Adventures Near & Far
January – 2026
La Paz, Mexico
~by Johanna
On a trip to beautiful La Paz, Mexico this January, seven of us strolled the extensive Malecón, marveled at beautiful sunsets, swam at a pristine beach, and visited with the 25 kids at the New Creation (Nuevo Creación) Children’s Care Center. When several of us first researched and visited this children’s home, we were tourists in La Paz looking to add a sprinkle of service to our trip. Now, on our third annual visit, our focus and intentions have shifted, with the well-being of these kids high in our awareness. Of course we still went to the La Paz open mic/jam circle to play and sing with a group of expat regulars who live there part of the year. Our participation appears most welcome. But a good portion of our time was spent shopping for needed supplies for the children’s home and spending time with the kids. We worked with them to make an ocean mural, coloring and gluing various sea creature cut-outs; went “fishing” with the sea creature cut outs and magnets and paper clips; we fixed multiple dilapidated guitars and gave some guitar lessons; we played toss, catch, and volleyball; purchased and sorted warm coats for each of them; and made up 24 dorm beds with new sheets and blankets and pillows. In coming to know of and trying to fulfill some of the Center’s food, clothing, and shelter needs, we have found ourselves caring about the individual children’s well-being more and more, evidencing to ourselves what Justin has long asserted: you will “care about” what you “care for.”
(Slide left to view all photos above)
La Paz & Another World
~ by Erin
It is Saturday night in La Paz, Jan 10. It seems impossible to get my head around the idea that I left home four days ago. How is that even possible? Home seems like worlds away. I do feel as though I have fallen through a crack into another world.
It is hard to do justice to some of the profoundly beautiful conversations we’ve had in the past few days. I see my friends struggling with each other’s questions, often initiated or guided by Justin’s awareness, his gentle hand nudging us to be able to really stop each other and to help each other. When an exploration of an idea develops, he helps each person go deeper, flesh out a thought, hone in on what they really think or see. Then he responds with questions that help us see the bigger context.
Once, we talked about metaphors for our explorations, and came up with football, and the structure of the game and the role of the player. For the player, it matters if he wins or loses, but does it matter to the NFL? The player exists in a structure in which he is expendable; he can win or lose, and it doesn’t affect the structure of the game. The player must have certain capacities, but the structure of the game and the league determine the conditions. If a player quits, someone else will come along and the league will not be impacted.
Similarly, we can take things personally, but from a broader perspective, no exploration is personal. Each of us has information and a personal vantage point and perspective that can be part of an exploration—but we can also know that we are not the structure or the game, and it is not about us as individuals. I’m starting to feel this perspective in a way that is more than philosophical, and it feels good.
We’ve had a number of explorations related to doing what we want and not just following others. This is a moment-by-moment struggle. I am learning that knowing that no one can do anything to you is the starting point for exploration. But even if I agree with this philosophically, how real is that if I do not know my self in the moment, if I can’t be real about who I am in the moment even when it is not looking good? So I struggle to say what I think, and stick with it, hear what I say, argue it out sometimes. Over the past few weeks, I find I am being more myself, and sometimes something beautiful comes forward, other times it looks pretty bad and painful. But it is more real, and the result is some degree of relaxing and going deeper, with my peers and tool use and the woman at the market selling herbs and small carved gourds. This struggle to be real seems less frightening and more compelling than even a month ago, or a day ago.
December – 2025
Puerto Peñasco Service Adventure
~by Pranavati
In December, as the days grew shorter and the sun traveled south, nineteen of us set off on a road trip to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, a short way from the Arizona border. We know how very fortunate we are and recognize the importance of sharing that good fortune with others.
We used preparation for the trip and the drive south to knit ourselves together as a team, with each of us playing an important part in the whole. On our service trips we shop and eat together every day, share bedrooms, work together, and play together too! It’s necessary to put aside our own preferences more often, for the good of the whole, which can prove to be extremely liberating. For a few, it was their first trip with us, and we wanted to make this experience available to them.
Two of our friends – Conway and Matthew – preceded us to scout out places where we could serve that would match what we have to offer. They met the very energetic Conrad, founder of Ocean View Ministries (OVM), who was happy to have our help. He oversaw a wide range of services, including donations to families, establishing rehab and community centers, building infrastructure for partially completed homes (bathrooms, septic systems, water tanks, etc.) and coordinating efforts with groups like us.
We pitched in to help with our building and organizing skills. A group of us worked on a couple of partially built (and already occupied) houses in the desert outside of town, installing insulation and sheetrock, mudding and taping, and installing toilets and showers. In one of the houses a mother and daughter who lived there pitched in to help us. Even though we couldn’t understand each other very well, working together was a sweet experience.
At the same time, some of us were helping to set up a Christmas party that Conrad was organizing for 200+ people. We sorted hundreds of donated toys and made a mountain of bags of candy.
There is a story below about a beautiful experience we had at a “soup kitchen.”
In the midst of all this, we performed four puppet/magic shows to very enthusiastic audiences of local kids. Our puppets travel with us everywhere and are always ambassadors of laughter and joy.
In our spare time we walked (and some of us swam) on the long, lovely beach near where we were staying. We left with full hearts and beautiful memories, hoping to return again.
Murmurations
~by Anitra
At yesterday’s satsang, Erin beautifully described a murmuration, the phenomenon of hundreds of starlings flying together in synchronized, shape-shifting forms. When one bird makes a move, the birds nearby react, creating a reaction of movements that ripple through the entire flock, giving the impression of a single, coordinated entity. The birds look like poetry when they are flying together like synchronized swimmers. Sometimes we, too, are like one, moving together. I got a very large dose of that feeling of we in Mexico.
Our pod of four women was headed to a site in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, run by a local food bank called 2 Fish Ministry. We were to take part in the preparation and serving of food to their local community, including some individuals who lived at a nearby dump/landfill.
We first headed to the grocery store to pick up beans, oil, and rice to bring with us. In the store, I had a sense of operating as a unit; no one person went rogue or strayed from the entity that we were. We did the math together, converting pesos and kilos to US dollars and pounds/ounces with our phones mostly, but we did some brain math, too. And when one of us went to look for an item, we communicated along the way so that every base was covered. We all knew where each other was at every moment.
I know what it’s like to be a solo operator, to want to do everything alone. But when the circumstances arise, being a unit, a pod moving in unison like a murmuration, feels really good. Something about it feels natural and right. There’s an individuality present, but that individuality exists within the whole.
There are parts of me that want to rebel, stage a coup, and burn down the place at the thought of giving up their independence. But maybe bit by bit, those parts may be replaced by other parts that yearn for the togetherness and wholeness of being a part of something with others. And not just any ol’ something, but something that I think is the ultimate something—the path toward becoming a natural, effortless human being.
How the heck did we get so far away from that? Were we ever not full of lies, distortions, imagination, and unending striving towards the most shallow of goals? How did this perfect creation create an imperfect being, an imperfect humanity? Where did we go wrong? Does it matter? I don’t know, but I wonder about these things.
The “Fairy Godmother” in Thailand
~by Renée
I recently had the good fortune to play a part in a grand adventure. Aspects of the story are dramatic enough to make a good thriller; other elements may be more hidden, but to me they bear witness to Justin’s benevolence and service to finer forces.
About fifteen years ago, a number of us were in Mae Sot, Thailand, on the border with Myanmar, where we helped build a school for Burmese refugee children. During that trip, we made a connection with the principal of the school and his family, which we maintained over the years, even after they returned to Myanmar.
Fast forward to last year, when we heard from the principal’s daughter, Cynthi, that the military junta had come to the house of her fiancé to conscript him into the army; the two of them abandoned their jobs and homes in Yangon and fled to a village under the control of anti-government forces.
After months of researching different scenarios for how to get these two out of danger and to somewhere they could live safely and legally, we landed on a plan that looked possible: get them to Thailand and enroll them in a university as students.
The story unfolded in segments. The first—and most consequential—hurdle was bribing the Burmese border officers and crossing into Mae Sot, Thailand. I had already flown to Hong Kong on my way to Bangkok, hoping I would be able to welcome them to their new life, but not yet knowing whether the border crossing would be successful—when I got the phone call from them. They had made it. They were ecstatic and relieved, in a state of disbelief brought about by their escape and good fortune.
Once that obstacle was behind them, they journeyed to Chiang Mai, where I met them, enrolled them in the university, helped them find an apartment, purchase a used motorcycle, and open a bank account (which involved another bribe). CCNS contributed funds toward their resettlement. After a final journey to Vientiane, Laos, to the Thai Embassy to obtain education visas (one more bribe), they are ready to begin a one-year course in IT. They have been lifted out of a war zone into a life with a future.
On my end, I feel grateful to have been the intermediary in this dream come true. And because of the role I got to play, I fell in love and feel like I’m now an “auntie” to these two young people. Cynthi calls me her “fairy godmother,” but I know the backstory that she and her husband are not privy to. If it were not for Justin, my peers, and our history of doing service work in Thailand, we never would have gone to Mae Sot in the first place, where I met Cynthi. And if it weren’t for the myriad influences this “school” has had on me, I wouldn’t have had the capacities needed to envision and carry through this rescue mission. To quote a Ben Harper song, “I Am Blessed to Be a Witness.”
October 2025
Morocco Adventures & Service;
Old Paths, New Places, and Meaningful Connections
~by Chela
In October 2025, seven of us traveled throughout Morocco—returning to places we had visited in 2004 and 2010, and exploring many new ones for the first time. A few of us reunited with people we first met over twenty years ago, hiked in the Boumalne Dadès mountains, and wandered through landscapes that felt both familiar and completely new.
We explored Chefchaouen, the famous “Blue City,” where houses are painted in shades of blue and white, creating a stunning mosaic across the mountainside. Some of us traveled to the coast—visiting towns like Essaouira and Asilah—while others headed south to hike and ride camels through the dunes. We split up to explore different regions, with plans to reunite in Marrakesh to focus on potential social work projects.
The drive along the coast from Essaouira to Safi was especially beautiful—miles of crashing waves, cliffs dropping into the ocean, and homes scattered sparsely along the shoreline. Essaouira itself felt very different from what some of us remembered. Once a quieter, whitewashed town known for artisans and small shops, it has grown into a busy port city filled with fishing boats, birds, tourists, restaurants, and the famous ramparts (featured in Game of Thrones).
When we regrouped in Marrakesh, we focused our energy on finding a local organization where we could offer meaningful support. After considerable research, we connected with Association Al Nour, a women-run nonprofit in Marrakesh that supports women with physical disabilities by providing vocational training, employment opportunities, childcare, and social services. Al Nour is a powerful space of empowerment—helping women gain independence, skills, and community in a society where resources for disabled women are often limited.
On our first day in Marrakesh some of us got to work checking out prices at various medical supply shops and connected with Noura, the director of Al Nour. We had seen her in a YouTube video beforehand and were eager to meet her—she clearly radiated leadership and determination. We discussed wheelchair sizes, crutches, sewing machines, and other equipment, and ultimately decided to purchase wheelchairs and crutches to be delivered to the organization the following day.
Moving to our riad in the medina (walled city) of Marrakesh to meet up with the others in our travel group the next day was an adventure in itself. The journey —involving returning rental cars, and transporting luggage through the chaos of the narrow pathways of the medina — involved careful planning, and, as usual, not everything went exactly as planned, but it all worked out. As we got closer, familiar landmarks from earlier trips began to appear: the mosque, the horse-drawn carriages, the small park near Hotel Ali, and memories of music and performances from years ago. Jemaa el-Fna Square, where we once performed a play, was nearly unrecognizable due to extensive construction (we were told much of Morocco is preparing for the World Cup in the coming years).
By the time we arrived, we were hungry and ready for a break from the chaos —but a quick shawarma run turned into a race against the clock when we learned the wheelchairs would be delivered at 3:00 pm. We ate quickly, then made our way through the medina—past arched gateways, through Jemaa el-Fna with its drums, snake charmer horns, bird whistles, and juice vendors, and into the crowded market lanes buzzing with people, scooters, and carts moving at full speed. We followed Johanna and Koda, who had visited Al Nour the day before, and eventually arrived—seven of us—at the front door.
The first floor of Al Nour is a small shop. Noura came out to greet us, already aware the delivery was on its way. She and another staff member, who spoke excellent English, gave us a generous tour of the building. The space is substantial—three stories plus a rooftop, with an elevator, offices, storage rooms, workshops, a kitchen, and even a small nursery for babies and children. The organization is run entirely by women; the only men involved are the driver and maintenance worker. It was beautiful to witness such a strong, women-led environment.
We met several women working in the workshops and were welcomed warmly, even invited to take photos. Noura—who is about three feet tall, with a soft voice, a bubbly laugh, and unmistakable authority—was clearly in charge. She led with confidence, humor, and joy, creating moments of laughter throughout the visit.
We were served mint tea and cookies in a traditional Moroccan way and sat together talking and laughing. I showed Noura videos from our first trip to Marrakesh, including footage of our play in Jemaa el-Fna years ago. She asked for our nonprofit’s name and contact information and soon presented us with a beautifully written thank-you letter.
When the wheelchairs arrived, we inspected them together. Noura tried one out, Koda gave her a playful push, and there were plenty of laughs—especially as Jenna attempted (repeatedly) to capture the perfect video of Noura signing and stamping the receipt. Stamps and signatures are serious business there, and Noura kindly re-did the moment again and again, to everyone’s amusement.
We said our goodbyes feeling deeply grateful—to have found such an inspiring organization, and to have shared such meaningful hours together. After walking just a short distance from the building, I read their thank-you letter aloud to the group. It was a sweet and fitting bookend to a joyful visit—and a beautiful way to wrap up our adventures in Morocco.
Ananda Family Yoga Fest
~by Pranavati
In October, 2025, our neighbors at Ananda Village invited us to be a part of their Ananda Family Yoga Festival. As a spiritual community with some overlapping values and interests, it felt meaningful to participate in this delightful event. Our intention was to connect with the children through our puppets, and with adults through conversation, and shared curiosity.
It was a truly wholesome scene—sunny weather, puffy clouds, straw bales, fresh-pressed apple cider, contra-dancing, group circle warm-ups, and affirmations, and many open, friendly faces. Young families were enjoying feeding a mama goat, face painting, sack races, craft projects, story time, and sing-alongs, with live fiddle music drifting through the day.
Our booth attracted lots of kids who took to the puppets naturally and immediately. The adults who stopped to chat often stayed for deeper conversations about our service work and travel, and deeper still, our inner work and meditation, and our experience of having a spiritual teacher in our lives who can see us clearly and respond to what we need to grow and expand our consciousness.
In the afternoon we presented our puppet and magic show. We’ve performed these shows all over the world, but never to an American audience. We were very curious how our local children and adults would respond. We need not have worried. They were thrilled! And the kids gathered around eagerly to interact with the puppets afterwards.
We left the festival tired, grateful, and thankful for the connection with Ananda, the warmth of the families who came through, and the reminder of how powerful simple presence, play, and genuine conversation can be.
January – March 2025
Kenya Adventures & Service
~ by Renée
As a seasoned world traveler, I’d been to Europe, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the South Pacific …but never to Africa. Africa was an unknown, and for that reason, I had some hesitations about going there. Would I be safe?
My friend Tish had a vision of going to Kenya, and she needed a support crew to live out her dream. I decided to put my fears to the side and signed up as her partner. We ended up with a crew of five, and spent a month researching, organizing, and preparing for a grand adventure—an initial stay in Nairobi, a couple weeks in the Maasai Mara near the National Reserve, and a final week in the very remote Samburu territory, with a couple days in Istanbul thrown in en route.
The series of adventures that awaited us turned out to be even more extraordinary than we imagined. In Nairobi, we walked through the slums accompanied by a local ballet teacher who runs a free after-school program. In the Maasai Mara, we visited rural schools where we handed out school supplies and soccer balls and entertained the kids with magic tricks and a puppet show. Our men worked side by side the villagers to install a water catchment on top of the village library. In conjunction with an NGO that supports women and helps keep girls in school, Tish and I distributed sanitary kits to a very appreciative class of high school girls. And of course, we saw the African animals!
One of the most memorable moments for me was when we first arrived at the Women’s Center in the rural outskirts of the National Reserve. We had contacted the founder of the NGO while still in California and had arranged to work with the local women during our visit. After a challenging drive on a very rough and unmarked dirt road, we pulled up to the modest building and there were seven Maasai women in full traditional costume singing and dancing for us, in greeting. I felt like I was in a scene from a movie—in Africa!
La Paz, Mexico
Sea, Sunsets & Service
~ by Johanna
(Slide left through the photos above)
On a trip to beautiful La Paz, Mexico a few years back, we researched possible ways to help kids in the area. We had the great good fortune to find Nueva Creaçion Niños and its founder, Roberto Osuna.
After battling addiction, as well as throat cancer, Roberto founded the “New Creation” kids’ home a quarter century ago. The 23 children currently in residence—from toddlers to teens—reflect the joy and faith Roberto embodies.
We visited again just recently, stuffing our rental car from floor to ceiling with bulk foods, bed sheets, pillows, clothes, and other needed supplies. We brought sports equipment and art supplies, prepared to spend several days together. Our crew had a blast playing with the kids, getting to know them, doing projects, practicing Spanish, and sharing milk and cookies!
Roberto has a huge heart, reflected in the welcoming children that he, his gracious wife, Alma, and other volunteers care for.
On departure, we huddled together as Roberto (who is also a minister) said a short prayer of gratitude for us all.
We drove south toward Baja, appreciating our good fortune–being able to offer a little and receive so much.
We stay in touch and look forward to returning to see the children and the lovely town of La Paz!
El Salvador Adventures
~by Johor
When five of us traveled to El Salvador last February, we hardly expected that this Central American country would soon be in US headlines news, caught in the net and tangled up in our President’s immigration policy. We chose this relatively un-touristed country that none of us had visited before, knowing that we could bring our traveling classroom anywhere and make use of the unique circumstances to learn about ourselves as well as El Salvador.
We rented a car and drove through the country, appreciating the beautiful mountainous and volcanic landscapes, visiting the small towns (Concepción de Ataco, El Zonte, and Sucitoto) and practicing our Spanish with the locals. One morning, we had a lovely boat ride on Lake Suchitlan where we saw more birds in one place than we’ve every seen. It was so beautiful!
(Slide left through the photos above)
El Salvador has had a difficult history with a long and violent civil war, mainly in the 1980’s, with the US supporting a brutal government. Human rights abuses abounded, and thousands of people were falsely imprisoned. In the past three years, the country has gone through a major transformation with the current government arresting 85,000 people accused of gang affiliations. The country is likely at the beginning of major development.
Everyone we spoke to while we were there expressed how palpable the change felt, with people now walking the streets freely at night and businesses no longer having to pay extortion money.
Seeing a country try to change on a large scale got me thinking about change on a smaller scale, namely within the laboratory of myself. In the system we’ve learned from Justin, the potential for change primarily comes from the observation of micro-moments.
One day in the Spanish class that a few of us took in the little town of Sucitoto, I noticed that I was pretending that I understood something the teacher said, when in actually I didn’t know several of the words in the sentence, and lost the gist of what she was saying. I got a “snapshot” of myself wanting to impress my teacher and classmates and wanting to hide my deficiency. If I can see this manifestation straight on without making excuses—see it as self-destructive, as a pretense that I try to maintain that obscures my vulnerability, it can drop away. As more and more of these “add-ons” are seen and dissipate, I can become a lighter, more natural, and relaxed person. This observation requires awareness in the moment.
Spiritual Tractoring
From life coach to tractor driving—a circuitous but real spiritual adventure.
~ by Matthew
The other day I had a chance to do something I’ve avoided up until now—getting up on our old Ford tractor, firing up the diesel engine, and learning how to drive it. It was a surprisingly spiritual experience.
When I recently saw some photos and videos from my friends’ trips to La Paz, Mexico, and El Salvador (I, myself, had just come back from a month in Kenya), it struck me that each trip has its new destinations, exotic elements, service work projects, and discoveries. While outrageous and such a privilege to be able to take such trips, I know that if one learns how to learn and knows how to make use of the circumstances in front of them—wherever they are—then one doesn’t need to go abroad to find new situations to open doors and expand into new territory
Something I took from Justin is the understanding that any new territory is spiritual territory. Not limited by activity, place, or exoticness, the key element is that you’re going somewhere new—externally and/or internally—not the saffron robes or chants in a foreign language. For me, it turned out to be learning to drive a tractor in my own backyard.
My buddy, who’s quite proficient, normally does the grading of the gravel roads leading to our homes. Due to an injury, it was going to be challenging for him this time, so we agreed to do it together and he’d show me the ropes. When I arrived, feeling somewhat anxious, I thought, “I’d like to watch him for a bit before trying it out.” As I walked up to him, he yelled over the engine, “Why don’t you watch first so you can see what I’m doing?” Great idea.
I grew up in a city in North Dakota. Though still surrounded by farming and lots and lots of tractors, my parents (and I) were not into farming, and I stayed clear of doing anything with big machines. I avoided building, construction, and machinery, and found ways to get by with other skills and affinities. But honesty takes many forms, and since then I’ve learned to differentiate between doing things I like or have gifts for and recognizing what I avoid because I’m afraid of going into unfamiliar territory.
So, after watching my friend on the tractor for a bit, I felt a familiar urge come up, “Okay, now I wanna do it.” It resembles an obstinate two-year-old saying, “I’m gonna drive the car now.” Having gotten previous help to recognize this part of me, I saw how out of place it was in this moment. I was really only impatient and trying to do something more entertaining. I settled back into observing him.
About 30 seconds later, my buddy got off the tractor and pronounced, “Okay, now you’re going to drive it down the road and I’ll meet you at the other driveway.” Gulp. Suddenly I wondered if it was too soon!
I got up on the tractor, got my bearings, then felt the alive feeling of going somewhere I hadn’t gone before, now with the relaxation of being under the guidance of my friend. Without needing to push or manipulate, I could really take in his patient and very supportive directions. Front bucket, back scraper, clutch, gears, high, low, idle, throttle… I took a few minutes to get familiar with it all, then I’m off!
I’m cruising down the road at three mph and loving it.
For the next few hours, I learn the basics of using the angled back blade to scrape, gather, relocate, and attempt to artfully smooth the gravel roads that we will all drive on till the next rains in the fall. I enjoy the learning, the uncovering of a long-avoided realm, the very sweet bonding with my buddy and teacher, and feeling the “spiritual” expansion into new territory, right here on a tractor in my own backyard.
November – December 2024
India
Four of us recently had the good fortune to visit Mother Miracle School in Rishikesh, where we have sponsored children in the past, and currently have a second-grade girl who we support. The school enrolls poor children with academic promise and pairs them with sponsors who can pay for their tuition.
We dropped in on an upper-level computer class, heard the kindergartners sing, spoke with the chess club teacher, saw the students’ science projects on display, and peaked in as the younger children sat silently in rows on the floor before eating in the lunchroom. By the end of our tour, we were amazed by the highly academic school that clearly has a lot of heart.
After leading an English lesson for our sponsored girl’s classroom, we accompanied her home to meet and talk with her family. It took some encouragement, but we finally got an answer to what we could give her as a gift: she wanted a bicycle. What a wonderful present!
Over the next couple days and with the help of graduates from the school who are now studying in college, we purchased the bicycle as well as basic food supplies for several needy families in the school. A highlight for us was buzzing around town on the back of scooters, dodging cows, pedestrians, and other vehicles as we delivered the food to the families.
When our crew visited the ancient city and spiritual capital of Varanasi a week later, we bought warm blankets and several dozen meals in take-out boxes that we handed out to the sadhus (religious ascetics) who congregate on the famous riverfront steps on the banks of the Ganges River. The setting is unique, and made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us.
The mother of one of the girls we sponsor makes her living from a lemonade stand on the banks of the Ganges. We helped her daughters design and order two beautiful “Squeeze the Day!” signs to hang on the sides of her stand. Hopefully this will help increase her income!
Las Niñas del Pastor – Guanajuato, Mexico
In November of 2024, several of us spent a couple of weeks in the colorful, vibrant university town of Guanajuato, in the mountains of Central Mexico. A small city popular with Mexican tourists, Guanajuato offers concerts, good food, street performances, and strolling bands of student troubadours who lead mostly Mexican vacationers in song through the town until late into the night. On previous visits, we had discovered a Carmelite convent that serves as a weekday home for thirty-plus schoolgirls—daughters of single mothers who are struggling to raise them alone—as well as a separate shelter for women victims of domestic violence called Las Niñas del Pastor.
We revisited the convent and met with Sister Ana Lilia Salazar, who let us know the several needs of the girls and how we could help. She gave us the shoe sizes for each of the girls and a list of specific needs for school lunches. We spent part of a day walking around the city and scouting out where we could find the best deals on shoes. The next day we had a productive shoe shopping adventure, finding great shoes in the sizes we were looking for. The outing was the source of many interesting learning opportunities for us… seeing how we could have worked together better and recognizing some clear misses in our communication skills. After more shopping at a large grocery store and a variety store for hair accessories and soccer balls, we came home and organized all the shoes by name and size, laying them out on our living room floor.
Later that afternoon, we had a delightful time distributing soccer balls, toiletries, food for the school lunches, and new tennis shoes to all the girls. One of the younger girls, Lupita, bravely got up and spoke some words of thanks on behalf of all of them. Once we brought out the balls, the natural simplicity of saying, “Let’s play!” allowed for cultural and language barriers to drop. They divided us all up into teams, with Johor being last to be chosen for the team named “El Muchacho.” We had a blast kicking around the balls together, humbled by their athletic skills and team-playing capabilities, and joking around playing word-guessing games while practicing our Spanish and English with each other. This relatively brief part of our time in Guanajuato was a highlight for us all, and we got the opportunity to step out of the role of tourist and be part of the lives of some locals in a rich and rewarding way.
October 2024
Sacramento Homeless Assistance
During Record-breaking Heat
~ by Mopani
When I travel to the Sacramento area (1.5 hours drive away), the number of homeless people I see is overwhelming and, frankly, confronting to me.
During a particularly hot spell this past July (days and days of 108+ degrees), a friend read in the Sacramento paper that the city was ceasing water delivery to the homeless camps. They suggested this could be an opportunity to deliver water to the camps and other essentials to some folks.
We did some quick calculations and determined that we could take 60 one—gallon bottles of water, PB&J sandwiches, string cheese, hard candies, wash clothes, and ice cubes in Ziplocks per trip.
We took three trips during this heat wave. Writing this some months later, I still feel the impact of seeing how some of our population lives. They each have a story. Thinking of the people living by themselves, some with absolutely nothing—not even shoes, breaks my heart again as I remember them. What we did offered a tiny drop in a big bucket; we offered people temporary relief from their ongoing struggles. I am grateful for what I received— feeling softer, with a little more compassion for my fellow humans. I am reminded of what Justin said in an interview on this subject… something like, “It doesn’t take much. Buy a footlong sandwich and give half away.”
We would also see individuals on our drives, so we’d pull over and offer them something. We asked one of these guys, “Do you want a sandwich?” He replied, “A sandwich is great for now…but I’m trying to figure out what to do with my life.”
Of course, the need is so great that one can only wish to do more. On our last trip, three of us found a large homeless camp alongside the freeway on a dusty trail, with camps on each side. We walked several trips carrying gallons of water and supplies farther and farther, trying to get some to everyone. We found it somewhat surprising that the people didn’t pay much attention to us. They got the goods and went on about whatever they were doing (often, this was watching out for each other—making sure so-and-so got some of what we had).
These trips were very impactful for me. I saw how little people had and how grateful everyone was. A woman who saw us while driving by with her daughter stopped to say she was thankful and inspired and had often wished to do something similar.
Sacramento Ukrainian Family
~ by Renée
Recently, a friend with a house for rent received an inquiry from two Ukrainian couples who had just fled the war in their country. Having newly arrived in the U.S., they were looking for housing in the Sacramento area. When they did find an apartment that fit their multi-family needs, we offered to help them furnish it.
We were fortunate to know a Ukrainian man in our area, and when we reached out to him, he graciously agreed to act as translator in a conference call to discuss their needs. In short, they had found an unfurnished two-bedroom apartment and were sleeping on air mattresses.
Tish and I met in town the next day at the Habitat for Humanity Restore and bought two full dressers and a nightstand. Next, we found some kitchen stuff and a lamp at Goodwill. That night, we told multiple friends about the Ukrainian families and soon located a futon with frame and mattress recently marked for give away. Someone else offered all the excess kitchen stuff they had been accumulating in their house over the years. I had an extra box spring and frame in storage from my folks’ house.
It went on like that over the next two days. By the time of our scheduled delivery, we had a truck, a driver, and a fully-packed trailer with furniture, lamps, bedding, and everything needed to stock kitchen cabinets. An enthusiastic crew of five friends served as delivery people—including our Ukrainian translator who wanted to be part of it all.
I think it’s interesting to see how eagerly all the players in this story jumped at the opportunity to participate.Everyone who translated, donated goods, or packed and unpacked furniture felt good doing it.
Spending a little time and energy doing something for someone other than our ourselves can be a welcome relief from self-consumption!
After all the goods were brought into the couples’ new apartment, we gathered around the kitchen table, sitting on the chairs we had just carried in, and one of the young Ukrainian women served us bowls of delicious, home-made borscht! The simplicity of eating food together felt warm and sweet. When I later hugged these women goodbye, I felt a gush of well-wishing for them all, perhaps amplified by the knowledge of the horror that they had so recently managed to escape.
Driving away with the gladness of knowing we had helped to ease another’s burden, we had a rich discussion about how the unique circumstances had allowed us to feel our shared humanity and lend a hand to people we had never met and knew almost nothing about. As said in the song our friend Dillon wrote, “It Shouldn’t Take a Hurricane.” Listen to Dillon’s song here.
Near the Border: Helping Ukrainian Families in Romania
~ by Erin
Hiking Romania’s gorgeous Via Transilvanica trail through the countryside to Suceava, four of us wandered with nothing more demanding than putting one foot in front of the other. On bumpy dirt roads we passed horses and carts loaded with goods, then larger gasoline-powered transports as we neared the city.
Upon arrival in Suceava, we would shift gears and change our focus.
Our service work began at an orphanage that had been transported—with all the 35 kids and the staff—from Odessa, Ukraine when the war began. After an orientation meeting with the Fight For Freedom director, we played in the yard with the young children, most of whom had some degree of developmental disability or emotional difficulty. The kids reached out for our touch and our attention, sometimes comforted, sometimes frustrated, clearly in so much need of more caring and loving kindness than the spread-thin female staff (called “the mothers”) could reliably deliver.
One day one of “the mothers” (in her mid-fifties like myself) and I played basketball with the children, passing the ball, dribbling, and shooting alongside the kids. Seeing the staff relaxing a bit, having more fun, and including them in the game, I imagined the kids got a taste of teamwork they’d never had before.
Justin asked multiple questions about my prior experience with children and questioned my confidence and certainty about what was best for these kids. It was an eye opener to wonder, for example, What if my perspectives were appropriate in some context, but did not fit here?
Over the next period of time, we wondered about and discussed the potential benefits and downsides of our interactions the kids as well as the staff. While the kids may be lifted by our attention and affection, might they ultimately be even more disappointed by its loss? Might not the staff, whose load was temporarily lessened why our support, feel all the more weight when faced with disappointed children upon our departure? Could we actually “make a difference” in the span of two weeks? Could we even, at least, “do no harm”?
I had lots of opinions about how to interact with these kids, many with unique disabilities. For example, I wondered if maybe our gestures might be the only time in their life that a particular child would receive a certain kind of respect.
Along with donations of art supplies and a lot of diapers to the orphanage, we met with ten Ukrainian families whom we were able to deliver needed items to. Parts of our days were spent accumulating and organizing large stores of flour, sugar, eggs, cooking oil, potatoes, and specific items the families requested, ranging from .07 pencil lead for school to type 2 Diabetes medication.
We all got to enjoy the look of surprise and pleasure on the faces of the people who received something from us that they had asked for, or something that was unexpected.
A small boy and girl in one large family burst into laughter when we pulled out toys and art supplies for them.
These smiles and laughter got into my heart a little more than they might have otherwise, because of the work we’ve done together to slow down and learn to sometimes place “process” over “product.” That is a treasure.