Service learning at Bezaleel School and the cloud forest, lessons from New Horizons Cooperative community

On time spent in a rural K’ekchi village and at Bezaleel School

This church has wooden pews, about 50 people, and massive speakers. I don’t know what is going on and I can hardly talk to anyone. There is just one kid mashing out some pre-recorded keyboard songs and changing chords recklessly with the music. The only words I seem to understand are “hermanos” and “gringos,” but they smile every time they say it. There are two chickens tied up at a table over in the corner.

At my house, people watched us through the walls as if they were waiting for us to plug into the walls or climb out of our skin. A crowd gathered at night to watch us and listen to us talk. They never stopped staring at us, and waited through all the silences with eagerness; it almost felt like they were waiting for us to remember how to speak K’ekchi.

I taught English today in the school, and I hope that my future job goes exactly like that class. The students were way more eager to learn than any other student I have ever had in one of my practicums. Kids kept asking me what this or that meant, if stuff in his notes was right, or how to pronounce things. The thing that impressed me most was that two students asked me if they could show me an English conversation. It went something like this:

-Hello, how are you?

-Good, and you?

-Good, what is your name?

-_____, and what is your name?

-_____, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, too.

They were so eager to show me this, and were so happy when I said good job. Their enthusiasm is refreshing and I hope to see it again in my classroom.

-Landon Heavener

Community Cloud Forest Conservation

We spent Monday night into Wednesday morning at CCFC. It is a group that works to conserve the cloud forest, while at the same time establishing community and promoting women’s rights. We spent the morning working on two work projects, including moving gravel and moving a heavy eucalyptus tree as a group. The work ethic of the group was amazing, especially as we established a bucket brigade with a rhythm. It also amazes me that we moved that huge tree through the forest and down that long road without hurting anyone. It was a great time to do some team building and we all really worked our hardest. Later in the afternoon, we swam in the creek and explored two caves.

I hadn’t realized all that Rob and Tara Cahill were doing with this farm, and their passion for their “life project” really had me thinking about my own passions. Not that I have to save the cloud forest, but I do want to do something in my life that will make a difference in someone’s life, and that will make me excited to live each day. In college it’s easy to get on one track and think about getting a job to be able to sustain yourself and a family; sometimes it’s easy to forget about the passions in life.

-Carmen Witmer

Nuevo Horizontes Cooperative

When the Peace Accords were signed in 1996, ending the civil war in Guatemala, a group of guerilla fighters emerged from the jungle in Peten after 17 years of life “underground” to form a community. A man who goes by the pseudonym “Fernandez” gave us a small glimpse into his involvement in the resistance and their transition to peacetime. In 1980, Fernandez was a Catholic catechist whose ideology had attracted the attention of the local military. An old friend in the paramilitary warned him one night that the government planned to assassinate him in a matter of hours, and Fernandez escaped to the jungle. “El bosque nos dió vida,” he explained. (The forest gave us life.) Eating poisonous snakes, brewing relaxing tea from allspice, and surviving in a landscape of natural and human predators brought together those who would neither flee nor surrender.

“La guerra no era contra la gente.” (The war was not against the people). Though Fernandez’s band engaged in much armed conflict against the military, they never killed civilians. After the war ended, political repression did as well, and Fernandez’s guerilla group formed the 450-member cooperative of Nuevo Horizontes (New Horizons), a small dirt-road village in the northern jungle of Guatemala. “Aprendimos unidad, solaridad, transparencia; y esos valores dímos a Nuevo Horizontes.” (We learned unity, solidarity, transparency; and those values we gave to New Horizons.) All members contribute to the cooperative, with agriculture, cattle and tilapia husbandry, beehives, egg, and various businesses. They proudly built a school with the help of humanitarian organizations, from which 17 graduates have gone to college. Houses are deeded in the name of the family, and a husband that perpetrates domestic violence is exiled from the community. “La mujer no es un objeto – es una compañera, un hermano,” Fernandez commented about their views of gender. (The woman is not an object – she is a companion, a brother.) While they have done well capitalizing on peace, Fernandez also chastised the government for failing to uphold its end of the treaty with policies for social improvement.

– Randi B. Hagi

Valuing life and hospitality

February 6, 2013

What words can describe the loss of thousands of human lives? It is a good thing that the FAFG, Forensic Anthropology Organization, are doing in giving identities to those lost to the terrible tragedies that occurred here in Guatemala just a short couple of decades ago. The emptiness left in each family and village is weighed by hundreds of boxes stored in areas of the FAFG.

What is life? Why is it so sacred to us? How can we so easily extinguish from a fellow human that which we hold so dear?

Within us all there lies a spark. Properly cared for it grows and enflames us- consumes us. It all began from One- a Holy Fire. So why does it ever change and become cold inside? That which thrives is that which is fed. Do we feed the fire of God’s love that is sparked in us and then spread it to others? Or do we grow cold and extinguish the flame- cutting off the Breath of Life and thus extinguishing more flames? Where does it end? How does it heal? Sometimes ashes create a land most fertile. Sometimes a way to rebuild and renew can start with a single seed or another spark.

-Abigail Carr

The following poem is in response to our visit to the Forensic Anthropology Organization.

Boxes boxes of the dead,

At the feet of living spread,

While the living hope and pray,

That they might have food today.

– Colt Duttweiler

February 17, 2013

Last week we were paired up with students from K’ekchi indigenous families who attend school in Copan. We visited their homes and experienced many different ways of life through their families and their hospitality. The following is a reflection on one of those experiences.

The visit to the village of Leticia was such a good learning experience and view into a life completely different from my own. One of the things that most stuck out to me was the open curiosity toward Randi and I. The children were the most open about their curiosity and in some ways the most interested in us, as could be expected. When we unpacked our bags for the night they stood around us, following every move closely. If I sat down in the yard somewhere it wasn’t long before they crowded around me laughing and crawling onto my lap or sitting close beside me. They were also very excited to act as our tour guides, leading us to their gardens and animals and watching our faces to see what we thought. It was really fun and kind of an honor to spend time with them because they were so interested in us.

The adults, I think, were just as curious toward the pair of gringas in their village, but their age made them more cautious than the kids. When we walked into the small Catholic Church, all eyes immediately went to us, examining our clothes, skin, faces. Never in my life have I been such an object of fascination, and normally this kind of an experience would be really uncomfortable, but the open curiosity of the people was more innocent than menacing. It was such a neat opportunity to share friendship with the children and people of the village (whenever I caught someone looking during the service and smiled at them, they smiled really warmly back; it was fun) and to take memories and a good look at a vastly different lifestyle and way of living. I will remember these two days for a long time. I connected this experience to how Columbus and other European explorers must have felt upon arriving in Central America, but will never be able to understand how someone could ignore the beauty of a new culture and opportunity for friendship and learning in the face of greed.

– Katie Eckman

Questions, beauty and hope in occupied Beit Sahour

Today is our last day in Beit Sahour, Palestine. We’ve been exploring the differences between “cold-culture” America and “hot-culture” Palestine, with a few mistakes and a lot of learning. Palestinians are an ideal model of how community should be lived out. We are all a little sad to say goodbye to our host families, but we are ready for the next adventure. Over the past three weeks, we all became familiar with our host families, the little town here and somehow managed to pass our Arabic classes. We heard many different lectures about Palestinian history, literature, culture. We heard from a Hamas representative in Palestinian Parliament, an expert in nonviolent resistance to the Occupation, an expert on the “Arab Spring” and an expert on Muslim-Christian relations. We have heard many stories from Palestinians of all ages and these stories will stay with us for the rest of our lives. We have truly been touched by the hospitality here and the laughter and hope Palestinians can still find while living under such oppressive conditions.

Our group has also enjoyed many field trips. We spent some time at nearby Bethlehem University, touring the university, hearing a lecture about Palestinian Women’s Issues, and later enjoying a barbecue with the students. We also visited the city of Nablus and the largest university in the West Bank there. We toured Deheisha Refugee Camp and heard about refugee issues from an expert at Badil Center for Reguees. One of the favorite activities for most of us was hiking through the beautiful Wadi Kilt (Qelt) valley to the city of Jericho. Along the way, we explored a monastery and ancient Herodian ruins. Later we visited the castle Herodion and walked through the tunnels underneath the castle. We also explored Solomon’s Pools, enjoyed a lecture from the Applied Research Institute and enjoyed one final hike in Palestine named an “eco-hike” from Beit Jalla to Bettir.

Our time here has left us with many new stories to tell as well as an infinite amount of questions, frustrations and hopes. Our three weeks here in Palestine has only given us a glimpse of what it is like to live under military occupation with a nation of Israelis constantly trying to push you from your home. We haven’t answered all of our questions or frustrations, and we maybe never will, but we have all learned the power and comfort of prayer, communion with one another and the gift of laughter.

Here are two poems that I (Nicole) wrote. The first was after spending a day in Hebron, with Israeli soldiers all around, and tons of checkpoints surrounding markets and people’s homes. Some soldiers were standing on top of abandoned houses, just watching people walk through their streets. There are 500 settlers living in this Palestinian city and 3000 Israeli soldiers.

The Israeli Soldier

Green uniform. Green hat. Gun.

Dark or white skin. Blue, brown, or green eyes.

Soldier, do you believe in what you hold your gun for?

I see you. I try to see your humanity and

I wonder if you see mine.

And if you can see my humanity, do you see the humanity in the Palestinian man, woman, child, and grandparent walking beside me?

Under your green hat, I see your dark eyes.

Behind your big gun, You have a heart.

I pray to God for you. For your heart.

I pray that He grants you compassion.

What would that mean for you?

Why do you pretend to be so mean and tough?

Is there guilt in what you do? There must be.

Do you think it’s right for 3,000 of you soldiers to be in this Palestinian town?

Are you really just protecting these 500 Israeli settlers?

Security reasons. But this “security” scares and encroaches into people’s livelihoods.

Soldier, ask why. I beg you.

Please see with your eyes.

I see you up at your look out. Looking down

at people in the street. The few people left

in this ghost-town that your people caused.

Soldier, these people don’t need you here. I pray that you will see

with the eyes of compassion such as Christ.

It seems you are blinded by the militaristic values of your nation.

Please, Soldier, see People.

-Nicole Groff

This next poem is from a demonstration that Amanda Chandler, Michael Bodner, Andrew Nafziger and I went to. We were invited to go with a man named Dr. Qumsiyeh, who gave us a lecture on non-violent resistance. The demonstration was very interesting and sad. These farmers’ land has been declared a military zone by the Israeli government, so we went to show our support of the farmers. We witnessed many injustices and arrests. We also helped look for flowers because Dr. Qumsiyeh is collecting flora and fauna for a natural museum he wants to make. It was ironic to be looking for flowers while Israeli soldiers meanwhile were arresting innocent people for being on their own farmland.

Find the Flowers

Find the flowers

of this land.

My land, our land. 80 villagers and others.

My land. 10 Israeli jeeps.

Find the flowers

of this land.

From the land comes demonstration.

Crushed beneath the soldier’s boot.

Resistance! say the flowers.

Arrests, orders, skunkwater

replies the blindness of the powers.

Find the anger of the land.

Find the struggle of the land.

Find the people of this land,

full of strength, growth, BEAUTY.

-Nicole Groff

Now we prepare to do something no EMU Middle East group has done before: we are staying three days with host families in a Jewish settlement built on illegally confiscated land. Settlements have become a symbol of all the oppression of the Palestinians; settlers are notorious for being the most extreme of Zionists. We are praying that we may connect with these people and see the common humanity in all just as Jesus did.

-Amanda Chandler and Nicole Groff

Marhaba from Palestine!

January 31, 2013

Marhaba from Palestine! We arrived in Beit Sahour, Palestine about a week and a half ago after a lovely stay in Jordan. After a long time waiting to cross the Jordan-Israel border, we came into town late at night to be greeted by the Alternative Tourism Group and gracious host families that have taken us in with much hospitality and kindness. We spend our days visiting Biblical sites, seeing and hearing about life under occupation, and learning Arabic. And all three mix together in our thoughts and reflections. One of our first days out and about we spent in Bethlehem. We visited Shepherd’s Field where the angel appeared to the shepherds to tell them about the coming of baby Jesus and then we moved to the Church of the Nativity which is the traditional sight where Christ was born. Later that day, we went over to the Apartheid Wall which is the looming construction that sets the West Bank of Palestine apart from Israel. It was a shocking sight for all members of our group looking upon a 10 meter tall concrete barrier that was covered with barbed-wire and spray painted pictures and sayings, speaking out against the Israeli occupation and of hope for the future.

Later on that week we went to the town of Hebron where 500-600 Israeli settlers have moved, trying to reclaim “their” land. They are protected by about 2,000 soldiers stationed in Hebron, “minimizing” violence. We walked through the Palestinian part of town hidden out of view from the settlers by walls, segregated streets, and sealed doors. To get to the Tomb of the Patriarch, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah are all buried we had to walk through checkpoints that the Israelis have set up to keep the settlers “safe” from the Palestinians. We were able to go into the mosque which held the tombs of Isaac and Rebekah, and the center portion that holds Abraham and Sarah’s tombs. However, we were not able to view the tombs of Jacob and Leah as their tombs are in the synagogue and we were there on Shabbat, and were not allowed in. We were also able to walk through the suq, or market, in Hebron as well as view a qiffeya factory and glass blowing.

This past week was filled with Arabic lessons, lectures on Palestinian culture and history, falafel, and discussions about all that we are seeing and learning. We have been enjoying exploring Beit Sahour, and getting to know all the wonderful people who reside here. We have also been fortunate enough to be able to see 314 feral cats, 4 burning dumpsters, 1 quite relentless and adamant street vendor, 2 objects thrown at members of the groups by small children, 3 different marriage proposals by the same man, 21 plus hours of Turkish soap operas, and an uncountable number of churches dedicated to Saint George. (Apparently, slaying a dragon gets you a lot of fame).

The first day when we here in the Shepherd’s Caves, we sang ‘Oh little Town of Bethlehem’ and Linford shared with us some reflections on the words of that song about how the hopes and fears of the world are meeting in Bethlehem. This song has new meaning to us all now, as we have been able to see the places and context for which it was written. We have seen many aspects of this part of the world that are fears for many people, including us, but we have also been able to see many hopes in the people here, the future, and ourselves.

– Nate Bailey, Jeni Heishman, Hilary Short

Vulnerability and suprises

The culture shock described in our readings this week was presented in a very real way, but I can’t identify with it. I feel comfortable with the customs and ways of the people and seem to be able to relate and find common ground with them. What is the hardest for me is the shallowness and childishness I feel. My knowledge and language are at a place where I cannot be quite as extravagant in my Spanish conversations as in my English. Spanish is a beautiful tongue and has the potential for weaving beautiful webs of words, strings of images and wisdom. I’m not there. Someday, yes, but I am still stuck, an adolescent in a man’s body, while I am among lots of sophisticated native speakers. It is through this language vulnerability that I have an opportunity to grow and receive from others.

– Zach Coverdale

Sunday January 20, 2013

After an exhausting first week did I really want to get up at 5 a.m. on my Saturday morning to hike a volcano? No. But a wise man once said, you more often regret that which you did not do than that which you did. A convoluted way of saying YOLO.

So I decided to go. Plus everyone else was going. It’s a volcano in Guatemala, of course I’m going.

How beautiful. After some curvy roads we arrived at a base point, greeted immediately by young children waving walking sticks. “Stick!? Stick?” they would ask us, offering us a walking companion. I didn’t buy a 5Q (less then $1) walking stick. I wish I would have now…darn wise sayings.

The hike was great exercise and oh so rewarding. It took about an hour and a half to get to the top. The views were breathtaking and impossible to capture with pen or camera. The steaming volcano was a great reminder of Nature’s power. I don’t care what human structure you build on the side of that sleeping giant. If that thing erupts, my money is on the volcano.

I hope I have the energy for the coming week. Lord, give me the strength to keep actively listening, persistently questioning, and always applying.

-Everett Brubaker

Monday, Jan. 21^st a mi casa, 9:47 p.m.

Wow! At first, I thought I knew little to no Spanish at all. While this is mostly true still, I need to acknowledge that I just survived a 3 hour conversation one on one. My sister, Alejandra, or Ale, is out for the night at her university; so naturally, me and my mom made dinner together and began to converse about her job. As I aspire to be a social worker, it is beyond perfect that she has been working in social work for just over 27 years! Somehow, I understood 90% or more of the conversation and pieced together the rest. She showed me how she evaluates custody and pension between separated parents and children by drawing out budgets, estimated costs, and evaluating living situations. Ironically, Myra and her ex spouse went through the same process she now does for other people, and I am humbled that she used her exact, historically accurate situation as an example, while also letting me learn from what she and Ale went through as a result of the father’s irresponsibility.

Obviously I was extremely in the social work process here and as the conversation went on, I found my brain slowly switching into Spanish mode. I had my first functional, lengthy conversation! And the best thing is, the social problems/social work process here is not so different from those that exist in the U.S. and those that I began to explore last semester. I have never had a sister before, or a mom that needed a male in the house (as my Mom in the States deals with me, my two brothers, and my dad all by herself). So it’s wonderful for me to experience these strong, hard working Guatemalteco women – and I am growing quite fond of them rather quickly. They have already taught me a lot, and from my conversation with Myra earlier, I can see I have a lot to learn about myself as well as the social work process as a whole. I’m blessed with the wonderful presence of these fine women.

– Chris Bates

Exploring Jordan from the desert Wadi Rum to the Red Sea

Eight hours ahead of our home in Harrisonburg VA, we are all together on a Sunday night after enjoying a worship service together as a group. This is not an easy task to summarize what we’ve done so far. In the past week, we have been all over the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and experienced so many things and learned so much history, it is nearly impossible to write about it all.

Day 1: We met our beloved tour guide Mohammad and we took our first bus trip as a group. We saw the River Jabbok where Jacob wrestled an angel. Then we travelled on to the ancient city of Jerash and explored the ruins, sang on an ancient Roman stage, walked through Hadrian’s Gate and visited Artemis’ temple and Zeus’ temple. Then we got back on the bus and travelled to Ajlun Castle, where we learned about Saladin and his defense of Jordan.

Day 2: We travelled down King’s Road to Shobak Castle. However, Mohammad insisted we take a detour and view Arnon Valley, also known as the “Grand Canyon of Jordan.” The view was well worth the detour. When we got back on the bus and finally reached the road leading up to Shobak Castle, the road was too snowy and icy for the bus to make it. Instead, we hopped out and enjoyed a snowball fight. After that, we made our way to Little Petra and explored the ancient catacombs and amazing view Little Petra had to offer.

Day 3: We explored Petra, a bigger version of Petra. We learned about Nabateans and enjoyed a very long hike with an amazing view. We then travelled to Wadi Rum to stay overnight in a Bedouin Camp.

Day 4: Man, do the Bedouins know how to have a good time! We enjoyed such good food and hospitality, with specialty dishes like “magluba” and “zareb.” We also enjoyed a long camel ride through the desert.

Day 5: We left the Bedouins and travelled to Aqaba to swim in the Red Sea.

Day 6: We came back to Amman. On the long journey back, we enjoyed a stop at Lot’s Cave and a very nice view of the Dead Sea.

The very first site that our group visited was the Jabbok River, where Jacob wrestled with an angel before going off to meet with his slightly pissed off brother, Esau, whom Jacob had cheated out of his inheritance. As we all stood and looked out over Jabbok, leader Linford Stutzman read the story of Jacob aloud.

“That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over his possessions. So Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is day break.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Jacob,’ he answered. The man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel. Because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” Genesis 32: 22-28

Like Jacob, all of us were uncertain of what would lie in store for us. As Jacob left the land, home, and comforts he knew and embarked on his journey, he must have been worried and full of doubt, as many of us on this trip currently are as well. But, the part that resounds prominently is Jacob overcoming, wrestling with God, and wading through the Jabbock and starting his uncertain journey.

This week, our group has been thinking about what it means to have faith in the face of such uncertainty. We wrestled with the idea that believers are meant to be travelers; uncertainty is a part of this life and faith a necessity.

Polarities and connections in Guatemala

The following is a response to studying the history of Guatemala and Central America, particularly regarding Spain and the Catholic Church’s efforts to convert and assimilate the natives to Spanish culture. Through studying the history of Guatemala we are working toward a deeper understanding of the Guatemala of today and how it came to be.

January 10, 2012

“Exploring the shift from spiritual colonialism to solidarity and servanthood”. To my understanding, when first seeking to convert other peoples to the Christian faith, [historically] the culture of those to be converted was somewhat overwritten. True, the other culture remained, but it was usually changed, similar to colonialism. Countries would start colonies in other areas and also in the process press their own culture on the natives. Solidarity, on the other hand, brings to mind standing together and finding common ground in an area or issue. Rather than focusing on what one can give to the other, in this case the message of the Bible, the focus is instead on working together and finding mutual ground in serving others and God as well as seeing what one can learn from those around them.

-Megan Nafziger

I am amazed at the level that I am fitting in with my family. It seems as though CASAS was able to figure out exactly what I desired in a host family because I cannot imagine a better one. The first night, my family went to Pizza Hut, and at night my brother and I played video games.

Today, while reading Christianity in Latin America, I had a long talk with my mom and dad about the significance of Mayan, Aztec, and Inca culture in Guatemalan history. Afterwards, my mom and I talked for a long time about language, the fears of a new language, my family and plenty of other things. I have definitely learned that this is what I need. To experience, Guatemala, this family is perfect. I learn best through experience, through impulsive and floundering conversations and especially through error. Already in these two days, I know that my family will teach me more than a classroom can.

-Landon Heavener

In Guatemala, I have seen evidence of many polarities. I saw impressive displays of wealth, such as the National Palace, and just a block away, penniless beggars. I saw a complete neglect of infrastructure and no evidence of traffic safety laws. I meet the warmest, friendliest people. I became an instant best friend and English dictionary to a bunch of little children who have no fear of strangers, but the bank nearby needs to be guarded by armed men. It will be a long time before I can adjust to these polarities. Maybe no one understands them, but just learns to accept them.

-Karla Hovde

Turning towards home

December 5, 2012

As our semester draws to a close, our group has returned to the place we started: Motu Moana Boy Scout camp. I believe it was Eric King who referred to the cyclic nature of our trip as poetic, so I decided to write haiku (mostly as a joke) to describe the last week or so of our trip. The first one is describing the period of time we spent in the Catlins. We travelled there after leaving St. Margaret’s College; our home for the previous two weeks.

Outside is wet and dreary,

Inside I journal.

I forgot how to have fun.

The return to travel was strange after weeks of technology. It took a while to get back in the swing of things as we visited a farm. We were only in the Catlins for two days before travelling to Invercargill, a town famously referred to as the butthole of the world. There we visited an aluminum factory at Tiwai point and were able to see some long lived tuataras.

Tiwai future looks quite bleak

Failing industry

Tuataras are cool though.

After Invercargill and some bus breakdowns we traveled to Te Anau, where we saw the underground hydroelectric dam that powered the aluminum smelter, creating more than 15% of Aotearoa’s total energy. It’s not larger in scale only because of protests to save the lake it is run by, Lake Manapouri.

Tunnels delving to the deep,

Torrents of water,

Islands, a lake, serene above.

From there we intended to go to Milford Sound in fiordland, but were unable to due to closures. Instead, we headed to the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown. There we had a lot of free time and people did various activities including bungee jumping and New Zealand’s version of street luge (it is like downhill go-carting. I personally went on the luge and wrote this haiku about it.

Whizzing around curvy tracks,

Brakes are forgotten…

There’s a traffic jam of Asians.

Finally we have returned to where we began and I wrote a limerick to sum up how the semester has been.

Here it is spring rather than the fall

Seasons, toilets differ. And see all

This travel’s good for,

New cultures and more,

Then back to the scout bunks much too small.

– Elias Kehr

Until the Next Adventure

Our journey from Queenstown back to Auckland marked the beginning of the last stage of our New Zealand adventure. The South Island was incredibly beautiful and we were constantly surrounded by snowcapped peaks running down into crystal clear blue lakes, but returning to the North Island brought new excitement. In less than a week we will be flying from Auckland back to the United States. So now the countdown has begun, and I think I speak for everyone when I say how much I look forward to seeing friends and family back in the states. Yet, as our trip is concluding, I also find myself looking back upon my New Zealand experience and wondering what things I will remember most clearly and what I have learned. I am often scribbling into my journal any fleeting thoughts and details I am afraid of forgetting when I return home.

One aspect of our journey that will definitely stick with me is just how little I still know of other cultures and how much they know of mine. Here in New Zealand they follow the US election, and even our wider political world, and watch TV programs and movies that clearly reflect American culture. Yet how much do I pay attention to other countries around the globe? This realization has ignited a desire in me to travel and learn more. If New Zealand, a very modern and westernized place can teach me so much, I’d love to experience a culture even further from my comfort zone.

Another thing I will always have fond memories of is our group. They have consistently been quirky and fun and our dynamic is one that I will miss when we return to the states. As an only child, I have never been consistently surrounded by even one or two other people, so walking into a readymade family of over twenty was an adventure all its own for me. It is one I have appreciated and I am so thankful for the entertainment each and every one of them has provided at different stages in our trip. They made all of our big adventures like hikes, rafting, and marae stays, as well as the more mundane bus rides, and meals a memorable experience, and I am glad to have been a part of such a fun-loving group of people.

Of course this doesn’t even begin to cover all the things that have made this trip wonderful, but those are things you’ll just have to ask us about when we get home. Just know how excited we are to see all of you loved ones reading this at home, and New Zealand, it has been just wonderful getting to scratch your surface.

– Erica Garber

Personally I like being a nomad. To always be traveling somewhere, seeing new things and meeting new people, is an exciting way to spend three months. However, spending 2 to 3 hours or more on a bouncy bus every day with 21 other people equally as tired and grumpy from squeaky beds and loud snorers, can wear you down. My one motivating factor that saved me from throwing myself from the moving bus was that we were headed to Dunedin and we would be staying there for a whole TWO WEEKS – which seems like a lifetime compared to the one, two, and three night stays we were accustomed to. The road to Dunedin was like all other New Zealand roads: incredibly winding and steeply inclined. Such conditions make it extremely difficult to fall asleep as your head is constantly lolling from side to side and you might end up in someone’s lap or in the aisle of the bus. Anyways, I was especially excited to reach St. Margaret’s College at the University of Otago for several other reasons, one being we would each have our own rooms! This had only happened to me once before on the trip and it was the best three nights of my life! I would have room to throw my stuff all over the floor and not live out of a hiking backpack for once. Secondly, we had three meals a day, and they were prepared FOR us and there was NO dish washing involved!! Thirdly, we had no strictly regimented schedule to follow. There were a few speakers we had to listen to and a few other places to visit, but for the most part, the two weeks were ours (of course, we had to write a research paper in that time…)!

When we arrived at St. Margaret’s, we were all impressed by the lovely accommodations. It was by far the nicest place we stayed at in all our travels. We were all thankful that we hadn’t stayed there the first week; otherwise we would have been disappointed with the rest of the accommodations! I spent the next two weeks sleeping in and eating a lot, and wasting a lot of time on the free internet. I did manage to write a seven page paper in between my laziness, and to prepare a presentation along with it. We didn’t do a lot in Dunedin, but that was the best thing about it. We got to walk downtown to the octagon and spend money on clothes and gifts, experience the local nightlife, and play volleyball at the huge stadium complex on campus. We saw the steepest street in the world, and some of the more ambitious members of the group ran up it (not me). We also hid in man-made trenches to spy on the rare yellow eyed penguins as they fed their young by throwing up in their mouths. Yum.

Speaking of food, we also got to celebrate Thanksgiving here. The cook prepared us a special dinner in what he thought was an American Thanksgiving meal. Contrary to everyone’s loud praise for the meal, I was rather disappointed that there was no pumpkin pie! Dunedin was a time of relaxation and research and preparing ourselves to spend the last leg of our trip traveling in close quarters. Though the down time did allow for homesickness to creep in, I was able to use our time in Dunedin to refuel and motivate myself for the next two weeks.

-Laura Nyman

South Africa 360°

This trip has been a trip of extremes. When entering Soweto, we met families who were extremely poor, yet had joy that overwhelmed us as we became a part of their families. We lived with the electricity-free families of Lesotho that showed us the joy of a simple life and the problems that come from living a rural impoverished life. We entered the farms of the Free State, where we saw the wealth of the white farmers and the animosity between the white farmers and blacks. And in Cape Town, I lived with a white family who had been given opportunity, had a pool, a three-bedroom-two-bathroom house, and who missed the civil order of the apartheid government.

In each of these families, I saw fear and hopelessness for the future. But we received much love from them, which was a sense of hope in itself. The love that we received from the poor, the mourning and the weak – the blessed – is a love that has blessed me.

Seeing and living in South Africa’s extremes allowed me to see this county in ways I do not see my own. In Lesotho, I woke up some mornings to see my host sister leaving for the week to clean rich white houses. Then I lived in Cape Town, where once a week a housekeeper came to clean our house. In situations like this, you don’t even know how you’re supposed to feel. I could feel a disconnect between my Cape Town family and their hired cleaner, and I felt confusion trying to find a place where I could empathize with both parties.

These perspectives that I have received are still very little in the grand South African scheme, but they allow me to start thinking about my home and what I do next, after this trip. I start asking, how can I start to receive the extreme perspectives of Lancaster and Harrisonburg? How different would my life be if I would gain more perspectives from the marginalized and those I don’t understand? I leave for home on Friday with questions, but with a renewed sense of excitement for my own community and the hope that lies there.

– Phil T. Yoder

Cape Town was challenging and busy time for me. Between going to lectures at the University of Cape Town, weekly field trips, and extracurricular activities like hiking Table Mountain and ice-skating, much of my time was already spoken for. What free time I did have was spent in my Cape Town home. My host family was an older, retired (Colored) couple named Joseph and Sandra. Possessing a strong personality, Joseph came on strong- too strong, at first. I found it hard to relate to him and was tempted to distance myself from what I perceived as an abrasive personality.

However, as the homestay progressed, I was able to start to look past the negative and learn to adjust and interact with Joseph and his wife. I was forced out of my comfort zone in a positive way and learned something I think I can apply later in life. When I encounter someone who I don’t care for, say a co-worker, I will remember my Cape Town family and do my best to look past the negative. I’m sure it won’t always work, but I now have a shining example of the good that can come from perseverance and patience in a relationship.

Another challenge for me during this homestay was the isolation from the group. For three months, these people had been my family and friends. Suddenly most of my time was spent apart from them. Our houses in Cape Town were mostly well out of walking distance, which made it difficult to get together. Some pairings in our group were fortunate in that their host parents knew others and were friends. Hearing stories from these fortunate few only made my isolation more poignant.

Unfortunately, I can’t say I overcame the obstacles presented by the isolation. Even now as we spend our remaining days together again, I grapple with the emotions and loneliness I felt during the Cape Town home-stay. I admit to being worried for the future of returning home. I fear that leaving the group may be rough on me. However, I also have an amazing set of friends and family waiting for me in the States. Maybe the true challenge will be learning to balance and incorporate my cross-cultural “family” into my “family” of loved ones at home. I would consider myself blessed if that were to be my task to accomplish upon returning. Blessed I have been already to be on this trip with these amazing people. God has truly given me more than I deserve, and I praise Him for it.

– Derek Sauder

It is hard to imagine that our semester in South Africa is quickly coming to a close. It’s been an incredible journey filled with growth, new and deeper friendships, and more questions than answers. In some ways it is finally starting to sink in just how many amazing opportunities this trip has provided. I think back to Soweto (South Western Township), the largest township in all of South Africa. I was there. For three weeks I was there. It was all I knew of life for three weeks. My host sisters and grandmother and all the moments of daily living we shared: Cooking together, washing, even saying good night.

How do you begin to sum up an entire life-changing semester? Where do I start? I could tell you about our little village in the gorgeous, breath-taking mountains of Lesotho, how my host mom was convinced that hot water and kisses would make my fever leave, how we sang when we had nothing left to say, and how there was always tears at every goodbye. I could tell you about the garden route, and how I fell in love with the beach. I could tell you about our Cape Town adventures and our family braais (barbecue). I could tell you about all the times we ran for shelter because it started to hail, or how many of us carried rocks with us to ward off vicious village dogs. I could tell you about how I cheered at the top of my lungs for a soccer team I called my own, and the first time I ate pap. About hearing first-hand accounts of being imprisoned because your skin was a certain color or of not knowing whether your children were still alive. This experience has been one of a kind. I could tell you all these things and more and it still would not do these past few months justice. Many people in our group came on this cross-cultural with questions, and we are all leaving with more than we started with. That is one thing that this cross-cultural has taught us though, how to live into the question. I know I am not South African and will never know what it is like to be one, but I count myself incredibly blessed having been given this opportunity to experience this most wonderful country the way I have.

This semester has been filled with more laughter, generosity, sincerity, and love than I could have ever asked for. I look back to each place we have traveled fondly, but that’s not to say that each place didn’t have its trials. I think I can safely speak for all of us in the group when I say that we have had our share of low moments as well, but these have only helped us grow closer. One of the first Sesotho words that Harlan taught us when we began our journey was Sechaba, tribe. And that is indeed what we have grown to become. That is what we are. Sechaba.

– Hannah Patterson

My host parents tell me that I am medicine to their lives. We have shaken the family up, bringing a new energy to the family, a different perspective. We have given my dad new strength to be active, and our mom opportunities to get out of the house and explore the beautiful city she lives in. We have laughed and pondered with our grown host sisters, and we have shared Thanksgiving with our Cape Town family. We have made friends with our nine, five, and two year old nieces and nephew (apparently a big feat). We have attended preschool Christmas recitals as family and watched our nephew tear up the stage. Amid the countless offerings of tea and food, there are many moments to take in.

Some moments: Watching rugby with “the boys,” moaning over poor cricket play with my dad, baking scones with my mom, and playing preposterous games with the kids like, “Would you like some imaginary horse tea and ghost milk?” Seemingly everywhere we go, we meet second cousins, great aunts, brothers-in-law, friends, colleagues, travel buddies, and countless others our parents know. My host mom’s theory of living is, “The more you do and see the better.”

Do you know what that means? It means many days we come home from university on the train, walk home, and within five minutes are whisked away to some family gathering, a party, a local hot spot, or just a drive around town. We go, go, go, trying to cram as much into the three weeks as possible. Invariably, we get back to our home heavy-lidded and ready for bed at 5 PM. Every evening, I feel like an oversized sack of potatoes.

I drag my drained, lumpy body back to my Cape Town bed and flop into it with a sigh. I pull the curtains of sleep around my weary frame, and am dreaming before the overhead light turns off, recharging for another draining day. But you know, the funny thing is, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

– Caleb Martin

Free travel on the South African coast

November 5, 2012

After having been in mountainous Lesotho for almost a month, I was ready for the next adventure. Although I have many cherished memories and moments I will take with me from the village, my toes were aching to sink in sand, my skin was craving the warmth of the sun and tingling of the sea breeze, and my heart was ready to feel at home again. I like to think of it this way: I have a roaring ocean inside me. My heart is ever-aching unless I am by the sea. It’s about the only thing that calms my pilgrim soul. So off we set to the beach. We spent a few days at a beautiful beach town that people say is South Africa’s St. Tropez. It was fun to walk the streets and meander in and out of cafés and surf shops. We also spent a night at a beach town famous for its on shore whale watching. It was absolutely breathtaking to be able to sit on the rocky cliffs overlooking the Atlantic and see whales spraying and their tails flipping in the near distance.

As incredible as both of these places were, my heart fell in love with Wilderness. I am not quite sure how to describe it because I feel like no amount of words would do it justice. It was a cozy beach town tucked away by a cliff that constantly had a paraglider flying down, and miles of breath-taking coast to the left. By day we explored town and made the beach our second home. We spent our evenings after dinner back at our backpackers around the ever-glowing bonfire hanging out, meeting other backpackers and locals. It was nothing but beach and greenery and friendly smiles all around. The nights we spent hanging out around the fire at the beach house were some of the best nights of this trip yet (which I don’t say lightly, because this entire trip has been incredible). I met some of the most chill, down to earth, honest, generous, and genuine people yet. Even though they knew we were backpackers just passing through, they generously opened up their lives and homes to us and welcomed us into their tight knit community with open arms. They even threw us a braai (South African barbeque) on the last night we were there. I found rest and rejuvenation in Wilderness. I also found kindred spirits and cherished friends. I will always share fond memories of and with the three other girls that formed our free travel group, as well as our new found Wilderness friends. And even though we were only there for three nights, I’d like to think that a little part of me stayed behind. So if you are ever traveling along the South African Coast, and happen by Wilderness, perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of me frolicking out at sea before fading slowly, as I drift out to sea.

-Hannah Patterson

November 6, 2012

Coming to South Africa, I knew I wanted to go cage diving more than anything. When we arrived in Hermanus towards the end of free travel, a group of us planned to go. I was so pumped. The thing I wanted the most was actually happening! We got there and were told all about what the experience would be like. Then, all of a sudden, we were out on the boat. Even the boat ride was amazing, with open water on the right and the beautiful coast on the left. We anchored only about 500 yards from shore. I was shocked to see how close we were. We got into wetsuits and dived at the same time. It was awesome. The crew would throw out a fish head to bring the sharks close to the cage and pull the head away before they could eat it. Even though the water felt like ice, it was totally worth it. The first dive, I remember one shark just going by the cage, staring all of us down. It was a crazy feeling knowing that it was watching us. The second and last dive was my favorite. By that time, several sharks surrounded the boat. Some were aggressive and attacked the fish head, hitting the cage rather hard. One shark even ended up biting the cage. It was cool to see its teeth so close. We were the last group to go because the crew ran out of bait. I was sad to leave, but I also knew it was time. Some people were getting really seasick, so it was good that we were heading back. Seeing the great whites so close was the highlight of my free travel. I hope one day I can come back and do it again.

-Mandy Stowers

EMU Intercultural Learning