What´s Next...

Blog-What`s Next...

Two examples of earthbag homes

A number of years ago I read the book Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. It was at a point in my life, when I had recently begun the real questioning of the essentials of life. Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? And why am I going there?...I realized that I didn´t truly have any idea how to answer these questions outside of a superficial understanding of a belief system/faith/religion that had been handed down to me. Don´t get me wrong, faith was largely important for me and a large part of our family ever since I can remember, but I hadn´t made it my own. I didn´t know why I believed what I claimed to believe. So I started down the path of diving into life's great questions. 

In the book Walden, I was challenged in so many ways to think about life differently. The ideas I had constructed in my mind, of what is life and how should I live it, were radically changed by people like Jesus, the Buddha, St. Francis, Gandhi, Thoreau, Emerson, MLK Jr., Christopher McCandless, Mother Teresa, Greg Mortenson, Paramahansa Yogananda, Eckhart Tolle, and many others. The people and books that were entering into my life, were challenging me to live outside of what I had always known. I was enthralled with a childlike wonderment for the unknown. I really identified with the words of Throeau and romanticized the idea of doing something similar, in my own way some day, to his experience in the woods. He said, ¨I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.¨ I didn´t and don´t want to lead a life of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in me. 

Through the course of the years, this dream has not left me. I have now come to the point in my life where I have the opportunity to, in my own way, live life deliberately or in accordance with what I believe. I too want to ¨go to the woods¨ to an extent, and live life simply; stripping away the inessential, leaving me with more of what truly is important. Before you think I´ve lost my mind, and maybe I have, I´m not trying to go be a hermit somewhere. I use this example because of the stigmatism or stereotype associated with that type of lifestyle and not anything derogatory. I have deliberate intentions and reasons to move me more towards being ´in the world but not of it.`

My plans are to find some land outside of the Grand Rapids surrounding area, although I am open to the possibility of being somewhere else, and build my own off the grid self-sustaining home. I have been working on acquiring the skills necessary to be able to pull this dream off this spring/summer/fall time. Having very little costs of living will allow me to pursue a number of dreams that I have, continue a life of service without having to worry too much about income, and to be able to use the precious gift of life/time in a way that makes me and others fully come alive. 

I have been learning about many different ways of sustainable building that is ultra-cheap. This is a necessity for me financially but also something that I am excited to do. So often our pride can have us believe that we have moved on and evolved so much from our brothers and sisters in antiquity, and although we have in many ways, I find we have so much to learn from them as well. This process of learning has taken me back to our roots. I have a greater appreciation for the ingenious ways that people, over the decades, have found a way to live in harmony with our only planet and home-Earth. 

Over the last couple years, I have been involved in many service opportunities in Bolivia, and I know how fruitful, meaningful, and life giving they are. I have learned that, “the hands of the many must join as one, and together we`ll cross the river.¨ Well, I am now in a position where I am looking for a hand to help me cross the river and realize this dream. I am looking for a small piece of land at an affordable price (I wouldn´t turn down a full gift either:) I have the money to do the rest, but finding land that I can afford, is the biggest challenge I currently face. So I am asking you to keep your ears, eyes, and hearts open to the possibility of helping me out in realizing this dream. If you have any information on land, a friend or family member who might be interested, or you yourself can help me out, I would be forever grateful. 

I thank all of you who have continued to follow me through the years. It has been fun to have been able to share some of the experiences that have meant so much to me. It has been a blessing to receive emails, calls, messages and the rest, and it is what has continued to give me encouragement to write. It can be easy to think that no one cares,  and that its a waste of time, but I do not believe that to be the case. I know others of you have encouraged me in a variety of ways through your example, life, friendship, and it does matter. 

With much gratitude, 

You can contact me through email (mredell22@gmail.com) facebook, or my cell number. I hope to hear from you!

Year in Review

The video that I put together to show some of the experiences that I had during 2013 in Bolivia.

Comfort Zone...

Here is a blog that my parents wrote about their time in Bolivia. I didn´t write that much about the time I was able to spend with my parents, because I wanted them to give you their perspective of their time during the two weeks.

 

Reaching out from our comfort zone…

After an early morning flight departure and twenty seven hours of travel time, we arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia with smiles of elation.  We no longer had to use Skype to connect with Michael but were, now, able to share experiences, first hand, with him.  

It was our first time south of the Equator, and we were welcomed with genuine hospitality by the Bolivian people.  For the next two weeks, we would be experiencing another culture while having Michael as our guide and Spanish translator.  It was important, for us, to experience the Bolivian community and service programs that had become an important part of Michael’s life.  Our days

were filled with many memorable activities and delicious, traditional Bolivian meals.  It meant, a lot, to meet the special people that had become family, to Michael, and get to know co-workers during 

his time of service.

The communities that Michael lived and worked in, were economically less fortunate by U.S. standards, but were VERY fortunate by the importance they placed on personal relationships.  In two short weeks, we were able to develop a closeness with many of Michael’s Bolivian family members, friends, and co-workers.  It was obvious that he had made a big difference in their schools, families, and community.  We were thanked for sharing Michael with their Bolivian community and for the God given talents that he had shared with them. 

While living in a South American Spanish speaking culture, without having the many conveniences that are often taken for granted, we experienced the value of being present and hospitable.  Sharing of time is the best gift, and it is during these occasions that God’s love and joy can be experienced more fully.  The time shared with Michael, during his last week of school, was fun but energy consuming.  Our niece, Julie, who just completed language school and was beginning her time as a missioner helped out immensely.  Her love and time was given so freely.  It was during the sharing of our time that we got to know the students and saw how connected they were to Michael.  Their faces, smiles, and interactions showed how Michael had made a difference in their lives.  It was emotional to see how God’s love had transpired the lives of so many students and how much joy they received.  We are thankful, to Michael, for his generous heart and the models he gives to us, his parents.  We are thankful, to God, for the gift of life and for the diversity among God’s people.  There is so much that can be learned within different cultures.  We can be blessings to each other and spread God’s Spirit with our presence.  

Bolivian Highlights and Observations:

• Learning some Spanish was very rewarding because it engaged us into the Bolivian culture and opened people’s hearts toward us.
• The culture of hospitality was so evident and breaking of bread brought much conversations and laughter.  
• Two descriptive adjectives of the Bolivian people:  welcoming and carefree
• There are many churches which gives a statement as to their priority.
• The Bolivian culture has a high respect for teachers.
• School resources are at a minimum and students only attend school for half a day. 
• Care for the environment is often overlooked.
• Clean water and ample water supply is a luxury.  
• Limited living resources, in contrast to the U.S., can be a bit of a survival experience.
• It is a country of dogs used primarily for protection and security.
• There are beautiful jungle reserves with natural hiking and large, friendly monkeys.
• Central parks, for community gatherings are important and are at the center of their cities.
• Participating and helping with Michael’s “Beyond the Game” basketball year-end activities offered cooperative, reflective challenges.
• Camping with students and supporting Michael’s group initiative activities was an educational, outdoor experience. 
• Seeing the countryside and visiting Bolivia’s ____________foot Christo (Tallest in the world) was inspirational.
• Attending a motivational presentation by Nick Vujicic, a worldwide spiritual speaker, born without arms and legs, was unbelievably challenging and unconceivable.
• Experiencing Bolivian excursions and enjoying carefree timelessness with Michael and our niece, Julie, was valued family time. 
• Connecting with our brothers and sisters, in Bolivia, by sharing stories/special times acknowledged the importance of relationships.
• Thanking God for safe travel, for experiential learning while in a different culture, and for daily opportunities/blessings that if shared can contribute to the wellbeing of our global family. 

Love and God’s blessings,  Jim and Patti

    

Last Bolivian Blog

Lastly, the oldest team that I coached with the basketball program, was a mix of guys and girls 15-18 years old. They wanted to go on a camping trip, so thats what we did. We loaded up all our stuff into a mini bus at 6 in the morning to make the 2 hour drive to our camp site. (kewiña) When we arrived, we got our stuff in our cabin and made our way straight to the rock wall. All the kids participated and made it to the top of at least one of the levels of the rock wall. My dad, cousin Julie, and myself participated as well.  We were all very impressed and humbled to see Fanny, one of the girls from the team, make her way to the top of each of the different levels. She was the only person that made it up the most challenging part of the wall. Her determination was very impressive to watch. Many times I thought she was stuck or was going to quit but she just kept going with seemingly in-exhaustive forearm strength. I´m convinced she has all that forearm strength from washing clothes by hand-but thats just my excuse I guess. 

After our morning rock wall activity, the kids prepared us lunch (silpancho). We had a little down time to rest in the afternoon before going out for a late afternoon hike. We made our way back just before dark. One group started preparing dinner, and others helped get a big camp fire going. We had fire roasted apples (healthier than s`mores:) as well as music and singing with the guitar. We finished off the night with a shortened version of the challenge obstacle course that we did with the other younger teams. 

The next morning we decided to have a team hike at 6 am in order to get to the top of the hill/mountain as the sun was coming up. Well, we awoke to rain and I was thinking we should just cancel the hike because it would be all muddy and dangerous with footing. As I was ready to go back to bed Fanny and Mayerlin told me, ¨come on coach, its not raining that hard.¨ That was all I needed to hear. We were up, some needed the additional help of a little cold water, but we all got up and were on our way. 

So on our climb, we totally missed the path and instead made our own through brush and not so pleasant climbing conditions. It was challenging and steep for awhile and it was fun to see the kids working together to help out their teammates and friends in some of the more difficult spots. We were living teamwork out on a more practical level and it was needed. Not only the physical help but the mental and emotional encouragement to continue on. We had some other twists and turns along the way, some positive, others more challenging, but we eventually all made it to the top. Instead of seeing the sun come up at the top we were hit with even harder rain and clouds. We spent some time reflecting on our climb and some things that they learned from it. Even though it was challenging along the way, they were all satisfied that they didn`t take the easy road of staying in bed. They felt a sense of accomplishment, an experience that they will always remember-probably more fondly now that its done:) I think this  experience has a lot to teach me, the kids who climbed, and to a degree you who are reading.

We got back from our cold hike to some warm breakfast (api), that the adults prepared, and we couldn`t have been more thankful for something hot. Afterwards, we packed our stuff together and made our way back to Cochabamba. The trip was great fun and an unforgettable way to finish off a very special year. I won`t soon forget the kids who made this last year such a success. To everyone who participated with, la escuela de basquét, I hope we can find a way to make it a possibility for you again next year. 

This blog ends my writing about my time in Bolivia. I hope to be able to update you soon on what I am looking to pursue next. 

On the mini-bus towards the camp site

My cousin Julie-climbing the rock wall

My dad climbing the rock wall

Cumbre-top

Fanny-champion of the rock wall

Scenery on our climb

Enjoying a rest

Our camp site sat above 11,000 feet (a beautiful view)

Mayerlin on our afternoon hike

Julie with some of the kids

sandwich 

Critical thinking activity

Fun challenge

End of the Year Activities/Family

Blog-End of Year Activities/Family

With the end of our basketball tournament, as well as the school year coming to a close, we decided to do something special with each of the teams participating (6) with our basketball program. We wanted to do something special for the kids, so they could finish the year in a fun way with motivation towards the future. At the same time, I also had the privilege of being able to receive the blessing of my parents arrival to Cochabamba, Bolivia to come visit me during the last two weeks of the year. With some help from family and friends, we planned out dynamic activities for each of the six participating teams (la escuela de basquét). 

My parents arrived just in time for all the fun or chaos.-(depends on your perspective I guess) We had one day together to see lots of places and have good conversations with many great people that I have been able to know over the last couple years. We met my Bolivian family for a nice dinner of quinoa and a vegetable meat mix, which was very tasty. I was able to show them a (apoyo escolar) help center for kids with education that I volunteered at last year, as well as meet the great staff that so selflessly gives of their time, talent, and love. We were able to go on a little tour of the grounds at santa vera cruz, another work site for me where I worked with a basketball team with Hermana Juana-(Religious sister who volunteered with the basketball school) As well as, take some time to be out in nature and walk a trail next to lago angostura (lake) to enjoy good conversation and the beauty of nature. 

On day two the activities began! With the help of my cousin Julie, we planned a challenge obstacle course where teams participated in various different challenges and fun activities. Our course was set up as followed....

Challenge 1-Ultimate Frisbee-two large laps around a designated course with your team-advancing only by throwing the frisbee.

Challenge 2-Human Knot-each teammate had a piece of small rope that they could not let go of-by use of communication and problem solving they had to try and form a knot over one of the pieces of rope.

Challenge 3-Basketball shooting contest-Each team had to make 5 shots from five different locations before they could move on to their next challenge.

Challenge 4-Hang 5-7 (depending on age group) nails over a stretched out piece of string-The nails had to be hanging/balancing all at the same time. This activity really tested patience, strategy, and a steady hand.

Challenge 5-Oreo Eating-Start with oreo laying on your forehead. Without using hands or physical help from a partner, move the oreo down your face to your mouth to eat. 

Challenge 6-Noodle Pass-Teams had to form a line with each participant holding a straw in their mouth. They could only use the straws to pass the noodle down their line and into a container. Once 10 noodles were passed down the line and into the bucket they were able to move onto the next challenge. 

Challenge 7-Rubber band shooting contest-knock down plastic cups off of a table by shooting rubber bands. 

We had at least one adult with each team to make sure they were completing each of the challenges correctly and were not cheating. Each team started at a different challenge. It was a race to see which team could finish all of the different challenges first. Ready, Set, Lets Go...

After the race, we had pizza, drinks, snacks, as well as some prizes for the kids. We finished with some words of appreciation to them for their participation, as well as words of encouragement for the future. We had to end with one more game of basketball-they insisted-so we stayed and finished with basketball games. This was more or less the schedule with the two groups that we had, 8-11 boys and girls and 12-14 boys and girls. We mixed two teams together so they could participate with other kids their age as well as to have a bigger group=more fun atmosphere. We had between 25-30 kids for each of the two groups.

So now this left just two more teams...As we were planning our activities with the kids I noticed, as I was riding in public transportation, bill boards with Nick Vujicic on them saying that he was coming to Cochabamba to give talks. I have heard some of Nick`s talks on youtube and have been encouraged by his messages. Nick was born without arms and legs. His story can teach us, among many things, that with faith, a positive attitude, and lots of resilience, the only limitations that we have are the ones that we place on ourselves. Anything is possible. Impossible turns into-Im possible. 

What an amazing opportunity to be able to finish the year. We went and listened to Nick talk about life, things that go beyond the game. We were able to get tickets to listen to him speak to an auditorium full of about 3 thousand, mostly middle and high school students. His message was powerful and encouraging to all who were present. I talked with the kids afterwards and they really enjoyed the experience. 

My parents and myself teaching some kids at the education help center some chess

My parents and myself in the community where the help center is located

My Bolivian family with my parents and I

Oreo Challenge

Noodle Pass

Human Knot

Nail Hanging

Rubber Band Shooting

Frisbee Course

My cousin Julie helping her team hail the nails

Me explaining the basketball shooting challenge

Basketball Team listening to Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic

Hermana Juana-Religious Sister Volunteer

Beyond the Game-Tournament-Part 2

Beyond the Game-Mas allá del Juego

Part 2

So for any of you who read my last blog, I am sorry for leaving you hanging for a bit:) My intentions were to write a second blog about how the tournament turned out...but obviously that didn’t happen until now. 

It was a cool moment, when we were setting up to get everything in place, teams started to stroll in behind their banners, to chants, and with lots of enthusiasm. The magnitude of the event started to hit me, and the reality that I was in charge and largely responsible for how it would turn out made me anxious. As we waited for the teams to arrive, we had an entertainer (shown here on the left) playing music, getting the participants engaged with dances, cheering competitions, and games. The kids really got into it and it was fun so see the enthusiasm and participation. The picture on the right shows a team getting into the different cheers and activities before we started the inauguration.

The picture to the left is of our inauguration with principals from a few of the participating schools as well as staff from fe y alegría (faith and happiness) organization that helped the basketball program throughout the year. On the right is my cousin Julie and another volunteer Charlene.

The pictures to the left shows a little of the environment that the volunteers worked in.  I don´t think they had too many dull moments. Whether there was some confusion with schedules, that we had primarily during the first half hour to hour when teams were having difficulty reading the brackets, or kids just wanting to hang out and play. The volunteers were very busy, and at times, put under some high stress situations, but they handled it with patience, kindness, and smiles as you can see from the pictures. 

It was interesting for me to see what it was that I envisioned in my head and what actually transpired. A good part of the first day, was pretty hectic with lots of unforeseen things taking place. It was kind of like treading water to stay afloat. We had to work really hard but in the end we didn’t drown-so that was good. After day one we had some good conversations about what we needed to do to make day two go more smoothly. (less like treading water and more like floating on a raft down a lazy river). I´m not sure we quite made it to floating down a lazy river on a raft, but day two ran much more smoothly. 

The kids started to understand the structure of the tournament and they were really buying into it. (beyond the game). They were participating in the workshops on social justice, family, self-esteem, taking care of the environment, team building, non violence, life goals/dreams/vision, and many more. All the facilitators that I got to talk to said the teams participated very well and that attendance was very steady throughout the day (good numbers/participation). This was definitely a concern of ours, because it can be hard to convince young kids (adults too) of the importance of doing things like we were presenting in our workshops. 

Another area that I was very pleasantly surprised about was the cheering/motivation category that we had for the kids. When teams were not playing, participating in a workshop, they had the option of watching a game and receiving points if their entire team was cheering and encouraging teams as they played. We even had some waves taking place in the stands. As one volunteer, who was helping referee told me, it reminded me of being back in high school sports. It was a great and fun atmosphere. 

So to keep this blog update readable in length. I will sum it up saying the event was a success. We had our difficulties throughout the two days, but with the persistent work of our volunteers and the spirit of our participants, lots of fun was had, life skills and lessons were learned, and I believe positive fruit will come from it today and in the future.

A special thanks to my cousin Julie for all her help individually that she gave and also for recruiting others from the Maryknoll language institute. Without the collaboration of all who helped this event, it would never have been the success that it was. 

The picture below (left) is of the championship team in the category 12-14. This team participated in the basketball school that I helped form. They were also the overall champion (best team) of all the 26 teams that participated. With their combined efforts in games, workshops, and cheering/motivating we celebrate them in their continued efforts to learn from the game but to go BEYOND IT.  

Another cool moment for me was when a team that I had been training during the year (outside of the basketball program) participated in the tournament and won the category of 15-18. The picture to the left, is me with part of this team (Buenas Nuevas). And the individual picture is of the team captan giving a little speech about how I trained them during the year and how their team wanted to give their trophy as a sign of appreciation to me for the work that I did with them throughout the year. It definitely goes beyond sports and touches something more important. Life!