Sunday, July 31, 2011

The 5 Senses of Silent Retreating

I just returned from my first silent retreat experience :) After such a hectic, jam-packed week of Orientation, it was a much needed rest. I spent my time reading, drawing, journaling, napping, and sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine (don't worry Mom, I stayed in the SHADE :) ) I wrote down some of my observations to share:

I hear...
the whistle, chirp, chortle of birds
the soothing woosh of wind rustling the leaves of trees
the soft (and sometimes loud) thump of footsteps
a sudden burst of surprised laughter
the quiet intake and release of breath
the sweet melody of a piano

I taste...
sweet green and purple grapes
tangy BBQ chicken (yum!)
refreshing lemonade
gooey, cheesy eggplant parmesan 

I see...
warm smiles that light up an entire face and cause eyes to crinkle around the edges
heads bowed in deep thought and prayer
lips trying to mouth words with varying degrees of success :)
blue sky, sunshine, and green leaves
words filling the blank pages of journals
a strange brown and yellow bug crawling across my leg
chipmunks coming out of hiding

I smell...
crisp, clean air
freshly showered hair
that familiar "pillow" scent

I feel...
the warm breeze making my curls dance
the soft and gentle presence of a hand on my shoulder
the ground firm beneath my feet
the calm and inner peace of being still
the love of the community surrounding me

I believe...

Our "homework" during the last week has been to compose a personal creed. To reflect on what we believe and find some way to express it in words. I would like to share mine with you:

I believe we are all God's children
Broken and beautiful, desperate for love
I believe that wonder and joy surround us
Waiting to be discovered, acknowledged, cherished
I believe in true, transforming love
And that the possibility of such love outweighs the risk of heartbreak
I believe in taking time to play
To listen deeply
To laugh with your whole body
To be silent and still
I believe in holding hands and walking together
In family
In friendship
I believe in responding with love
In smiling with kind eyes
In a gentle touch that says, "I'm here"
I believe in the "maybes" and the "somedays"
I believe in me
I believe in you

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Here we are!! :)

It is my immense pleasure to introduce you to the 2011-2012 Rostro de Cristo volunteers! Aren't they beautiful?? :D Also included in the back right is Megan Radek, our In-Country Director and new Ecua mom :)
Also....Meet my new community mates! The 6 of us will be living together in Monte Sinai. You can learn more about the community (http://www.rostrodecristo.org/community/sinai.html) and even see YouTube videos of our house (http://www.rostrodecristo.org/news/centro-tomas.html)!
 Patrick, Bernadette, Matt, Maddie, me, Katie :)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Rice. Beans. Corn.

I find myself at a loss for the correct words to describe just how life-giving the past 5 days in Boston have been :) I'm surrounded by the most passionate, thoughtful, and loving people. Hearing from guest speakers with incredible knowledge. Sharing wonderful, deep conversations with new friends. Being challenged to think about who I am and why I'm here.

One of the most interesting experiences so far happened during mealtimes on Thursday. After 4 days of being fed a whole smorgasbord of delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, it's safe to say that the other volunteers and I had developed certain expectations for food. In fact, yesterday morning I was imagining a yummy bowl of cereal as we walked into the hall. Mmmm. Couldn't wait. What we found was this: corn, rice, and beans. My first feeling was surprise. "Well, this is different." But I dug in and soon recovered from the feeling that Mr. Cereal had stood me up. Then the same thing happened at lunch. Again at dinner. Rice. Beans. Corn. If you're wondering what the point was (because yes, rice and beans will be staple foods in Ecuador, but no, we will absolutely not eat them for every meal), here goes: It forced us to examine how we respond to situations where our expectations are not met. It challenged us to just "let it go" and focus on what was real rather than what we had hoped for or wanted. The experience was an incredibly valuable one, but I can't say I'm not a little relieved that rice, beans, and corn are not on the menu today :)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

On your marks...Get set....

Goooooooooooooooo!!! One more week and I'm off! 


To give a suuuper quick summary: I will be spending the next year in Ecuador with Rostro de Cristo ("Face of Christ") working as a volunteer (most likely teaching English!) while living in a spiritual community and carrying out a simple lifestyle. I don't have a lot of details yet, but I will be keeping this blog to document future adventures (eating guinea pig, perhaps?? :) ) and the many challenges (cold showers...) to come! My communication will be limited to emailing from internet cafes and letter-writing, but I will be in touch as often as possible and would appreciate frequent email updates and stories :)

In case you are curious, here is a link to Rostro de Cristo's webpage. You can check out the program and what they do! 


I should find out some more info while in Boston for training July 18th-31st. I can't wait to write some real updates on this blog and put pictures up! Get ready!! :)