Reflections

After being delayed in DC for quite some time last Sunday, we finally made it back to Raleigh and jumped right back into our hectic lives at Saint Mary's. But, just like last year, we thought it might be a good idea to have the girls reflect on their time in Ethiopia.  

Meg also created a beautiful video to remember our experience: 
https://vimeo.com/90066576

Now that we have returned back to reality, I keep thinking about all the things I learned and all the people I met back in Ethiopia. Each person, even the people whose names I do not know, left some mark on my heart. Even driving through the streets, the images that I saw will remain with me forever. Words fail me when I try to describe it in full. There are a few things that definitely stand out in my mind. Firstly, when we served at the women and children’s soup kitchen, the food was running late and we played with the children as we waited. The mothers were bringing their children to us to play with. One lady commented that she had not seen the kids so happy in a while. This simple sentence showed me, as cliché as this sounds, that even simple things can make such a difference. And later, still at the soup kitchen, a boy who was about fourteen years old offered me some of his food when I was serving him. This boy was eating at a soup kitchen and he was offering me some of his food. I refused his offer and he just smiled and said “God bless you!” I cannot explain the feeling I had right then. Later on that day, I met some of the sweetest children. They attended Berhan Yehun, an after school program for the poorest of the poor children in the city. The boy and girl that I met that day were so happy to see us and had the biggest smiles that you could not guess that they were so poor. Just an hour and a half with them brought big smiles to their faces and gave me a sense of how small an act of kindness is and how it can affect not only the recipient but also the giver. It is very fair to say that those children left a large mark on my heart. All the people that I met in Ethiopia will be with me for a long time, if not forever. I am so blessed to have experienced this.

- Megan Blelloch, ‘15

I absolutely loved our time in Ethiopia and I would like to go back for a longer duration very soon!! I think overall, I really appreciate the relationships we were able to make with many people there. These relationships ranged from just waving and smiling as we passed by people on the bus, to extensive, tear-jerking-goodbye friendships we made. Everyone I had the privilege of talking to was incredibly selfless and kind. Although we saw a lot of devastating things, I also was able to see a lot of hope for the future through many programs we visited and heard about. For example, we drove through the "landfill district," where people live in shacks on top of garbage piles and sift through the garbage to find food. Immediately after this, however, we went to Berhan Yehun where kids who live in such shacks get two meals and hours of tutorial time to enhance their education. Playing and tutoring these kids was one example (out of many) of the hope we were able to find despite extreme poverty. I am so thankful for our group, as we all became very close and shared many laughs. It was an unforgettable experience that has confirmed my desire to major in public health or the like!

- Carson Clay, ‘15

The expected, “how was your break?” questions were immediately asked when everyone got back to campus. I quickly came to terms with the fact that you can only put our experience into so many words, but it is impossible to explain all that we saw in Addis. I can’t fully explain the beautiful people and faces, the exotic smells, the poverty-stricken environment, and the radiant hope that is Ethiopia. There is only so much that words can fathom, but some things are better left unsaid and close to the heart. If I hadn’t been physically pulled away, I would have stayed forever. Our trip together and experiences we each shared opened my eyes to things I wasn’t expecting, while also affirming things I had already known about myself. In only one week, Addis forced me to question my plans for college and goals for the future. Already knowing I want to pursue a pre-med major, I am now also considering a minor in public health/ international studies and possibly taking another foreign language class. I know I will return one day, hopefully, this time, with the ability to heal and help the people who now have a place in my heart. 

- Meg Cooksey, ‘14

My decision to go on the Ethiopia trip was pretty last minute and extremely spontaneous. Luckily for me this very under-thought-out decision was arguably one of the best decisions I have ever made. This trip was absolutely the best trip I have ever been on in my life. Ethiopia is such a beautiful country, full of incredible people and I am so thankful that I got to experience such an incredible country which was quite different from my own. The biggest thing I gained from this trip was an increase in my thankfulness. It’s crazy to think that things like spotty wifi and not being able to find a prom dress could easily ruin my day while my incredible friend Dasash from Berhan Yehun lives in a tiny shack in a landfill with her blind mother yet always replied with a smiling “Great!” when I asked her how she was doing. Now that we’re back, I feel like everything in my life has really been put in perspective and I have a new found appreciation for the little blessings like having a great house to live in with food to eat and a bed to sleep in because seeing it firsthand makes me even more aware that there are so many people in the world who don’t have these things. I can honestly say that every day since we’ve returned I have desperately wanted to go back. I hope to return sometime in the near future to a country which gave me so much in such a short amount of time.

- Kayla Gwaltney, ‘15

Every person I’ve seen in the past few days has come up to be wanting to know all about my trip to Ethiopia, and all I can manage to say is “amazing,” because you can’t put into words the experience.  I can’t describe the sights and smells and textures I felt/saw when I was there because it has to be experienced, not described.  I could talk about the children and work we did there and people might get a sense but the feeling was indescribable.  The Women and Children’s Soup Kitchen was probably my favorite day.  It was an awesome experience being able to help by doing something as simple as serve food.  I didn’t even cook the food, just served it, and the people were still so grateful.  Also, before we started to serve food, we were playing with the children which was so fun.  The children were smiling and laughing and the mothers even said this was the happiest they had seen their kids before when all we were doing was playing in the dirt and rocks and giving them piggy back rides.  I was astounded at how the children just came up to us and said hello and started to play, in fact it made my day.  They weren’t shy and it wasn’t awkward, we just jumped right in playing with them even though we couldn’t understand what they were saying and vice versa.  Overall, the trip was life changing, showing me a completely different side of the world and making me appreciate everything I have and enjoy helping other more.

- Relia Monk, ‘15

When I decided to go to Ethiopia, I did not know just what an experience I had signed up for. I had travelled a lot, but had never set foot on African soil; I had no idea what it would be like. During our stay in Addis, I was really surprised to see all these influences China had on Ethiopia, and yet I had always been completely unaware of them. As the days went by, I found out Ethiopia and my country had so much more in common. Like China, Ethiopia has been invaded and occupied by western powers, but was never once ethnically and culturally taken over; both peoples are very proud of their country, its history and contributions to the world. Both countries are developing countries, where huge gap between extreme poverty and wealth exists, but people are so eager and willing to make changes happen. It was gratifying to see that there were so many institutions and volunteers from all around the world making efforts to better people’s lives here. What’s more, the sight of the young students’ hands shooting up high with pride and confidence invoked in me a firm faith in Ethiopia that it will strive and thrive in near future, along with new hopes for my own country. What I cherished the most, was the friendship, the sense of connection and support we have built within these few days, not only with all the people we met and all the new friends we made in Africa, but also with our little group. Like Florrie said last year, it was a truly a gift to be able to spend my time in Ethiopia with such a lively group from Saint Mary’s. I will always remember Addis and my experience there.

- Evelyn Qin, ‘15

I still cannot believe I was in Africa. This experience was one of the most eye opening of my life. I saw and played with kids who were at the poorest level in the country of Ethiopia; I experienced everyday life that Ethiopians have to struggle with. Every moment, every car ride, was full of new things and images. I absolutely want to go back, and I miss the girls and boys every second of every day. I want to know what they become as they grow up. I pray that God will continue to work in my life and the group of girls that went to Africa with me, that he will show us how to continue to reach out to these beloved children. I cannot believe I got to be a part of this dream-like experience. Of course, so many things we experienced were sad and heartbreaking, but it showed us the life they live every day. I miss Ethiopia and I want to go back to Africa as soon as I can. I cannot thank those that supported me enough for this experience.

- Hannah Thompson, ‘14

It was such a fun and special trip with so many nice and funny people. Although we only stayed there for ten days, how easily the Ethiopians get satisfied and appreciate what they have was impressive to me. I remember when we were at soup kitchen, because the food arrived late, we played with the kids there to kill time. It was nothing significant for us, but one of the parents said that she had not seen her child so happy for a long time. One mom even gently pushed her daughter forward to let her play with us. Besides, even though the condition of the soup kitchen was not good, people were not desperate. Some people even invited me to join them. One man said “God bless you” to me; another said thank you in Chinese to me. All these details are still so clear in my mind, and I am still touched by how simple these people’s lives are and how they cherish every single little thing they get, even just a smile.

- Eve Tong, ‘15