Bahamas

A little video of life on the islands....

Giving Back: Vision Boards

If you think your life is hard, there is probably someone out there who has it worse. Looking back on my life and growing up, I definitely had my struggles but I know that my life has been easy in comparison to others. I do have to say one of the toughest parts of my life was going through my teenage wears. Not only do you go through bodily changes they can help you blend in or make you stand out, you struggle with identity, wanting to test boundaries, making and losing friends. I couldn't image dealing with all that and not living in a consistent home or experiencing abuse or trauma. I think that's one of the reasons why I volunteered at the Heartfelt event at the Maryvale, residential facilely for girls ages 6-17, was because I was blessed to grow up in a sheltered and loving environment and not everyone else was. What was nice about this event is that we got to pass out items that the girls needed such as school supplies while helping them with a project that allowed them to dream and connect with themselves and one another. We created vision boards that the girls could put on the front cover of their notebooks,acting as a constant reminder through out the year of their goals and dreams. The visions boards were a great project not only because of their purpose but it allowed the volunteers to connect with the girls, a middle ground of conversation . We helped them look for certain pictures and stickers to put on their boards and by doing so learned about their interests, their passions, hopes, and dreams. After the vision boards the girls and the volunteers had lunch together while listening to live music. During this time two very impactful things happened to me. One, the volunteers were flooded with thank yous from the girls. The girls were so grateful for our presence. They appreciated someone being there and treating them well. And isn't that what we all want, to be treated well and loved. The second thing that happened was I ran into a girl sitting by herself. She was upset over a confrontation she had earlier and found a quiet stop to be by herself. I sat down next to her and listened to her vent. I admired her for finding her space to calm down, and although I couldn't solve her problem she was grateful to have someone listen to listen to her, simply listen. If you read all this I challenge you to do at least one of two things. One give someone your time. Whether it is someone you know or a stranger spending time with someone can make a difference in their life. Second, take the time to simply listen to someone. If you know someone is frustrated or going through a hard time reach out to them and simply tell them you are hear to listen. You never know what kind of seed your kindness will plant, and how much that seed will go.

Self Reflection

I'm not a very passive person. When there is a problem I want to solve it, when something is broken I want to fix it. And there is probably some reason or some major event in my childhood that caused me to be this way but I am who I am. Continuing on I never liked the phrase " let things come to you". You don't follow your dreams you chase after them. If you want something you work for it, if you want to change you make it. Very strong statements that I fully and completely agree with but I am learning it doesn't have to be this way all the time. Now I am not or I am not completely obsessive in my frame of thinking. I don't need to fix every problem, answer every question. I think I am the way I am because I like the feeling of completeness. I don't like the feeling of not knowing why or how. But as uncomfortable as it make me feel I am learning that it is okay to be in this sort of state of wonder, and to let the unanswered questions resonate within me until I slowly find the answer. I think this was one of those lessons that God has been trying to teach me. Unfortunately, not everything is received on the first try. But I'm learning to simply say " it's okay." It's okay to let things be how they are, it's okay if things don't go the way I want them to, it's okay if I can't do anything right away because maybe someday I will. It's okay to make mistakes even though i don't like the feeling of knowing I did something wrong. It's okay to take a risk, because no matter what happens I know how to recover. and most importantly IT'S OKAY TO LET MYSELF BE VULNERABLE. I recently was shown a TED talk at a conference I went to and how a women did a study and that showed that happiest people are ones that are with being vulnerable. I'm not okay with it, but i'm learning to be. Not to worry about what will happen and focus on what is happening. I'm happy now even if it causes me pain later. And it's okay to be that there are many things i am not. Because who I am is good enough. ( it is a work in progress, I say it so that one day I will believe it.)

Costa Rica: Smile

You can survive! I remember walking into this community where the homes were brightly colored and looked barely put together. The children surrounded us with smiles and looked at us with curious eyes. Hugo, the founder of the children's center called Smiles with Hope in which we were visiting, greeted us as we came in. Before knowing his title I could tell he was a person who was loved. For as he walked in the children ran up to him with glee and attached themselves to his arms and legs, and began swinging and dangling from his limbs. Walking into the center we walked across a small bridge over a ravine. We walked into a large room that was very hot with a small stage in the back in which we were brought to. We gathered on stage with a group of children and suddenly music started to play. The song was in Spanish of course so we all just went along with the movement of the children. They would move to the right we'd move too. They would raise their arms up and do a silly dance and we would mimic their moves. Then, to our surprise, we were bombard with laughter and little hands tickling us. After realizing what was going on we started tickling back. For those 2- 3 minutes the song was going on I couldn't stop laughing. Not just because of what was going on but because there was this energy of love in the room. These children welcomed us, not knowing our names, not really knowing who we were but simply trusted us. After the song and after some playing around the children had to leave to go to school and we were invited to sit down and listen and learn more about the place we had just entered. The place we were at was built as a safe haven. The children of the community at a very young age are exposed to drugs, violence and prostitution. Their childhood is filled with distress and chaos. Sonrisas con Esperanza , Smiles with Hope, was built for children to have a place where they can be themselves. To smile, laugh and be children. Not only does the center provide a safe place for the children but for the mothers as well. Teaching them crafts, and skills to such as doing hair and nails, so that they can make better choices in their lives and have a opportunity for success. There is always hope, even in the darkest of places. But you have to believe in that hope to be elevated by it. Hugo's life was far from pleasant, and saying it was difficult may even underestimate the struggles he went through. Orphaned at the age of 5, for most of his childhood he lived on the streets, ate our of garbage cans and was constantly surrounded by drugs and prostitution. He even tried taking his life at a very young age. Fortunately, one day a friend told him about the Lord and his faith was renewed. He followed the word of God and was cared for in a safe environment. When he got older he started working as a clown, because he wanted to make children smile. And as time went on he created the center where many smiles pass through every day. What is also more inspiring about Hugo besides his triumph over his childhood experiences, is that he works for no income. He works by faith and every month himself along with his family is taken care of, through the generosity of others. Whether you believe in God or not, it is vital to always believe in something better. Always have Hope. I think to myself what would have happened if Hugo had given up? The the children of La Cuenca, Guararí,Costa Rica may have walked amongst the streets without a smile on their faces. They would have been trapped in a world that would ultimately destroy them. But it is because he didn't give up and let is struggles overcome him that many children and families can find peace, love, hope and a second chance. "This ministry was born as a result of God seeking to put smiles of love and hope in the hearts of these families, especially the children who have tears in their hearts" Fore more information about Sonrisas con Esperanza, visit their facebook page at : https://www.facebook.com/SonrisasConEsperanza?fref=tsm Children are born with hope, and it radiates through their smiles. Even when children have experienced or seen horrible things their hope still flows and exist through them. Sometimes when we get older we see so much evil that it kills our hope. But if a child can believe in the good out there, why can't we let out minds do the same. It's not because we know more or that we are wiser, it's because we stop believing and appreciating the little good that is there.

Stories From The Past: Rwanda Genocide Survivor

Society today seems to have an obsession with the future. What's next, what's new , what will be better then the last experience? We focus so much on the future, barely live in the present and often forget about the past. The past shouldn't be something that is ever forgotten, but something that constantly gives us a reminder of where we have been, what has happened, and what could be our future. Jean De Dieu Gatete,28,was born and raised in Rwanda, Africa but has had many opportunities to come to the United States. I met him while volunteering at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. What is fascinating about him is that he was able to live in a community that became engulfed with death. And what he takes away from his survival is divine humility. Gatete spent his childhood with simple joys and a carefree spirit. He played with friends, pulled pranks on people, and tried to stay out of trouble. He grew up in a culture of hospitality. Gatete describes it as a system where people helped each other. "The kids don’t belong to the family they belong to the society. If some kid is doing mistakes, any parent will try to correct him or her and feel like it’s their responsibility to take care of everyone. If someone is sick everyone will bring him to the hospital. There were times when people didn’t have cars and things and people had to carry sick people to the hospital… whatever happens to them is happening to us so we need to take action. " said Gatete. Although Gatete grew up in a time of peace, around 50 years ago the government introduced a ethnic system that eventually poisoned this hospitable culture. This ethnic system divided people, families and friends into different social classes mainly based on the assets they owned. With the division of classes came control and power. Those of a higher class would be used to force orders on those of a lower class. Slowly this system was integrated with violence, people were beaten if they did not follow orders. And by the time Gatete was 10 years old he witnessed those that he grew up with, his neighbors and friends die before his eyes. The river that Gatete grew up by became a moving storage for dead bodies. Washing away the evidence and the memory of those that were slaughtered for the sake of power. There was so much fear that it laid a permanent scar on those that survived. Years later the trauma of the event still lingers on with the people of Rwanda. And at the age of 10, Gatete could not fully understand why the killings were going on, all he could do was worry about who would be next. One day the violence can too close to home when Gatete's mother was attacked and taken away. Attacked by machetes, his mother was able to survive thanks to friends who sought to protect versus destroy. She was found and taken from a grave site and was brought home and eventually to a medical center where she spent six month recovering from head wounds. Although Gatete's mother suffered from an attack it was because of his father's ethnicity that he was never attack directly. But he was never hidden from the tragedies as he witnessed others die in front of him and. His home was under constant attack because his family would hide others to keep them safe. After time passed, Gatete and his family decided to flee from their home. People weren't just dying just because of the ethnicity but because of their land, their assets and anything else that was decided by a person of power. After years went on with much violence , a new government came in and created a new order of peace.Since then Gatete has returned to Rwanda, where he works as doctor and runs a non profit organization for the youth. When the killings finally stopped and people had to learn to forgive one another. With so many killings blood was on almost everyone's hands. Punishment wasn't possible for everyone and forgiveness was the main option. Gatete had to learn to live with and forgive the man who tried to kill his mother. This new government was critical making sure the Rwandian people could move forward. Systems were put into places, where people were tried in front of the people who they committed a crime against. They confessed of their crimes and were either forgiven or imprisoned. Gatete story is a realization of how far people can stray away from their humanity. It is also reminder of the strength, compassion that people can have and power of forgiveness.

Indulgences

We pay the bills, we pay for food, we pay way to much for gas.. this blog post is dedicated to some of the small but oh so awesome purchases I have made. because we all need to indulge sometime. SassyBella armcandy purchase: Instagram proves itself again to be a great marketing tool. On instagram SassyBella, a jewelery company in New Jersey and I started following each other. Now I am a sucker for accessories so within the first few days of following I already saw many things I wanted to buy. One bracelet and watch set I couldn't say no to. The watch is a goldish pinkish color with rhinestone around the face of the watch, accompanied by gold and pink bangles of all different designs. All for about $40 including tax. The color was so different and I already have a love for bangles, it was a no brainier to make the purchase. And the process was simple, I just commented on the photo saying I gotta have it, along with my email address, and an invoice was sent to me. I paid and in few days my lovely package was received. Definitely have a future customer SassyBella.

War to Peace Necklace: Another accessory purchase was of a necklace in the shape of the tree of life. Besides my love for trees what really got me to make this purchase was what my necklace was made from. War to peace uses the cooper from recycled war missiles and other weaponry to make beautiful symbols of peace. 20% of their profits are donated to various charities that represent peace. Christmas s around the corner if anyone is looking for a unique gift here is where to buy it!

Friendship

I found this new magazine called Rebel magazine which is actually a men's magazine but i didn't discover that until after reading the first couple of pages. but its a magazine against pop culture, promoting men to think and act differently then what pop culture shows them. It give men a different image to look at.
I read this article about friendship vs. buddies and it talks about the true meaning of friendship. Sense friendship is an ever recurring issues in the lives of everyone young and old i thought quotes from the article would be relevant.

The Path of Friendship
BY: Matt Teei


" a friend is someone who will tell you what you need to hear, not what to hear want to hear"

" Aristotle says that a friend wants what is best for you, not whats best for himself"


" there is a friendship continuum and most of us only hang out on one side of it."

" a friend isn't going to tell you to " go for it" unless it's in your best interest"

" a true friend will tell you the truth even at the risk of you being mad at him "

" in a friendship, you hold eachother accountable and you cover each other's back... you care about eachothers integrity"