A Heart Always Remembers

Arusha, Tanzania is one of the most beautiful places on the planet; not because of the lush vegetation and vibrant colors, but because of the people. Walking around town, it is rare to pass a stranger that does not say hello and welcome you to Tanzania. Driving to the school, every child you see smiles and waves. At L.O.A.M.O, it is impossible to walk around school without being hugged and wished a good morning. The culture here is so overwhelmingly welcoming that in the short amount of time I have been here, I have found a place that will always be home.

It is for this reason that when I hear the word “Tanzania”, the first thought in my mind will be of smiling faces and beautiful laughter. I have seen elephants, lions, zebras, and more, but the students at L.O.A.M.O outshone them all. I have never felt so much love and gratitude radiating from one place, and it is hard for me to imagine it existing anywhere else. I have seen and done so much on this trip, but there isn’t enough time in the universe to accomplish everything. I am not ready to leave L.O.A.M.O, but I never will be. Even if I had stayed here for years, I would have always needed one more hug, one more dance, and one more smile.

I think that is what made Saturday’s goodbye the hardest one yet. Two of my students, Noel and Precious, muttered quiet “I love you”s through tight hugs. When I told them the same, their only question was “then why are you leaving?” Tears welled in my eyes and I was left utterly speechless. How do you explain that a plane ticket is your best excuse for leaving to two children who only want love? All I could do was pull them closer and whisper, “Because I know my heart will always remember you.” Precious nodded and wiped tears from my cheeks while Noel grabbed my hand for one last time and pressed a folded letter into my palm.

Watching their bus drive away, it did not feel like the last time I would see them. My brain said it was goodbye, but my heart knew that it would always return home. Maybe I’ll see the students at L.O.A.M.O next summer, or maybe I’ll never get the opportunity to see them again. Either way, we will sleep under the same stars and I will take comfort in the fact that I never truly left them, for you can never leave family.

Walking Miracles

                Poverty is a nearly impossible cycle to break. One of the only ways out is an education, and one of the only ways to get an education is to be financially stable. In Tanzania, public primary schools are taught in Swahili, but secondary school is taught in English. Because of this, many students that could not afford private primary school do not know English, so they drop out of school after class 7. As a result, they are less educated, which means they make less money, which means their children are more likely to drop out of school, putting the cycle on a never-ending loop. That is, until a miracle happens. A child is able to skip a grade, and as a result, their family scrapes together enough money to send them through form 2. That child then gets a higher paying job, and with the help of a sponsor is able to send their own child all the way through form 6. That child then grows up and is able to send the next generation all the way through university. In this way, a child with a great grandmother that that never finished grade 7 can earn a university degree. But this process takes generations and requires multiple miracles to occur.

                One of my favorite songs reflects this with the lyrics, “The world waits for a miracle”. I loved those lyrics until today. Looking around my classroom, I realized that my students are not looking for miracles, they are miracles. These children have every possible odd pinned against them. Many come from homes with no electricity, no water, and a million other excuses not to finish school. Despite this, speaking to the students and seeing how hard they work every day has made it clear that they want nothing of the sort. I have spoken to students who want to be teachers, doctors, or engineers, and speak of this as if it is their certain future. They are not waiting for a miracle; they are creating one by doing everything in their power to shape their future. They don’t think anyone will do it for them, and they wouldn’t ask anyone to. They demonstrate motivation, determination, and resilience in the rawest form.

                Every student at L.O.A.M.O knows a song with the lyrics, “I’m walking power, a walking miracle”. I hope with all my heart that these children believe those words, because they are the some of the most brilliant and capable people I have ever met. I know it is likely that many of them will never see their dreams come to fruition, but they are all bringing their families one step further from poverty. If their dreams do not come true, they will be passed on to their children, their grandchildren, and so on until they are achieved. I dream that in this way, the hope in my student’s eyes will never be lost, only transferred. They truly are, and always will be, walking miracles.

Time Well Spent

My first glimpse of Tanzania was the rocky summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro peeking through the clouds. Below these clouds, the rocks transformed into lush green fields. As we drove home, I noticed goats, cows, and smiles everywhere. I was greeted with enthusiastic waves from precious children, and joyful “karibu”s from their beautiful parents.

This welcoming greeting continued when I arrived at L.O.A.M.O, but the students were so shy that the conversation often ended there. By the next day however, the same students that had been embarrassed to tell me their names were laughing and screaming as they played their first round of trashketball. I had known the students were brilliant from the second I walked into the classroom, but in that moment, they became so much more than students. They are someone’s friend, someone’s sibling, and someone’s child. They are sweet, hilarious, and beautiful. They are students, but more importantly, they are people. Each of them has a story to be told, but it wasn’t until my home visit that I realized just how inspirational their stories are.

Lillian is 39 years old and has two sons, Enoch and Ebanezer. They are both in class four at L.O.A.M.O, and are some of the sweetest boys you will ever meet. From the outside, you would never know that they live in an 8x8 foot home with no water or electricity. Their bathroom consists of a singular toilet bowl dug into the ground, and a bucket of water. They share this bathroom with 20 other people. If you think that these conditions sound bad, the conditions that they came from were far worse.

When Enoch was one and Ebanezer was three, their father left them. The same man returned two years later and took the boys from Lillian. He made the boys work on his farm, and at only the ages of three and five, they would lead cows for miles with no shoes on their feet. When they got home, there was no dinner waiting for them. When one of the boys was nearly killed, Lillian began to hear stories of their inhumane treatment. She fought to get them back, and by the time Enoch was five and Ebanezer was seven, she succeeded. Lillian has been blind since she was two years old, but despite all of the challenges that this creates and the lasting pain that she endures in her eyes, Lillian has worked as hard as humanly possible to provide for her boys. She is one of the strongest, most inspirational women I have ever met, and I will never forget the love and gratitude that radiated from her home despite all of the hardships that her family has suffered.

I have been in Tanzania for less than a week, and I am already amazed by how incredible these people are. They have found hope and joy in people rather than possessions, and I strive to be as strong and loving as they are. It breaks my heart to think that I only have a week left with the students at L.O.A.M.O, but I plan on taking after the Tanzanian people and living in the moment. There will never be enough time, but I can always make the most of the time I have. After all, “[Time], if well [spent], is long enough.” -Seneca

The Art of Exposure

In the Vail Valley, people are skiers. That is simply the way it is: if you live in Vail, you ski. That is just part of Vail’s specific culture. There are other characteristics that can be used to stereotype Vail as well, just like there are for any other town, country, or region around the world. For example, if someone were to tell you they had a friend in Vail, you would likely picture a young, athletic, wealthy individual that for some reason doesn’t pronounce the letter “t”. In many cases, this assumption would be correct. Vail has a relatively homogenous population, all seemingly living in beautiful homes with beautiful views of the beautiful mountains. This has created what many refer to as “the perfect bubble effect”.

At first, this “perfect bubble” may sound wonderful. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone seems to have similar interests. This beneficially results in very few conflicts, but also leaves very little room for change. Without change and challenges, it is impossible to grow. I firmly believe that in order to establish strong beliefs, those beliefs have to be questioned. Because of this, it is important for beliefs and opinions to be based off of experience and careful thought rather than stereotypes and gossip. Living in such an isolated and homogenous area creates a safe and comfortable environment, but leaves limited opportunity for this exposure to new experiences. As a result, myself and many other high schoolers in Vail desire a change of scenery by the time they apply to college.

I do not say this to portray Vail as a bad or closed minded place. There is truly nowhere else that I would have rather grown up, and I am incredibly fortunate to be blessed with the life I have. The “perfect bubble effect” comes with multiple advantages, and has in many ways made me who I am. For example, growing up in a small town has allowed me to develop a strong sense of self control and identity. When something becomes a “trend” in a small town, it is not like in a city where there will always be people that go against the norm. Often times, if you don’t like the trends in a small town, you have to be comfortable being the only one doing something else. While this can be challenging, learning to stand on my own has given me a strong sense of identity and taught me self-discipline. I know what my morals and beliefs are, and while I am always open to these being challenged, I am also comfortable enough with who I am to stand on my own and advocate for myself.

In my opinion, growing up in the Vail Valley has helped me establish these traits. Had I grown up in a large city for example, there would likely have been enough people that no matter what the social norms were, there would always be a group of people going against the grain. Had I grown up in this environment, I would likely not have developed as strong of a sense of self control. Growing up in Vail has shaped me in many other ways, including giving me a great appreciation for natural beauty and snowy mountains, but the self control I have developed from growing up here is by far the most beneficial thing Vail has given me.

We are all distinctly shaped by where we grow up and who we grow up with. That is why taking advantage of every opportunity to be exposed to different cultures and experiences is so important. Just like my perspective has been shaped by my personal experiences, so have the perspectives of the children I will meet in Tanzania. We have had profoundly different experiences, so we will naturally have profoundly different perspectives. This is a crucial and beautiful thing for myself and all others to experience, as growth and improvement is only made possible through adaptation and connection. I am beyond thrilled to learn from the people I encounter on this trip, and know that this experience will stretch my perspective to new and delightful bounds.

“Learning is a journey: from facts, to knowledge, on to understanding, and eventually wisdom.” -Graham O’Connell

“Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief, or ignorance.” -W. Clement Stone

Mount Kilimanjaro reaches to the sky before disappearing into the clouds. The Serengeti National Park stretches on for miles before fading into the horizon. Lakes dot the landscape, forming a mesmerizing maze throughout the entire country. But in the midst of all this beauty, there are millions of people experiencing great tragedy. According to some sources, almost 68% of the population of Tanzania lives below the poverty line, and the life expectancy is only 45 years old. This is a fairly simple statistic to understand, but an impossible one to process. I do not pretend to understand what it is like to live in these conditions, but trying to figure out what caused such widespread poverty is a place to start.
Before Tanzania became “The United Republic of Tanzania”, it was a combination of two nations referred to as Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The two territories did not unite until 1964, less than 60 years ago. Since then, Tanzania has experienced many conflicts. From battles with the Ugandans in 1978 to Al-Qaeda bombings and national protests in the late 1900’s and early 2000’s, Tanzania has scarcely had time to recover from one conflict before experiencing another. In addition to this, Tanzania is still a very new country and has had very little time to develop as a result. It took America 170 years to gain independence after English colonization, and many years more to develop into a true first world country. The United States has seen very little government corruption compared to many other nations, and it still took hundreds of years for the country to develop. In comparison, Tanzania has experienced multiple conflicts, government corruption, and large protests within its 55 years of existence. Given this information, it makes sense that Tanzania would be a developing country at this point in history. However, the past does not define the present, and the present does not define the future.
From 2006 to 2012, the extreme poverty rate declined by 4%. In addition to this, the tourism business has skyrocketed and many other industries such as agriculture, mining, construction, and oil/gas production have also developed, helping improve Tanzania’s economy. While Tanzania remains a low income country, it is home to many different tribes who speak hundreds of different languages, creating a very unique and diverse culture. Despite Tanzania’s extreme diversity, Tanzania is one of the few African countries where it is common for citizens to identify themselves as Tanzanians first rather than with their affiliated tribes. In addition to this, there are many cultural aspects of Tanzania that make it unique. For example, members of certain ethnic groups believe that when their picture is taken, a piece of their soul is taken with it, so it is important to respect this and ask before using a camera. Elders are also treated with great respect in Tanzania, which is very important to acknowledge and remember. Even subtle things like abnormally long handshakes, lack of public affection, and the rudeness of smelling food before eating it contribute to Tanzania’s culture and are all important things to remember.
With Tanzania’s beautiful landscape and intriguing culture, it is easy to forget about the large scale poverty when the country is only looked at on paper. However, the fact of the matter is that 67.9% of Tanzania’s population is living under the poverty line, and that is 67.9% too high. But once again, the past does not define the present, and the present does not define the future. Tanzania is a beautiful country full of wonderful people, and there is so much hope for the future. I am beyond excited to partake in this experience and can’t wait to experience Tanzania for myself. I will never fully understand what it is like to live in positions like the ones I will see, but this experience will bring me one step closer to putting myself in someone else’s shoes and living a life of gratitude.
“Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief, or ignorance.”
-W. Clement Stone

The Journey Begins

For those who are new to my blog, my name is Cate Maslan. I have grown up in Edwards, Colorado with the Rocky Mountains in my backyard. I am sixteen years old and any time I am not in school, I can typically be found on the stage, in the dance studio, or at the soccer field. This upcoming summer will be my third trip with Children’s Global Alliance (CGA), and I will be traveling to Arusha, Tanzania. I first learned about CGA in elementary school, when my older sister participated on her first CGA trip. My brother soon began to travel with CGA as well, and by the time I was old enough to apply, my older siblings had made me determined to participate in this life changing experience.
My first trip with CGA was to Rivas, Nicaragua, where I served at a school for children with special needs. My second trip was to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where I taught English at three different schools and made improvements to an Orphanage 45 minutes outside of the city. After two years off, I am absolutely thrilled to be travelling with CGA again. This year, I will be going to Arusha, Tanzania, where I will teach at L.O.A.M.O and visit an off-site baby orphanage. L.O.A.M.O is a school that has become home to 250 wonderful students ranging from baby class to grade seven. I will be making my own lesson plans and teaching a variety of subjects, as well as delivering supplies to the children I work with.
This is very different from my past trips because I did not typically implement my own lesson plans in Nicaragua, and I only taught english in Cambodia. I am very excited to take the next step and apply my own lesson plans to a variety of subjects at a more advanced level. My perspective of the word has been completely changed because of my past trips, and I can not wait to see how I will grow and change on my trip to Tanzania. I have been on a total of five service trips with multiple organizations, and on every trip, I have completely fallen in love with the children I work with. Of course I am excited to see another country and learn about the culture of Tanzania, but there is nothing I am more excited about than making another family around the world.
Over the next eight months, I will be posting updates about the preparations for my trip and my emotions as the trip grows closer on this blog. I will also be posting blogs more frequently once I get to Tanzania in July. Thank you so much for following me on this journey. I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity, and I can’t wait to share everything I learn through this experience with you. By biggest goal is to take advantage of every aspect of my trip and not let any part of it pass me by without growing as an individual and helping those around me. After all,
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Living Off Memories

“Goodbye” is such a simple word. For a word so simple, it has many meanings. Sometimes, there is excitement for the next time you’ll see someone behind these words. Other times, there is a sense of relief for finally being done. Or, as in my case, there is the sorrow of knowing you may never see someone’s face again.

Before coming to Cambodia, life carried on the only way I knew it. Now, I can’t imagine life without the second family I have made on the other side of the world. Life without daily hugs from my sisters Srey Pich and Srey Mey, or daily tickle fights with my brother Niroon, is unimaginable now that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many beautiful children.

In Nicaragua, I ended my final blog by saying I had left half my heart with the children at Escuela Especial. I now know that there is always more of your heart to give, just as there is always more to learn. As much as I wish I could take my second family back to the nature-filled mountains of Vail, I know such things are impossible. So from here on out, I will live off of the memories these children have given me. I will look back on the time we danced in the rain, when the children first welcomed us to the orphanage, and even the tears that we shed when saying goodbye, and I will smile. I will smile because it happened, and that is something to be grateful for.

Defining Hope

What is hope? Hope is a word we’ve all known since we were toddlers. I used to associate the word with desires and wants such as: I “hope” I get a role in my musical or I “hope” I get an A on my test. However, a teacher at the school said something that entirely changed my idea of the word.

In between classes, a teacher by the name of Jaam Ra told me that she “teaches because she hopes a good education can make many lives better.” After that sentence, I no longer see things such as the desire to get a part in a musical or get an A on a test as genuine hope. If I want a role in my musical, I need to put in the effort to have a good audition; if I want an A on my test, I better study. These are just 2 examples of things that were under my control all along.

I now believe that genuine hope is not associated with desires or wants, but with needs. In Cambodia, I have met children who have as close to nothing as it gets. They were born into poverty and now own hardly anything more than a few clothes, a bright mind, and a shining smile. They didn’t choose to be born into their current circumstances. They have no control over where they are now. So what do they do? They go to school to practice their english, and they hope. They hope that tomorrow will somehow be better than today, and that the seemingly endless cycle of poverty will be broken.

That, is genuine hope.

Learning Happiness

Colorful roofs. That’s the first thing I noticed when I arrived in Cambodia. Everywhere you look there are red and blue roofs. That’s why it came as a shock to me when I first saw the gray walls of S21. The dull color of the walls match the grim truth of what happened there about 40 years ago. Once a high school, S21 was converted into a prison during the Khmer Rouge. It was a place used for torturing innocent people that Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, saw as a threat to modern times. These people included anyone thought to be an intellectual. People were arrested just for wearing glasses or having soft skin. Of the thousands of S21 victims, only 12 survived. Walking through the very rooms that were used for such inhumane events made my heart go out to those who died, as well as those who are still alive and recovering. This visit made me realize why Cambodia is where it is today and why I came to help.

After our trip, we went to the orphanage. I looked into the innocent, welcoming eyes of the children and then looked around at all the trash. Something about it just didn’t match up to me. These children deserve better, and the fact that I can help them, whether that be through teaching or manual labor, is a blessing. These trips don’t just benefit the children we work with, they benefit us too. In Nicaragua, the children were able to show me a new part of myself, a new way of life, and a new perspective. They taught me more in that week than I would have ever learned in a lifetime without them. In the same way, the children at the orphanage and schools have already made me realize so much about myself and the world around me.

While teaching the pre-schoolers, I realized I had more patience than I ever thought and I rediscovered my ability to maintain a positive attitude. While cleaning out the back of the stage, I learned that I have more perseverance than I knew and I can mentally take on more than I expected. While playing in the rain with the children at the orphanage, I learned that happiness is a choice, and you can make that choice any time on any day. That’s why today, after cleaning trash out of a dirt pit for almost 6 hours, when I was hot, filthy, and tired, I was happier than ever.  I can already feel the permanent imprint these children are leaving on my heart, the least I can do is do everything in my power to make their lives easier in any way possible. By doing that, I just might be able to change their lives forever.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the one’s that do.” -Steve Jobs.

Time

Time. How do you understand something so intangible? It's a measurement. A measurement we created simply so we know when to be somewhere. But what is it really when you think about it? A word. Time is just a word. But sometimes a word makes all the difference. A week. A week is all I had in Nicaragua. In that week, I fell in love, I taught, I learned, I changed. Six months. I had six months to raise $2500 and complete 6 hours of community service. Three months. Three months until I board the plane. Three weeks. I will have three weeks in Cambodia.

That is my biggest fear for my trip, time. I've now raised all the money I need and I've completed my community service, neither of which was easy. I worked to get to a place where I can say everything is set for me to leave for Cambodia. Now that I'm finally at that place, I'm beyond excited, but nerves are setting in as well. Will I forget the khmer I know when I actually have to speak it? Will I be able to execute my lesson plans properly? With this amazing opportunity comes a seemingly infinite number of ways to mess up as well. With Team Nicaragua leaving in less than a month, all sorts of memories are resurfacing. My last day in Nicaragua is one I will never forget. All the hugs, all the tears, they were all caused by time. I only had a week in Nicaragua, and that was not enough time for me, no amount of time would ever have been enough. I may have a full three weeks in Cambodia, but my biggest fear is that I will still not be satisfied. I'm scared for when I will have to say goodbye. As irrational and useless as it is, I am simply scared of time.

How do you avoid time? You can't. But what you can do is take advantage of every second you have within the given time. I may only have three weeks, but those are going to be the best three weeks of my life. My biggest goal for Cambodia is to seize every moment I have with the kids. I may not be able to stop the sun in the sky, but I can make every second count that the sun is up. I will not think about the last day. I will not think about the pain I will feel when I have to say goodbye. I will think of today, and today only. If I make every second count, maybe, just maybe, I will have enough time.

Permanent Memories

People say that smell is the strongest human sense. You may see something that reminds you of a painting you saw, or you might hear traffic that reminds you of a city, but those things can be forgotten over time. Smell on the other hand is almost always unique to a certain place or thing. Think about it, no matter how long it's been since you went to the doctors office, you always know the scent. You might not be able to immediately picture what the waiting room looks like, or how the chairs felt, but we all know what a hospital smells like.

My point is that every place on earth has distinct features. Living in Colorado, I will always remember the way the air smells somehow different after a snowstorm. I will never forget how it feels to be surrounded by mountains full of yellow trees in the fall, or the sound of aspen leaves crunching under my feet as I walk down the sidewalk.

Much like countries, people have distinct aspects too. While everyone is different, people from the same country or region often share certain mindsets because of something that happened to their country in the past. In 1975, all Cambodians suffered from an event called the Khmer Rouge. Through a horrifying series of events, Pol Pot was responsible for the death of up to 2 million people. His goal was to revert Cambodia back to year 0. To accomplish this Pol Pot forced citizens to evacuate the cities and abolished money, private property, and religion. He tortured and killed anyone thought to be a modern intellectual, wiping out most of Cambodia's middle class and work force. Others died of starvation, disease, or exhaustion from the relentless labor they were forced to do. Cambodians are still suffering from this event today, but in an odd way it has united the Cambodian citizens because of their respect and understanding towards one another.

While I look forward to learning about events like the Khmer Rouge and other major aspects of Cambodia's history, I also look forward to learning what little things make Cambodia unique. Coming home from Nicaragua, one of the things I missed the most was the smell of salt and palm trees. I missed the certain way they cooked their rice. I missed seeing the colorful houses as I drove to Escuela Especial. I missed listening to the locals speak in quick and fluid Spanish. I missed the feeling of the sun beating down on my back as I pushed the children on the swings after lunch. I fell in love not only with the children, but with the country as a whole.

Part of what makes up a country is the country's culture. One thing I know about Cambodia is how you greet others. You are supposed to fold your hands at your chest and bow as a way of greeting, and you deepen the bow and hold your hands higher when greeting someone of extreme authority. Simple things like this seem like random little fun facts now, but when I'm half way across the world I'm sure that I will see the beauty in their culture.

Cambodia offers me the opportunity to fall in love not just with children I'll meet, but with another way of life. I don't know what I will smell or hear as I walk down the roads of Phnom Penh, but I know that it will be imbedded in my memory permanently. My trip is about 6 months away, a very long or very short time depending on how you think about it. As it grows closer things are finally starting to coalesce into a big picture. I have almost 3/4 of my money raised and I am working on memorizing my Khmer. With each step I take toward my trip, I'm getting more and more excited.

The other night I even dreamt about my trip. I was pulling weeds and the occasional piece of trash out of the soil of the orphanage's garden, sweat collecting around my bandana despite the dark clouds overhead. A few minutes later, I felt rain drops cooling my skin. Before long, it began to pour and the scene changed to an image of myself and 4 other volunteers playing with a few of the children in the now muddy area by the garden. A little girl pulled me closer to the stage, where it was slightly less muddy. Figuring she was just leading me inside, I willingly followed. We walked a short while before she found a small puddle created from a pothole in the grass. She jumped right in the middle of the puddle, and the water splashed me, soaking my shoes and leggings. Laughing hysterically, the little girl ran back toward the other volunteers and her friends. A smile formed on my face as I took off after her, chasing her through the rain. I scooped her up in my arms as I caught up to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

This dream reminded me of why I choose to apply for these trips. I may never see the children at Escuela Especial again, but every one of the students faces is etched in the stone walls of my mind. I can't predict what my trip is going to offer, but no matter what happens I can assure you there will be new memories created and more faces added to the stone wall. Certain things are unforgettable, and memories of people around the world are certainly one of them.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Opportunites

Phnom Penh, Cambodia: a city approximately 8,500 miles away from my home in Vail, Colorado. Phnom Penh, Cambodia: a city, a hope, and a dream. Phnom Penh, Cambodia: a reality.

My name is Cate Maslan. I am 13 years old and I am in 8th grade. I have an older sister in 11th grade and an older brother in his freshman year of college. I love to play basketball, dance, ski, sing, and act. My typical day looks like this:
1) go to school
2) do homework
3) basketball, dance, and/or voice lessons
4) more homework
5) sleep
On weekends it looks more like this:
1) wake up
2) homework
3) theater and/or ski
4) sleep

If there's one thing that should tell you about me, it's that I'm your typical thirteen-year-old girl. I go to school, I have extra curricular activities, and I argue with my siblings. In April of 2015 I traveled to Rivas, Nicaragua where I spent my spring break working at a school for children with disabilities. I was twelve at the time. A ordinary twelve-year-old girl, getting an extraordinary opportunity.

On October 11, 2015, at 6:28 pm, I got a phone call. One glance at the caller ID was enough to make my heart skip a beat. I answered the phone with a dry throat and sweaty palms. A short three minutes later I was squealing as I hung up the phone and already planning my first fundraiser. Six moths I had been dreaming, hoping, and praying that I would get the opportunity to travel to Cambodia. All of those dreams, hopes, and prayers became a sudden reality, all within that 3 minute phone call. I am going to Cambodia. It is no longer a hope or a dream. I am now an ordinary thirteen-year-old girl, getting another extraordinary opportunity.

Nicaragua taught me lessons I will never forget. I learned that it's the little things in life that matter most, I learned how it feels to fall in love, and most of all, I learned that the way to change the world is not all at once, but one smile, one hug, and one person at a time. That is what I hope to accomplish over the course of my three weeks in Cambodia.

While in Cambodia I will have the wonderful opportunity to work with children at the Cooperation of Peace Orphanage as well as make improvements to the orphanage's property. I will also get to teach English at two local schools: a preschool and an elementary school. In order to participate on this trip I will be responsible for fundraising $2,500, attending group meetings, learning the Cambodian language (Khmer), collecting supplies for the kids I will be working with, completing 5 hours of community service, and writing more blogs.

Words cannot describe how thrilled I am to embark on my second journey with Children's Global Alliance. Children's Global Alliance, or CGA, is a non-profit organization that takes kids ages 12-17 on service trips to Tanzania, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Cambodia. While in these countries the selected students serve, teach, and support the poor, disabled, and orphaned children living in these developing countries. Spending a week in Nicaragua was enough to teach me many things about myself and the world around me, I can't wait to see what I discover when I get to spend three weeks in Cambodia.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia: my reality.

"And who can say if I've been changed for better or for worse, but because of you I've been changed for good."

The sun has risen and set, the day has come and gone, and with it the trip of a life time. Working with the students and teachers at Escuela Especial has changed how I will look at things forever. What I taught the students about math and spelling is important, but what they taught me is far better. I always thought people were over exaggerating when they said the kids on the trip were like family, but I realize now that it is nothing short of the truth.

Every single student at Escuela Especial has changed my life forever. One of the most important lessons the students have taught me is that it's the little things in life that matter. I've gotten to witness so many of the "little things" this week that I am thrilled to have experienced. One of my favorite and most recent moments was with a middle school girl in Auxililladora's class. Her name is Mercedes, but she always wrote it as "Mecebes". The previous CGA kids who had been in Auxililladora's class all said to keep working with her on her d's, but not to get frustrated if she didn't get it because she really struggled with it. Sure enough, I arrived in Auxililladora's class Thursday morning to see "Mercebes" written in big letters on the top of her paper.

For nearly two hours I sat next to Mercedes, explaining and demonstrating all the possible ways to write a d. For 1 1/2 of the two hours there were still b's written all over her paper. I was almost ready to move on to writing neater r's when I thought of the last possible way to write a d. First I demonstrated 3-5 times. I then gave her the pencil and helped guide her hand to make the right motions several times as well. Then with fingers crossed, I handed her the pencil. I watched as she slowly drew a small circle and a line on the right hand side. It wasn't all that pretty of a d, but in that moment it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. "Muy bien Mercedes! Es correcto!" I said excitedly. She stared at the letter she had drawn for several seconds before jumping out of her chair and giving me what felt like a 10 minute hug. I watched as she filled her page with the letter d and the name Mercedes until lunch, and I can't remember a time I felt more proud of anyone or anything.

I will arrive back in Vail on Sunday, but I will not be the same person I was a week ago. I wear the same face as the girl who left, but a face is merely a mask. No amount of time nor any number of miles can ever sever the bond between me and the people at Escuela Especial. When I get on the plane Sunday morning, I will only have half a heart. I am leaving the other half with these kids and I wouldn't have it any other way. They may forget my name after I leave the same way I might forget some of theirs, but I will always remember the smile on their faces, their arms wrapped around me, and their fingers laced in mine. These kids have taught me that these trips are all about leaving part of yourself with them to hold on to and remember when times are hard, and that's exactly what I intend to do. So I'll come home with half my heart, but the lessons and love the students at Escuela Especial have given me will make that half stronger than my full heart ever was.

Freezing Time

Nicaragua has been one of the best experiences of my life already. I wake up every day excited and happy to see what the day will bring. Yesterday brought me the chance to work with Ms.Nora's three students with autism. Royner, Rachell, and Evert are three 7-8 year olds with an unbelievable amount of energy and personality. Rachell is the sweet and sassy at the same time, so she has the ability to steal your heart and completely rule the room at the same time. She was actually intimidating at first, but once I found that her secret weakness was her ticklish stomach, she became an adorable little girl that I absolutely love. Royner just wants hugs and high fives, and is one of the kindest little boys I know, despite the fact he likes to throw sticks. Evert is one of the smartest students I've worked with so far. He doesn't like to do much other than math, but count to 100 with him and he'll be jumping up and down with glee. Royner was the only one that opened up right away, but a simple counting game with Evert and pushing Rachell on the swings was all it took to become close with the other two of Ms.Nora's students.

Today I got to go on another set of home visits before going to Escuela Especial. This time I met Carmen, Anthony, and Matthew. I lucked out again with 2 out of the 3 children living in fairly good conditions. Carmen is a little 4-month-old girl with cheeks twice as big as her head. She lives with a mother that is disabled, her aunt, her uncle, and her grandma. Carmen's mom is only 17, so she doesn't take as good of care of her as she needs to even though she loves Carmen. Anthony and Matthew are both very loved at home, all though Anthony is mainly taken care of by is grandmother. Both boys live with many relatives.

This set of home visits made me very sad because I realized it was my last few on the trip. It is hard to believe that Wednesday is already here. The thought of leaving is enough to bring tears to my eyes. Tomorrow is my last day teaching the kids before we have a party with all of them on Friday, which means I only have two days left with the students. This trip is going by way too fast and I'm finding myself dreading the end of each day more and more. I love all of these kids so much and I'm starting to understand why CGA volunteers tend to want to return to the countries they have already been too. I wanted time to tick faster before I arrived, but now I wish time would freeze entirely. I don't know what the next two days will bring, but whatever they do, it needs to be savored and cherished. I only get this opportunity once, there's no time for me to give anything less than 100%.

Audios to Day One

I woke up on Saturday both the most excited and most nervous I can ever remember being. I woke up on Sunday nervous and happy. And now I’m sitting here more amazed than I’ve ever been in my life.

I don’t know what I was expecting when the kids pulled up in the van, but whatever it was, it wasn’t what I got. The second the first van arrived I had arms wrapped around me and tiny little fingers laced in mine. As could be expected there were some shy students that didn’t open up right away, but I was shocked at how many of the kids weren’t shy at all.

Once all of the students were in their classes and the greeting was over, I headed down to Ms.Rosa’s first grade classroom. At first I didn’t know exactly what to do. There were 8 students and a teacher all speaking Spanish faster than I would have ever been able to follow and not a translator to be seen. I tried my best to answer all of the teacher’s questions, but many times they had to repeat themselves. 

After about half an hour of this, I remembered the phrase that probably saved today from being a total disaster, “Despeacio por favor.” The phrase simply means “slow down please,” but once I started using it I realized I really did understand the majority of what I was being asked to do.  I was able to help the teacher, Ms.Rosa, grade the students homework, then I was able to work one on one with three or four of the students. 

I worked a lot with a little girl named Odili. She is very smart and very sweet. She was barely willing to tell me her name she was so shy, but by lunch her little fingers were laced with mine as she pulled my toward the cafeteria. I worked more with Odili when we got back from lunch, but I also worked with her twin sister Alicia and two other little girls, Natalie and Susan. I helped them write their cursive vowels until the final bell rang. 

I walked out of the classroom with children still hugging me. One by one they all climbed into the van and waved as they drove off. Today was my first day at Escuela Especial, but I already have made memories I will never forget. 

My day got even better when I got into the car to go to the homes I would be visiting with Natalie, Ella, Whitney, and our translator Eletta. We visited three homes and were lucky enough that all three were in surprisingly good situations. We met Angelica Maria Orteez, Steven, and Carlos. All three are loved and cherished in their homes and are three of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. We were welcomed with open arms into their homes and they willingly told us any details about their past that we asked for.

I can’t wait to see them all again on Friday at the party and I can’t wait to help in Ms.Nora’s class for autism tomorrow. Any doubts or fears I had are vanishing before my eyes as the trip is finally beginning, and I’m loving every second I’m spending with these kids.

Smiling Through Dark Times

I recently watched a documentary about three college students who went to Guatemala and lived off of a dollar a day, like the majority of the local Guatemalans. From the beginning this video was both startling and eye opening. After watching it I realized that I never had even the slightest idea of what those in poverty are faced with every day. Nothing, not even this documentary, will ever give me a full understanding of what it is like to live in such terrible conditions. It would be difficult to live like this and I don’t think I could do it. Every morning, to wake up with the fear that you or a loved one will get sick or die, that your money will get stolen, or your children will have to drop out of school… worries as big as these are the normal, everyday reality for people in poverty. There are countless reasons why I would not be able to live in these conditions, but the main one is that it would be so hard to deal with the constant fear of such terrible things happening in my life or the lives of those I love.

 While this documentary had many profound facts and stories, the thing that stood out to me most was that while these people have next to nothing, they had the biggest smiles I'd ever seen throughout the majority of the video. In the United States, you hear complaining nearly everywhere you go from nearly everyone you see. We complain about things like not having the newest phone, having too much homework, having to wake up early for school, and many other things that we are too blind to see are really blessings in our lives. These things are luxuries that we have started considering necessities. The families in Guatemala often don't have enough money to send their children to school, much less having a phone or any so called "necessity" we have in the United States. Some of the people I saw in the video had lost everything, whether it was money being stolen or a hurricane that destroyed all their farm land, they had all gone from having nearly nothing to having even less, and I never heard one of them complain about any of it. They told their stories as if it were just another problem to deal with, sometimes smiling even then, as they talked about how they had lost the little they had in the first place. It blew my mind that while having so little, the Guatemalans were able to see the bright side of their situation and give a huge smile even in situations that would have any American, including me, in tears.

People living in poverty encounter hardships every day that most of us will never experience in our entire lives living in the United States. Life always seems to have a challenge coming their way and the uncertainty of what is coming next seems almost unbearable. Most Guatemalans work as home laborers or farmers, neither of which are reliable jobs. As a home laborer or farmer you never know how much money you're going to make or when you're going to make it. The average annual income in Guatemala is a dollar a day, but this is the average income over the entire year. A local farmer may not make any money for days at a time and then start making three or four dollars a day over the next few days. This may not sound like an issue but if he hasn’t been able to save any of the previously earned money to purchase food the family goes into even more extreme poverty for the days that the farmer isn't able to make money. Finance is just one example of the uncertainty people in poverty face every day. They never know if they or their loved ones will even make it to the morning alive and healthy. If you or a family member gets sick while living in poverty, it is nearly impossible to afford the trip into town to get to the doctor, much less pay the hospital bill afterwards. Again, there are countless other ways people in poverty are put into the worst and most uncertain situations possible.

While many Americans, including myself, put different values on things than Guatemalans, you will be surprised by how many things we put similar values on. For example, the "policy" of family first applies in both countries. Many people in Guatemala have large families of about 6-8 people, but family is just as important, if not more so, to them than it is to us in America. We also value money similarly. While Guatemalans have much less money than most Americans, money is, unfortunately, very important. The difference is that the Guatemalans want money so that they can do what we already have enough money to do in the United States; such as go to school, afford transportation, improve their housing, etc. In America most people want money for pleasure or so that they can afford things that we see as necessary, but really are just things that we could live just fine without. That brings me to my next difference between the two countries: "everyday" objects. The vast majority of Americans have a phone, a home, enough food to eat, and enough water to drink, these are all things that have become so common in America that we take them for granted. In Guatemala if you have a phone, enough food to fully nourish your entire family, a home bigger and nicer than a small hut, or enough clean water to drink that you're never thirsty, you are considered extremely wealthy. Many of the things that we see as necessities, the people in Guatemala see as extreme luxury.

After watching the documentary, one major question dominated my thoughts, what can I do? You may think that living far away from countries like Guatemala, you can do little more for those in poverty than donate to a charity every now and then, but you are mistaken. There are opportunities everywhere you go to help those in need, you just have to be willing to look. There are organizations like Children's Global Alliance that can put you right into the action, or there are simpler things like hosting a local Community Supper to feed the people in need that are right here in our own backyard. I have chosen to be put into the action already, but after watching this documentary there are more things to learn than I thought imaginable. I will take them all with me on my trip to Nicaragua in April. After seeing the bonds the three students made with the local Guatemalans, I have learned that every second you spend with others makes a difference. In Nicaragua I will do the best I can not to waste any of my time with the students at Escuela Especial Sor Romero. I am grateful to be going with a slightly better understanding of what I might encounter when working with the students and their families or going on home visits. I hope that whether it be volunteering at a local Community Supper or traveling to a different country, you choose to make a difference in the lives of people around you who are less fortunate and struggling. Remember that no matter your age, capability, or situation, you can make a difference; just keep your eyes open and you will find the opportunity. I hope that when your opportunity comes, you’ll be brave enough to take it.

Time Is Ticking Far Too Slowly

Hello, my name is Cate Maslan. I am a 12 year old girl from Vail, Colorado. I have been given the wonderful opportunity to go on a service trip to Nicaragua! I will be going on this trip with a local nonprofit organization called Children's Global Alliance, or CGA. Children's Global Alliance takes kids ages 12-16 to four different countries: Tanzania, Cambodia, Nepal, and Nicaragua. On these trips CGA helps the student volunteers on the trip to develop their character and learn more about the world around them where there are people struggling to survive to the next day, unlike here, where we are all so fortunate.
           
I will be going to Nicaragua where I will be working at Escuela Especial Sor Maria Romero, a school for children that are disabled. My Nicaragua team and I will clean the school as well as work as teachers assistants in the classrooms. We will also have the opportunity to go on home visits where we will visit the students and learn what their living conditions are like as well as what their stories are and what they have been through. 
           
In order to go on this trip, I will be responsible for raising $1,500 and doing 10 hours of community service. My trip is scheduled to take place over spring break in April. This all may sound like a lot of work, but anything would be worth it to go on this trip. Not only will I get to see amazing and beautiful things, but I will have the opportunity to meet and bond with kids that live  a completely different life than I do. This is an opportunity that very few people get and I am so blessed to be a part of it. I am thrilled beyond belief and time is ticking far too slowly until the moment I step off the plane and the real journey begins. I hope you will keep following my blog to see my progress leading up to the trip as well as my amazing experience in Nicaragua. Thank you!