have been hearing stories about what it was like over here when Yolanda hit. But to be here where I am looking the destruction in the face, and listening to the stories of the people that were here first hand puts things in to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">a whole new perspective. </span></div>
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After grabbing a bite to eat with the missionaries the three of us made our way northwest to Capoocan to visit a barangay called Talisay. The whole drive was right along the Carigara Bay and the entire thing was dotted with coconut trees. The view was breathtaking!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Being in Talisay has been one of my favorite things so far on this trip. There is something about those rural barangays that I just fall in love with every time. The main reason for us going to Talisay was to check out some projects that had been done there earlier in the year. Several homes had been constructed, and they even put up a tiny church right there in the Barangay. In that area there aren't quite enough priesthood leaders to make a branch so what the church had them</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> do was organize a "Group." "Group Leaders" where then called to lead the group and just like that it is a fully functioning portion of the church. </span></div>
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As we were looking at the different construction projects there was this group of four little kids that began to follow us. Up until that point I hadn't been able to use much Tagalog. I wasn't even sure if they spoke it wife Waray Waray is the native language in this area. So at one point I turned towards them, got down on their level and said "Nakakintindi ka ba ng Tagalog?" (Or in English: Do you understand Tagalog?). All of a sudden they looked at me, grinned and said "Oo!" I went on to ask them their names and how old they were. From that point on they went everywhere we did. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rumel, Ashley, Sammy & Wednesday</td></tr>
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Once we finished looking at the various projects in the upper half of the barangay they wanted to take us down to he lower portion to take a look from tag the ocean from the shoreline. With the Group Leaders as our guides and fifteen mini followers we took the quick walk to the shore. I will never ever get sick of the view from the coast looking out over the ocean. </div>
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There was only one more thing on our itinerary before we would head back to Tacloban. We wanted to continue up the path we had driven in on to see what other barangays were there. This time we didn't have the group leaders, but our trail of followers was with us every step of the way. </div>
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Do you know what I love about these kids. I can barely speak their language, but in such a short amount of time I am able to get to know them and their personalities so well. Like the boy who carried his little toy car, rolling it down every hill we can across. Or the boy who made sure everyone felt loved by him. Then there were the girls who loved it when I would say something in Tagalog so that they couple tell me what I said in English, and the little boy who carries his bamboo boat everywhere like Linus and his blanket. It was only after a lot of coaxing that he let Arturo carry it for him. There was also the boy who ran up ahead of us, plopped down on the ground, posed, and begged us to take a picture. Before we knew it everyone else was there too. Some of the kids were shy, but when one child would begin to sing even them would join in. I live for those little moments, when all of a sudden it's not a disaster zone, but a place where life is so simple and so full of joy. That's the reason why I keep coming back to this place that I love, and I am thankful everyday for those little moments. </div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0Carigara, Philippines11.298108 124.6786945999999711.048915 124.35597109999998 11.547301 125.00141809999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-39791822749921121882014-04-18T21:00:00.000-07:002014-05-04T03:31:47.250-07:00BeauTY aMoNGST THe DiSaSTeR<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Flying out of Manila to the other parts of the Philippines is something I have always loved. It's island after island after island. In the air right around Metro Manila it looks so monochromatic. But as you venture farther south all of sudden there is so much contrast. The blues, greens, and whites are so vibrant. We were extra lucky that afternoon too. It was just a little rainy, yet the sun was still shining so there were rainbows everywhere. It was absolutely beautiful! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seeing Tacloban for the first time is something I've thought about since back in November. The destruction here is still very real. Buildings and homes were completely destroyed. Some are missing complete walls, roofs and/or windows. Some are missing all together. But the regrowth is also very real. Homes are going up, debre is being cleared, and the trees that are still standing have their leaves back. Amongst all the destruction there is so much beauty. Beauty and so much hope. </span></div>
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After leaving the plane we made our way to baggage claim. This section of the airport was nothing more than a couple of walls and almost 3/4 of a roof. It looked as if there may have been big glass windows there before, but they were now completely open. The only thing inside the walls that told you that you were inside an airport is what used to be the baggage belt. It no longer worked, but everyone gathered around it as our baggage was unloaded on to it anyways. </div>
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At the airport we were picked up by Beth. She's the lady I mentioned in my last post. While traveling Asia with some friends she heard about Typhoon Yolanda and decided to cut her trip short and make her way to Tacloban. She didn't have any ties here, just a desire to help. So she jumped on a plane and has been working here with different organizations on numerous projects ever since. She even decided to get herself a Filipino drivers license and a little red truck, both of which have been heaven sent!</div>
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On our way to where we'd be staying we stopped at a fruit stand and a church next door. The churches here have been housing people for the last 6 months. Although they are nowhere near as full as they we initially, they are still home to some who are still without a home. That church we stopped at specifically was just emptied and they have not began reconstruction on the parts of it that still needed repairs. </div>
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We drove along the coastline that night on our way to where we'd be staying. I didn't pull out my camera because I wanted to just take everything in, but the mental images I was able to capture will stay with me forever. Remnants of life before the typhoon were everywhere. They say before Yolanda you couldn't really see the water because there where so many homes built right up to it, but not the view of the ocean is very clear. It was worse there than any area I've seen since. </div>
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We spent the rest of that evening getting to know the thirteen other people we would be living with for the next couple of weeks. I'll talk about them a lot more in my next post, but staying with them has been such a neat experience! I love being able to hear their stories, and to joke around with them each day around the dinner table. They have the biggest hearts and each day we are here I find myself more and more grateful for the people who so kindly welcomed a couple of strangers :)</div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0Tacloban City, Philippines11.25 12511.0008375 124.6772765 11.4991625 125.3227235tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211778380339402808.post-63260633559926316302014-04-18T15:54:00.000-07:002014-04-24T04:59:40.436-07:00MaNiLa<span style="font-family: inherit;">For those of you who are just reading my blog, and don't see anything on FB or insta, have no fear. I made to the Philippines! It's been full of excitment and adventure, but it's been so much more than just that. I was talking to my American friend Beth on Saturday as we were driving home from one of our stops that day. The story of how she ended up in the Philippines is nothing short of a miracle which I'll tell at some point but for now just know that she came out here to Tacloban with absolutely nobody and that she had never once been to the Philippines. One other important factor... She's been here since December, and she's just going to stay until she feels like here work over here is done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we were talking she said "You know what has been really neat about this experience? I have learned more about trusting in The Lord while I've been here than I have in a really long time." It's hard to explain, but I knew exactly what she meant. Traveling puts you in a whole different category of vulnerable, especially if you are going at it alone. Even more so when you have no sure knowledge of what you are going to do, or what your exact purpose is once you get there. That is what I love. The vulnerability that makes me trust in the man who knows better than I do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I also love is that He gives me experiences, not just to learn from, but to help me remember the lessons I've learned. Like the time in the Manila airport when I had just finished at customs, and I realized that Arturo wasn't going to be able to get to he place I was supposed to meet him at. I walked to an area close to where we were supposed to meet that he could actually get to. Neither one of us had Filipino phones. There was no WI-FI. Just thousands and thousands of people and the only way to find eachother was just by looking. Ever tried playing real life "Where's Waldo" in a giant foreign city? It gets your heart racing just a little bit...haha. It took a lot of time, some prayers, and Arturo on top of a bench for us to find eachother, but we finally found eachother! I can't even begin to explain how relieving that moment was for both of us! Haha :) (PS. Big thanks to the person who tried to help me find Arturo and the to the guy who did help Arturo find me. Maraming maraming salamat!!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then there are the times when you are given the chance to use the advice of others to keep yourself safe. Such as don't wander the streets of a big foreign city alone. That night we stayed in this blessed part of Manila that Arturo likes to refer to has the "Pink Light Disctrict." We wandered the street a little that night, had dimsum (<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">a bunch of little Chinese dishes. You order as many as you want and just have at it) </span>across from our hostel. Nothing to crazy. Luckily the night I was there the area didn't seem all that "pink lightish". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then there are he experiences that help you realize people really aren't that bad. Staying in a hostel is something that I'd always wanted to do. I even considered it when I was planning out my layovers. In the end I decided I didn't want my first hostel experience to be something I did alone, but apparently this trip it was still going to happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The hostel we stayed at was actually a lot nicer than I was expecting. There were six beds in my room, but only half of them we full. One of my roommates was asleep right up until the time we checked out at noon. The other was a Filipino girl that came in the next morning. She was just barely younger than me. We were able to chat a little bit before she fell asleep, but not long. I've always heard that the best part about hostels is the people you meet. Breakfast the next morning, and this guy Vincent proved to me that it was true. People really do have such neat stories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally there are the experiences that teach you that the people around are full of information. Before I left I the states I had called Arturo about some packing questions. There was one thing I wanted to buy more of before I left, but he told me to get them when we got to the Philippines. I had thought about that for other things, but not for what I was going to buy this time. So I held off. After breakfast at the hostel we decided to take a taxi down to the Manila Temple. Arturo had never been to the Philippines before, and since we only had a few hours before we had to be at the airport we decided to go look around the temple grounds. The Distribution Center was right there too, and happened to be the place I needed to go, so it was perfect! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After snapping some pictures, doing some shopping and a few scoops of Filipino ice cream we made our way back to the hostel for check out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The time spent in Manila was good, but the places I love about the Philippines are far from the big cities. Over the next couple hours we would make our way to the place I was most excited for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Next stop: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>TACLOBAN!</b></span></div>
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BRIThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878943489621279552noreply@blogger.com0