Greatful I have so enjoyed your great stories and wonderful pictures! I have learned lessons. I believe you leave a legacy of caring. Caring for people and children will never be forgotten. You touch lives in a positive way. We can't resolve the worlds problems, although if they would, could learn what we know, we think we could. We can care, teach and touch their lives in a positive way, will always be remembered. I have missed you and am excited you are coming home. Thank-you again for sharing your experiences. See you soon, Tomi
I hope you'll keep blogging once you come home. Always a pleasure to read and good reminders of life lessons. I will give more effort to not being a thief of compassion! Way too easy to get caught up on "self" when hiding within my fence...
See you soon :-)
Beautiful! Shannon I want to thank you sooo much for sharing again the fruits of your travels!! Hope you had a great Easter day even way over there.!! :-)
Wonderful art Thanks for sharing this wonderful art. I always look forward to and enjoy your blog. What an amazing adverture you have had! Looking forward to your return home. Tomi
Lovely pics Thanks, Shannon, for sharing the artwork of your friend. He does have a great talent. Hope to see the painting you are bringing home one of these days!
Love,
Rita
Beautiful paintings I am glad you forwarded these through your blog. they are beautiful. Thanks. Hope you and Steve continue to thrive. Look me up when you're back.
carol hackney
www.qilcoaching.com
carol.hackney@earthlink.net
Your post reminded me (as it often does) that no day, not even one, should be taken for granted. I think it is so easy at times to "hide" under the "ignorance is bliss" shelter. When we do not know or learn of these conditions you describe, life seems so great. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and Steve. Thank you for your service.
Blog Review Shannon and Steve, We are having a snow day here; soft, glistening and like a cocoon from the world. I treated myself with a read through all our blogs. My heart is full of your generously honest, vivid images of your expeiences. I am grateful to know both of you. Comfy here in Boise, I am humbled by your spirits and know many are richer for knowing you. Know you are loved. THANK-YOU for sharing. Kyle
African trip Dear Shannon, I returned from TZ on Tues. night. After seeing the roads in TZ I can't imagine how you could have come to meet me there! They are trying to complete tarmack on a 500 mile road which is the only one from Dar es Salaam to the Rwanda border. The rainy season washes away large sections each year, so hopefully the tarred road will remain intact. I was touched by your blog. Truly there is much injustice in the world and in Africa you can really see how many are victims of their environment. My sister's work with HIV/AIDS pts. was very interesting to view, but frustrating to see the obstacles to winning the war against this disease because of cultural mores. The people of TZ are a beautiful people but the politicians are corrupt for the most part. Ming will be coming to the US about the time Vash said you will be coming home, so maybe we can all visit!
Edna had a stroke today, but Dad just called me to tell me the Dr. had called him at home and she is speaking in sentences now! It is a miraculous recovery, so we are very thankful! Vash is planning to call you, but she didn't know this last piece of info. God bless you,
Love,
Rita
HI Shannon,
Thank you for communicating the events and insights of your service! It is shocking to have hunger, lack of health services education ,and desperation all packed into one morning. I wonder how your afternoon went?
Love and good thoughts to you and Steve
Keep us abreast of your return date.
Your words speak to my heart From your words I have learned that the tears and rage in my memory and wittness from my own travels abroad are not the only ones on the path I have walked in this life. The wieght of feeling helpless to making worthy positive change to the injustices I've seen are great and the helpless feeling makes me feel so inisgnificant. Sometims I even try to run from them but they stay with me like my shadow.
You have indeed seen what I have seen and much more. I have learned that their is a point where measuring others suffering has no scale with which to measure and thus no purpose of measuring. I read "...your poor will always be with you..." asking "Why" goes unanswered. Still--I see and still I ask why...I have learned this in my journey: "...what I have seen brings feeling ranging from joy to tears to rage..." words go into memory and can get lost...memory of my Feelings are triggered often by what I see, hear, smell and get renewed often. The recall of past experiences gives me empathy and an ability to compare presant day experiences to past. This keep me very humble.
My humility is a source of my faith in my God with whome I have had many talks (child-to-Parent I think) regarding the cause of many of these renewing feelings and their origin. He has shown me mush and someday I hope to understand a lot better and more. I may be older now but I am still a child in my understanding of pains purpose in life. My God knows how I feel and tells me often: "...yes I know...." Sometimes I dare wonder/ask "...why have I been spared...."
Thank You Shannon...maybe I'm not the only one affected by all the negative I have seen. And like you, I find myself thinking out loud to try and make sence of it all.
Paul
Thank You Being with Life As It Is ahh not so easy.
Growing our hearts as wide as the world ahh not so easy
Learning about how our mind works ahh not so easy
This is how I experience movement in my ethical framework, patiently walking through and sometimes plodding through the not so easy
as well as the experience of ease and grace. It's that daily being with Life As It Is. Some days it is easy to say yes and thanks. Some days ah not so easy.
Thank you for sharing your practice with us
Blessings on your journey
Sending You Love Hi Mom....This is quite a post. You did a good job writing about tough things. It also seems like you are navigating tough circumstances as best you can. I really liked hearing your insights and reminders about being fully present with those you are with and living simply. We love you.
Wisdom exchanged for surrender Your blog touched me powerfully. Like you, I seldom walk away from chance meetings. Guided by an inner voice I sometimes know when to stay and share or run away like the devil is chasing me. You put into words what I have been able to recognize that I do on instinct at times. Regardless, as you shared your experience it was as though I was standing right next to you feeling and experiencing everthing you were...I found it profound, powerful and humbling. Your sharring struck me at an intimate level. You also turned on a light for me that I didn't know I needed. God has used you please feel blessed. Agape
Shannon, what a wonderful post - thank you for sharing this story with us. I am glad that you are beginning to see the wonderful influence you have on the people you encounter. There is no doubt in my mind that you bring value to everyone you meet. I miss you friend - the flowers you sent are still beautiful a week and a half later! Lots of love, Wendy
feelings "People will forget what you did for them, and they will forget what you said to them. But they will never forget how you made them feel." I'm not the author of the phrase, wish I knew who was. I suspect Tau will never forget how you made him feel, and relationships like that will be a lasting result of your time in Africa.
Love the serenity prayer and all! Again, a loving touching reminder how we often forget how much we really are helping people whether we realize it or not! Our egos are so big sometimes we think we should be able to move the earth and make all kinds of differences right now! So let me just say, God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know that it is me! Thank you sis for this beautiful rendition of the serenity prayer! I love and miss you way way lots!!1
Good to get an update and thanks for sharing your meds. :-) I especially enjoyed all the pix of you n pa. We'll keep the home fires burning for you! Love Ken, Carolyn & kids
Love that prayer Hi, Steve and Shannon, I do love that new serenity prayer! I think it is universally correct if we are honest. We loved the visit from Sasha and girls. Bob had a night in the hosp. with a-fib. but is doing well now. He missed his trip to Bolivia because of it, but will go next year. I am getting my shots tomorrow for my TZ trip! Love you, Rita
My husband and I have now completed our Peace Corps service in Botswana, and are living in Boise, Idaho. I'm still learning that no matter where I travel, there I am with my perceptions in tow, but with each experience, I'm learning to let go and the burden becomes lighter.... full info
Tomi O'Fallon
non-member comment
Greatful
I have so enjoyed your great stories and wonderful pictures! I have learned lessons. I believe you leave a legacy of caring. Caring for people and children will never be forgotten. You touch lives in a positive way. We can't resolve the worlds problems, although if they would, could learn what we know, we think we could. We can care, teach and touch their lives in a positive way, will always be remembered. I have missed you and am excited you are coming home. Thank-you again for sharing your experiences. See you soon, Tomi