This could potentially be one of the greatest phrases ever! One of my greatest friends, Dugan, overheard some people complaining about their experience in first class. As harmless as she meant it when she replied with the words "My diamond shoes are too tight", it felt like somebody punched me in the throat. Even though her words were not directed at me, i couldn't help but to apply them to my life.
The day before i left for my trip, my washing machine broke and flooded the house. Of course my first instinct is to think "woe is me; why me? This sucks". But when I was forced to think about it, i thought "at least i have a house; the only things ruined were replaceable; more than half the world doesn't own a washing machine, so at least I have one". When I looked at my life from that perspective--I started to enjoy my time in Honduras even more.
Our humanitarian efforts began by taking large amounts of clothes, shoes, books and accessories(provided by bethany) to a baby orphanage. When we arrived, the children were preparing to eat dinner. The head of the orphanage asked "ninos,,quieren comida o zapatos?" (children, do you want food or shoes?) They all screamed "zapatos"(shoes). They dumped the shoes out onto the dusty floor and all the kids anxiously dove for them. There is no feeling much greater than the feeling I had at that moment. I honestly believe that our greatness is not measured by what we possess, but by what we give.
We had a great time at a local nursing home in La Ceiba. We had a nice game of soccer going (or as they would call it--futbol). We taught an English lesson to some local children, did arts and crafts with 2 different villages, and bought food for a local family and dined with them. My favorite part of that dinner was learning that Mr. Chang rearranged the dishes on the table to cover the insect life. Kelly took an entire day to help a volunteer construction team build a much needed house for a village. Everyone in our small group jumped at the opportunity to strengthen another life. And even though we didn't do anything miraculous that will save the world, we took a step in the right direction--and that matters.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
EARTH IS AMAZING
During this previous week's vortex of adventures, my new friend Chris (chang) stated, "Earth is amazing". For some reason that statement confiscated my attention and it made my travels really sink in. This past week was full of non-stop excitement as we toured a tiny spot on this amazing earth. When you surround it with imaginary lines and put it on a rotating globe, we call that spot Honduras.
One of the highlights of our trip was slowly descending 55 feet below the surface of the water to a world much more colorful than our own. On our first dive we witnessed a school of squid and a couple of them were mating (a unique experience for me). Our dive included clear visibility, schools of colorful fish, overly larger groupers, lobsters, eels and much more. As i watched my friends eyes widen and bubbles rapidly coming from their regulators, i knew that this was going to be the first of many dives for them.
Our group took a day to hike to the remote waterfall of Rio Zacate. The ferocious downpour of hard rain slowed us down a bit but it just gave us a better story to tell. During our white water rafting extravaganza i learned that "real men raft without rafts". Whether it's true or not, i think that it's hysterical and it fit our day to a tee. We spent the majority of our day climbing up slippery rocks and getting a running start to jump off cliffs into the river (and i have to mention that the current in the river was no joke). The best climb was one that entailed strategically climbing straight up a 50 foot wall where your fall(if there was one) was broken by the river below. Once we were safely at the top, we discovered that we were indeed expected to jump off into the currents below. I involuntarily volunteered to go first and i felt like i would never quit falling. It was indescribably amazing.
Our other adventures were a bit more laid back such as boat rides, snorkeling and laying on a white sand beach. Overall our week in a underdeveloped paradise was incredible. I couldn't have gone on a trip with better people; people that were open to try everything with little or no complaining along the way. Thank you guys (you know who you are) for making this past week an unforgettable one for me.
One of the highlights of our trip was slowly descending 55 feet below the surface of the water to a world much more colorful than our own. On our first dive we witnessed a school of squid and a couple of them were mating (a unique experience for me). Our dive included clear visibility, schools of colorful fish, overly larger groupers, lobsters, eels and much more. As i watched my friends eyes widen and bubbles rapidly coming from their regulators, i knew that this was going to be the first of many dives for them.
Our group took a day to hike to the remote waterfall of Rio Zacate. The ferocious downpour of hard rain slowed us down a bit but it just gave us a better story to tell. During our white water rafting extravaganza i learned that "real men raft without rafts". Whether it's true or not, i think that it's hysterical and it fit our day to a tee. We spent the majority of our day climbing up slippery rocks and getting a running start to jump off cliffs into the river (and i have to mention that the current in the river was no joke). The best climb was one that entailed strategically climbing straight up a 50 foot wall where your fall(if there was one) was broken by the river below. Once we were safely at the top, we discovered that we were indeed expected to jump off into the currents below. I involuntarily volunteered to go first and i felt like i would never quit falling. It was indescribably amazing.
Our other adventures were a bit more laid back such as boat rides, snorkeling and laying on a white sand beach. Overall our week in a underdeveloped paradise was incredible. I couldn't have gone on a trip with better people; people that were open to try everything with little or no complaining along the way. Thank you guys (you know who you are) for making this past week an unforgettable one for me.
thought of the day......by "OFF THE MAP" -by crimethinc
When i find myself in this place of incontrovertible aliveness, when the world is on fire and i am with it---i think, i won't forget this, i won't be lost in the pettiness of the day-to-day, my own turmoil, i won't succumb to sorrow or inertia or fall prey to fear. None of it matters nearly as much as this joy, this knowing the beauty of each thing exactly as it is.
Recently i have begun to think, more realistically. i probably will forget this; i will be caught up in stuckness and i will be afraid, i will be numbered by the horror of everything around me and i will feel small and tired and lost. But this time i will try to remember a space beyond it. i will try to remember the boundless hope and consuming joy and know that it's still there, somewhere. Holding out behind a curtain of small terrors and fog and futility is a fortress of uncontainable bliss waiting to be unleashed again in my heart and the world.
Recently i have begun to think, more realistically. i probably will forget this; i will be caught up in stuckness and i will be afraid, i will be numbered by the horror of everything around me and i will feel small and tired and lost. But this time i will try to remember a space beyond it. i will try to remember the boundless hope and consuming joy and know that it's still there, somewhere. Holding out behind a curtain of small terrors and fog and futility is a fortress of uncontainable bliss waiting to be unleashed again in my heart and the world.
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