Hope Grows Here

Support the DGH 10|10|10 campaign!

2011-10-16T22:37:00.000-04:00

Bewailing Belen

2011-06-23T14:30:00.009-04:00

Upper Belen (The Markets):

A posse of guides are shouting at us, "watch your things… pick-pockets, pick-pockets!" I have even been instructed to remove the small, gold cross that has hung from my neck since the day we left Greensboro. This uber-defensive posture is conflicting... it feels wrong to cling to your material belongings when you are walking alongside children who live on the streets and own little more than the clothes on their backs.

It's early, but it's already hot and sticky. It's hard to breathe because the stench is so strong – I’m guessing raw meat mixed with leather, sweat, garbage and the unfiltered exhaust of all the moto-cars nearby. Our group is in route to the slums of Iquitos known as Belen. I’m not sure what to expect of an area labeled as “the slums” considering that everything we have already seen of Iquitos has been broken and poor.

Our tour begins in the upper markets where the variety of items puts Walmart to shame. The thinly canopied isles are indescribably crowded, and still the moto-cars find a way to push their way through the throngs of shoppers. The market is organized somewhat like a typical store, by product types. There is a section for shoes and clothing, home goods, toys, meats, medicines, etc. My dad is excited to take us to the meat section, a thought that already has many of us feeling queasy.

More shouts from our guides, “Watch your ‘tings.’ Stay together!”

Meat market… that was an understatement! We are looking at raw turtle, monkey, cow, chicken, pig, fish, alligator... even some animal they call the "deer rat" (think giant rodent from the Princess Bride). Everything is spread out across open tables; it’s a sea of blood and bones! I look up and see a woman eating her breakfast and a small child taking her morning nap right next to a huge stack of animal carcasses. Definitely feeling green now.

We finally make it to medicine row, something I have been looking forward to for several days. One of our guides calls my name and we walk up to one of the many booths lining this section. He grabs my left hand and shows a vendor the red rash/fungus that has been spreading on two of my fingers ever since our stay in the jungle. The woman looks at it, says something to her colleague that I could not understand, and then pulls out a small bottle with a homemade label that reads “aceite de copaiba.” She spins off the cap, grabs my hand and rubs a brown oily liquid all over my two infected fingers. I look at Carlos, our guide, who nods. “Cuanto questo,” I ask. “Dies soles,” she says. Sold! At this point I am willing to try just about anything to get my fingers back to normal.

After my “doctor” visit, we join the others at a booth nearby where two vendors are pulling items from their collection for the members of our group to sample. Some of our samples include:

A Peruvian honey (very delish)
Sange de grado (translates to “blood of the dragon”)
SVSS (a natural aphrodisiac)
Camu-Camu (highest vitamin c rich fruit in the world)
21 Vines (a mix of 21 jungle fruits and barks and a cancer preventative)
And something our guides call “wake up old bird” (another aphrodisiac)

Lower Belen:

The fun and fascination of Upper Belen has turned to utter despair in just ten, stone steps – the demarcation of where the water rises during the rainy season, leaving half of this community completely under water. Picture New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, only no relief efforts.

There are children playing next to piles of garbage, malnourished cats and dogs searching for food, drunken men hanging out of dilapidated buildings (at 10:00 in the morning) and piles of trash (10-15 feet high) around every turn.

There are five dugout canoes waiting for us as the end of one street. We break up, hop in and begin touring this part of the neighborhood by boat. The guide on our boat is telling us about the people who live here.

A lot of the people have come from the jungle. They build houses on the river so that they don’t have to pay for land. When the water is low, they farm. When the water is high, they fish.

Tears are streaming down my cheeks. I cannot believe there are so many people who live like this. And for some reason, buried in this brokenness, I keep seeing crosses, bringing one abounding question to front of mind, “Where are you God?”

Tamyshaku

2011-06-20T23:29:00.001-04:00

Day 3 with no shower...

We made it through a very wet night in a small town called Tamyshaku and managed to pack-up camp and trek through the muddy streets back to our boat. Before we boarded, we stopped by a small preschool and took a quick tour of a local farm. Everyone was a little quiet. I think the jungle has worn all of us thin.

We had high hopes when we heard we where staying in a hotel tonight. Oh, it sounded so promising! Unfortunately, my two roomies had cold showers and by the time it was my turn all of the water had completely run out.

The kids are still doing amazingly well. I have not heard one complaint about these challenging living conditions. Quite often, it's their positive attitudes that keep me going strong.

Where we slept last night (in the pouring rain)

A preschool we visited

A local woman and her banana shop

The town gas station

The friendly attendant who "pumps" gas with a used soda bottle

The Amazon Contd.

2011-06-17T23:49:00.002-04:00

Day 2 with no shower...

We played mosquito bate during our jungle walk this morning, an adventure that started at 5:30 am with one of our guides (almost) singing "bird wa-tching, bird wa-tching" outside of our tents and ended with a wild boar encounter and a creek that was too deep to cross for fear of anacondas (not kidding).

We spent an hour or so watching the fresh water dolphin frolic and play, and searching for the three toed sloth in the trees along the shoreline. Just before lunch we stopped on a white sandy beach. Everyone jumped in the water to "bathe." The guys turned on the macho-man routine as they tried to turn trees that had fallen into the water upright, and the girls turned on their sweet-sides as they played in the mud and did handstands on the beach.

Lunch was back on the boat (in hammocks for some and on the roof for others). By 2:00 pm we were on to our next adventure.

This time we were heading back into the rainforest with a couple of medicine men. Our translators told us we would be trekking into parts of the jungle where no tourists had ever gone before. Judging by the lack of trails and DENSE vegetation, I truly believe they were right. (Did I mention that jungles are not my thing?)

Along the way, the experts pointed out how to live off the land. From brazil nuts to yucca, milk trees to ayahuasca we followed in amazement. We tasted things, felt things, and ran from things. At one point, several of us were standing next to a large tree. One of the guides grabbed a stick and began poking at a hole near the tree’s roots. Qlyl asked the translator what he was doing, “Searching for the boa constrictor snake,” was the response. Talk about jumping out of our shoes!!!

The rain has been on and off all day. I am beginning to question if we will ever be dry again. :)

Mud baths in the Amazon

Jungle hikes

Freebird in his dug-out canoe (before almost becoming croc bate that night)

More jungle hiking - super stylish as you can tell

DGH heads to the big river...

2011-06-17T23:25:00.001-04:00

We headed down to the water today to board what has become our "home-base" for the next three days. It's a large, wood plank boat with the words "People of Peru Project" printed in pseudo-cursive on the side. There is a bathroom with toilet paper aboard (yay) along with 6 cloth hammocks, which the kids spotted and laid claim to immediately.

Our introduction to the Amazon began with a 6 hour cruise upstream. Along the way, we marveled at the color differences between the river and its tributaries. We searched for monkeys in the trees, and we watched humbly as women and children from the small villages that line the shore came down to wash clothes, bathe and occasionally play in the water. As the time passed, several of us climbed up to the roof of the boat to soak in the sun and talk about life goals. To hear these kids articulate their dreams and to express the academic, social and financial fears they face at home takes me back. They inspire me every day with their maturity and perspective.

Our boat pulled up to our newest campsite a couple hours before sunset. For the time being, we are calling a 9' platform in the middle of the jungle "home." There is a coatimundi that also calls this place home... our kids both fear and love the little thing.

At the moment, I am tucked-in tightly under a mosquito net, a little intimidated by the sounds of the jungle, the cadre of insects, and the darkness of the night's sky. At the same time, I am grateful to have the opportunity to play Swiss Family Robinson with a group of incredible teens for the night.

Dinner should be ready shortly, and we are going alligator hunting after that. Buenos noches for now. Buena suerte for later!

Arrival in Iquitos

2011-06-17T23:12:00.001-04:00

Five plane rides, two train rides and far too many hours on a bus have brought us to where we are today, Iquitos, Peru. This is the place where our 2008 GreenHouse Globetrotters worked for two weeks - the city my own father called home for more than three months earlier this year! Still, I am having a hard time grasping the chaos and the poverty. I feel like it's the most broken place on earth. Paul Opp, the Director of the People of Peru Project, told us that aside from Bangkok, Iquitos has the highest volume of sex trafficking and sex vacationing in the world. Just about everywhere you look you see billboards like this one:

There are apx. 600,000 in the city; I think we saw 500,000 of them on our drive in. The infrastructure, the dilapidated buildings, the kids with torn clothing and no shoes, the thirteen and fourteen year-old girls selling themselves in the streets... it has all left me speechless.

Finding the Change and Losing the Balance

2011-06-16T09:21:00.000-04:00

(By Ricky Anjorin)

We can't make a difference in the lives of others if we can't make a difference in ourselves. That is the lesson many of us Globetrotters are beginning to realize as we tour the poverty-stricken city of Iquitos, Peru. As leaders and compassionate human beings, when we see the pain and struggle of our fellow brothers and sisters it is only natural that we are eager to inspire change and make a difference.

Unfortunately, what many of us do not realize is that we are this impoverished and isolated city within ourselves. We are isolated by the continuous thoughts of self. We are impoverished by our rejection of correction. We are isolated in the process of battling for independence and self-reliance. We are impoverished by our un-voiced emotions...

So the question is asked: Why can't the city of Iquitos change? Why can't we change? Well the simple answer is balance.

In the city and in ourselves balance is a necessity. In every environment balance is realized in what is known as a carrying capacity. Whenever an environment exceeds its carrying capacity it becomes difficult to sustain a population. The same theory applies to human beings. As we are overloaded and bombarded with the things that life throws at us, it becomes more and more challenging to find that balance.

But what if balance is actually the problem and not the solution? What if the never-ending quest for balance is what keeps us isolated and impoverished? What if the size of our hearts exceeds the size of our pockets? What if hope exceeds greed? What if love exceeds pride? What if changing the world meant changing you?

Quick Update - From the Amazon

2011-06-14T20:42:00.001-04:00

In pain and extremely tired. Will add posts and more pictures later, but here is a sneak peak from the Amazon adventures.

Thursday, June 9th

2011-06-12T09:46:00.000-04:00

For 10 members of our group, today started something like this:

2:30 am – Wake-up call

3:00 am – Meet in lobby and walk to train station

5:30 am – Board bus and ride to the base of Machu Pichu with the hopes of being 10 of 200 to receive the stamp that would allow us to hike Waynapichu

…all of this just hours after finishing a grueling 2-day trek in the Andean Mountains. The mere fact that so many of our kids were up for the challenge made me smile.

Fortunately, we were 10 of the first 200 who made it to the gate in time. The hike was tough – so steep that you literally had to crawl on all fours most of the way – but, wow, was it glorious! Watching the sunrise over Machu Pichu and having a 360 degree view of the world around you… it was one of those experiences I wish could have lasted for eternity.

After we got back to our hotel in Aguas Calientes I asked the six kids and the three other leaders who made the trip to describe their experience. I will use their words to narrate some pictures from our journey:

Majestic.

Powerful.

Complete.

Ephemeral.

Raw.

Wednesday, June 8th

2011-06-12T09:40:00.000-04:00

Last night I left a mug of cocoa tea outside of our tent and it was frozen when I woke up this morning. Our “alarm” sounded at 5:30 am, and although most of us were still in our clothes from the night before, and fully intending to keep them on for today’s hike, we were slow to get up and going.

The cooks had eggs and cornflakes waiting for us in the red tent. Over breakfast we shared stories about the horses, dogs and alpaca that were so loud during the night that we all thought they were going to come crashing through our fabric walls.

After breakfast it was apparent that OG and Victoria Idol were struggling. I stayed behind with them as the others pressed forward, initially trying to hang OG from my left shoulder and Victoria from my right while taking one slow, grueling step at a time. Eventually I had to sit both of them down, run ahead to ask for a horse.

OG seemed to be in worse condition than Victoria, and he was definitely much heavier, so we put him on the horse while Victoria and I remained on foot. This marked the beginning of what would end up being one of the greatest endurance tests of our lives. Victoria and I found Steven Ayers along the way, and together the three of us made our way across frozen streams, short flats and up 60-70 degree inclines.

Steven was quiet and kept sitting down... refusing to go any further. Victoria was huffing and puffing so hard there were moments when I feared she would have a panic attack due to the difficulty she was having breathing. I would point to a rock in the distance and tell them, “Okay guys… we are going to walk until we get to that spot. Then we will stop and rest.” Sometimes I would count our paces aloud, trying to motivate them to get to 50 before stopping. At other points during the trek, I resorted to shouting loudly. I felt like a drill sergeant, demanding that the cadets keep moving and reminding them that if we did not press forward we would miss our train to Aguas Calientes.

By the time we were nearing 16,000 feet, we could finally see the others in the distance. When they saw us, they began cheering. “Tori, Tori, Tori. Steven, Steven, Steven.” Their affirmations echoed between the mountains and were exactly what my kids needed. We all put our heads down, our hands down and crawled to the top.

While our trek was far from over, cresting that peak symbolized victory in so many ways. From there, most of our journey was downhill, and while I was not with Victoria or Steven when they finally crossed the finish line, several people said that Victoria kept repeating the line, “Now I know I can do anything. Physically or emotionally, I can do anything.”

Tuesday, June 7th

2011-06-12T02:44:00.000-04:00

Today we are hiking, and I am jotting down quick notes along the way. We started at 6:30 am. The guides are telling us we have about eight hours to go before reaching our next campsite. The sun is out. It is brisk but far from freezing.

We just reached a pit-stop and already some of the kids are tired. Our group has quickly dispersed – with the faster, more fit students charging ahead in front, and others struggling to keep up from behind. The early whining kind-of makes me laugh. Pushing kids to their absolute limits is a key component of Globetrotter travel. If only they knew… this challenge is just beginning. J

We are nearing 15,000 feet in elevation and the effects of the altitude are definitely starting to take their toll. Even I am finding myself short of breath, and I know I am more prepared than most. The kids are doing great… struggling, but doing great.

We just made it to a very small town called Waka Wasi, which means in “the cow’s house” in keshwan. Waka is the first sign of real civilization we have seen in hours. There is an older woman sitting alongside the trail with her three children. They are selling handmade wares and have 4-5 bottled drinks among their inventory – no telling how long those things have been around! At this point, I have Sarah Catherine, Ricky, Kevin and Victoria Idol in my group. I pull out 15 soles (about $5 US) and buy five braided bracelets from the woman. I pulled my struggling hikers together for what I am sure was a cheesy, but desperately needed pep talk. We tied on our bracelets, put our hands in the middle and cheered, “1 – 2 – 3 HOPE!”

My group finally made it to the turn – the spot where we were supposed to meet for lunch. Mario, Qlyl, Kierra and Barak arrived before us. They were lying on the ground exhausted. Upon our arrival, the porters decided it was time to set up tables and fire up their stoves. The kids head up for lunch and Freebird and I are about to head back out on the trail in search of the three remaining students who have yet to arrive.

Freebird took the lower trail and I took an upper, less descript path that I am guessing was “paved” by the goats and alpaca roaming the mountainside. We both encountered local village kids along the way who were eager to help us with our search. In no time, we had an old-school communication chain up and running. The kids would run ahead until they found another kid from another village. They would explain that we were looking for the Americans, and then those kids would take off running until they had reached the next village, and so on, and so on. Updates quickly started making their way back to us. We were informed that one of our three missing hikers had refused to get on the horse we had sent for them. The other two were boycotting the horses as well in support of their fellow traveler.

Holy smokes… talk about a test of patience! 15 of our 18 team members were waiting to set-out for the next leg of our hike. We were racing against day light and here were three American teenagers throwing temper tantrums in the middle of the Andes. We had to make a decision about what to do next, so we decided to call it a day and pitch camp at the turn.

Our last three hikers have finally arrived. They were tired and stressed when they came up over the crest of the hill. One was actually furious, but has since apologized to the group for his heated outburst.

It’s freezing cold here, literally, and because trees do not grow at this altitude, the women who live in the shack near our campsite are helping us collect animal dung in order to build a fire. We are all gathered under a small red tent, reflecting on our day. The cooks are so dear. They continue to bring in snacks, dinner and (of course) more cocao tea.

It feels like midnight but it’s only 7:45 pm. We are in our tents and getting ready for bed. It’s too cold to brush our teeth or change our clothes. Several of us tried to use the bathroom behind a stone wall nearby… no luck. After taking a quick second to soak in the majesty of the Southern Cross, I have slipped into my sleeping bag, and I am clinging to the used plastic bottle the cooks filled with hot water for me after dinner. I am wishing I had ten more of these bottles. The word “cold” does not do this justice.

Monday, June 6th

2011-06-12T02:03:00.001-04:00

We did not arrive at our campsite until close to midnight last night, so it has taken me until today (Tuesday, June 7th) to be able to get yesterday’s experiences down on paper.

Everything started out smoothly. We had breakfast at the hotel in Cuzco, boarded a bus and headed out for the Andean mountains. On the way, we stopped at a llama and alpaca farm where the kids were able to feed the animals and learn how the locals dye wool in order to make beautiful fabrics and apparel.

After our time on the farm, we made our way to Pisaq, a small town located in the Sacred Valley. We stopped in a local market to let the kids do some shopping and to try what Paul claimed were the best empanadas around. Having been warned the night before about the cold temperatures that were in store, we all stocked up on wool hats and gloves. It was fun and laid back… smiles all-around.

The curve ball came at noon, when our bus pulled up to a small turn just outside of Pisaq only to find a Peruvian guard standing in front of a shabby wood barricade. Apparently, the road was under construction, and despite our best efforts at negotiating an exception, the guard would not budge. He kept repeating, “You cannot pass until six in the night.”

Eventually, we gave up and succumbed to the fact that we were going to have to come up with a plan-B. (Sounds familiar, I know. However, this time I am convinced plan-B stands for Plan Brutal! It was the beginning of a very trying day.)

“Brutal” started out okay. We made our way to an even smaller town on the outskirts of Pisaq called Maras. Our guide informed us that Maras had once been a bustling center for commerce during the days of the Spanish trade lines. In the early 1900’s things changed. Trade slowed and people began moving on. Today Maras is close to being a ghost town.

Maras was/is built like a maze. Dirt streets take their shape from 12-15’ mud and stone walls that line (the equivalent of) city blocks. Aside from one street vendor who had set-up in the middle of the town’s main plaza, we saw no evidence of business and very little evidence of life.

Ordinarily a pit-stop in a place like Maras would not have mattered, but in our case, we had been driving for hours and several of us were desperate for a bathroom. Seeing the make-up of the place, I knew we had two options: we could either pee in the middle of the street, or start knocking on the small doors tucked into the stone walls with hopes that someone would eventually let us in.

After scouting for a couple of blocks, we finally found a woman who was willing to oblige. She agreed to let us use her “bathroom” for the equivalent of 15 cents a person, and wow… who knew something so trivial could turn into such an experience.

The woman was several inches shy of 5 feet tall. Her skin was weathered and I am sure she looked much older than she actually was. She led our group through the small, wooden door of her home. The floors were dirt and, from what we could tell, there was no electricity. When you first walked in, you were standing in what I think was her kitchen, storage area and bathroom. Chicken ran around freely, and there were stacks of projects scattered across the floor - like half-husked piles of corn. She pointed towards a small corner… the bathroom. Unlike other areas of the home, it did have a door, three walls and a thin plastic roof overhead. Other than that, it consisted of a hole in the ground. Smaller than an airplane lavatory… no running water.

There were flies everywhere and after you finished you were supposed to fill a red, plastic bowl with rainwater and wash away your “business.” I was the first person to go, and it did not take long for the disgust and desperation to leave and for utter humility and sadness to come flooding in. This is how these people live - every day! I felt guilty for tucking my used toilet paper into my pocket and for holding my nose as I thanked the woman for her hospitality. There was little to say after we left. Life is not fair… a lesson we will come face-to-face with many times on this trip.

After my small crew had used the bathroom, we met up with the others and quietly walked the streets of Maras. On several occasions, we passed homes where wooden poles with blue and red plastic bags hung from the doorway. Martha asked one of our guides what the flag-like poles meant, and her question inspired the guide to run ahead and to tuck into a Maras home. When he emerged, he had a glass full of what looked like frothy beer. He called the drink chicha and told us it was made from fermented corn. He explained that the makeshift flags indicated someone in that household sold chicha. We all tried the mystery beverage. Some were fans, others were not.

(As an aside, we have since learned that there is a little more to chicha than our guide disclosed. The drink is actually made by old men who sit around chewing on corn kernels, spitting the juice into a container, kind-of like you see people do with chewing tobacco. The bacteria from their mouths is what ferments the corn juice. So in reality, chicha is old-man corn spit. Absolutely disgusting!)

After our short stroll around town, our cooks heated up a small grill in the town center and fixed grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers for everyone. We also pulled out an i-Pod dock and let Sarah Catherine and Kevin start teaching the rest of the students the routine they have choreographed for our upcoming talent show in Iquitos. Man, talk about people coming out of the wood-works. Before long there were crowds of Maras residents, watching eagerly and singing along to Lady Gaga’s Born this Way. It was a beautiful contradiction of cultures. One of those moments you could never forget, nor ever recreate no matter how hard you tried.

As the time passed and our 6:00pm road-opening neared, we got back on the bus with hopes of being able to head up the mountain. This time, we passed through with no problem, and this is where the real “brutal” began to unfold. Because we were traveling so much later than expected, and the sun was quickly setting, our driver had a very difficult time finding his way. What should have been a two-three hour journey turned into six+ hours of navigating windy, narrow, unpaved roads. We all wanted to cry… and throw up… and cry some more.

When the bus finally pulled into the parking lot near our campsite, we pulled flashlights out of our bags and walked quietly down the rock path towards our tents. Some stayed up to eat dinner and soak in the hot springs. Others, like me, crawled into our sleeping bags and prayed for morning.

Saturday, June 4th & Sunday, June 5th

2011-06-12T01:31:00.000-04:00

We have arrived in Lima. When the bus driver dropped us off on the side of the road last night and said this was our hostel, I think we all looked at him like he was crazy. From the outside, it was difficult to even point out the front door. Inside, thankfully, was a different story. There was a pool table and small café on the first floor, a ping pong table and open-aired terrace on the third. The rooms were sparse, but clean, and the people who worked there were extremely friendly and grateful to have us.
After breakfast, our group split into two. Martha and Jessica took six of the kids on to Cuzco. My parents, Freebird, OG and I stayed back with the rest and spent a few hours touring Lima before heading to the airport for a 2:00 flight.

Lima was beautiful, clean, and aside from a select number of places, almost desolate – something we had not anticipated. Today was election day in Peru, and by law, all Peruvians are required to vote. We watched with amazement as people poured into polling places, on a SUNDAY of all days, eager to stand in line and cast their vote on a paper ballot. Once they had done so, their finger was dipped into a small bowl of purple ink. So simple, but so effective… it was incredibly easy to tell who had voted and who had not.

While Lima was fun and entertaining, the real excitement of the day (at least for our group) came when we arrived at the airport. As we unloaded our bags, Victoria Idol came up to my dad and told him she thought she had left her passport in the bag of someone in group one. This meant she was in Lima and her passport (along with all other forms of photo identification) were in Cuzco. We had absolutely no idea of how we were going to go about getting her a boarding pass, through security and onto a plane at the Lima International Airport.

Parents, please do not think badly of us when I say what I am about to say. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We had to smuggle one of your children onto a plane.

Looking back, I still cannot believe it actually worked. Somehow, we managed to make it through five security checkpoints utilizing an “overwhelm and confuse” strategy, which entailed us bombarding them with a large number of English speaking teenagers at every exchange. By the time we got Victoria on the plane and into her seat, the leaders stood back and looked at one another with exhaustion AND amazement. We weren’t quite sure whether we should celebrate, or whether we should be extremely concerned about the safety of our skies.

The flight from Lima to Cuzco was smooth and uneventful; by early evening, we had reconnected with the rest of our group. We headed out to the main plaza in Cuzco for dinner where everyone tried alpaca bruschetta, shared stories from the day’s adventures and began mentally preparing for the trek that lies ahead.

Before calling it a day, we all gathered in the hotel courtyard and spent some time “self-actualizing” (as Freebird likes to call it). As always, I was both humbled and inspired by our students’ comments. They are so much more self-aware than most would ever give them credit for. If only “real life” afforded them safe, still moments to think and share. I am extremely thankful to be a part of this journey.

Loved Lima

2011-06-06T00:52:00.000-04:00

Macen says "que pasa?"

Joyful jumping in the city center.

Make a wish.

Literally the only ones in the street... everyone else was off voting.

Mi y mi madre.

Freebird recording stories for his kids.

Lima, the city where cats sleep in trees...

And dogs sleep under cars.

Off to Cuzco...

2011-06-05T13:17:00.003-04:00

Only time for one post!

The power of ONE has made it to Peru

2011-06-04T22:59:00.001-04:00

62 applications, 372 interviews, countless days of planning and (post selection) 5 months of bonding and preparation have all come down to one. Day-one of an adventure that will forever change the lives of eleven high school students.

If you would have asked me what the coming weeks were going to look like a year ago, I can promise you I would have described something completely different from the journey that is about to unfold. The 2011 Globetrotter Program was supposed to be centered on spirituality and self-actualization, culminating in a three-week trip to India. Seeing as we just landed in Lima, Peru, I think it’s safe to say there has been a radical change of plans.

A little history…

In April of this year we were alerted to the fact that the Indian Consulate is now requiring all minors to show proof that both of their parents possess valid US passports. A lot to ask considering 1) less than 30% of all Americans own a passport, and 2) Dustin’s GreenHouse is (for the most part) working with a group of first-generation travelers. “Mom and Pop” passports were out of the question for our group! So we rallied together and got busy. We applied every bit of due-diligence, every ounce of resourcefulness and every contact we could muster to finding a solution to the Indian Visa problem. (Just to put these efforts into perspective… US Senator Kay Hagan, US Congressman Howard Coble, 3 different attorneys, the Director of an Indian-based tourism company and an Indian priest were among the powerhouses in the DGH corner.)

Despite our best efforts, the clock was ticking, and by the end of the month our leadership team knew we had to make a decision. Either stick with India and risk everything falling apart at the last minute, which would have resulted in the 2011 DGH Globetrotters going nowhere, or come up with a Plan B. Welcome to day-one of Plan B (something I wholeheartedly believe was meant to stand for “Plan Blessing”).

Since our switch-a-roo at the beginning of May I have watched a collection of (teen-aged) strangers change gears, adjust expectations and grow into an incredible team of one. The maturity and flexibility with which our kids (and their families) have embraced this new plan of attack has been nothing short of remarkable. It’s been an experience unlike anything else we’ve faced over the Globetrotter Program’s 8-year history… it has brought the core of Dustin’s GreenHouse to light: we are so much more than just a “trip.”

I have included a quick outline of our “Plan B” Peruvian itinerary below. Over the next 18 days we will post as often as we can. So far, all is good on day-one. We are almost all through Customs and headed to the hotel for a good night’s rest. Adios for now.

The first leg of our trip will be based out of Cusco. We will allow the kids a day to acclimate to the 12,000 foot altitude before going to the Sacred Valley and then to Machu Picchu. From there we will hike Choquequirao and later visit Lake Titicaca.
The second leg of our trip will be in Iquitos. We will be working with People for Peru and Poppy’s House, an orphanage for young girls. We will immerse ourselves in the small village of Santa Tomas, and will host a talent show to unite the people of the area and our team. We will be setting up a computer lab in Poppy’s House and work with the children of the children who live in the orphanage.
The third leg of our trip will be a three-day jungle trip down the Amazon. We will visit small villages and learn about their customs and geography. We will bring clothing and medicine to the people in each village we visit.
During the fourth leg of our trip we will return to Iquitos. We will work with families in the slums of Belen and spend a night in a home-stay environment giving our students the opportunity to experience what life is like for families living in extreme poverty.
Our last stop before heading back to the United States will be at a retirement home in Lima. The elderly people in this home have been all but forgotten by society. We will prepare and serve lunch and spend some much needed quality time with the residents.

DGH Car Wash - Peru... here we come!

2011-06-01T09:20:00.002-04:00

Village Girls Hit Boone (2nd Annual)

2011-06-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

DV: Power of the Purse

2011-01-25T00:41:00.000-05:00

A few pictures from dinner after our Village girls met with Compass Financial Partner, Ann Zuraw about budgeting and the basics of inflation and investing.

We are back and INDIA bound!

2011-01-10T11:56:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it... it's Globetrotter time again, and this year we are India bound.

We did not waste any time getting the 2011 Globetrotter program underway. As of December 15th we had received over 75 applications, and on January 3th and 4th we invited 52 of those students in for interviews.

The Globetrotter interview process has evolved over time, and this year it went something like this:

The students were divided in half (between Monday and Tuesday), and then in half again (into group A and group B).
Each student then participated in two tracks... a group activity and a series of individual interviews that resembles speed dating.
After we met with all of the students, we convened and began the incredibly difficult task of narrowing 52 amazing young men and women down to 11 team members and 4-6 alternates.

I loved meeting the 2011 applicants. The interview experience always makes me proud to be alive... an American... someone who has the opportunity to work with, and learn from this incredible population of people. Some of the students who go through the Globetrotter application process have overcome obstacles like you and I have never known. Some have vision and dreams that make me feel small minded. Some are just looking for a loyal, loving and wise influence.

I could go on and on about how humbling and inspiring the Globetrotter interview process can be, but there is some exciting news I'm sure people are waiting for me to share... the recipients of our 2011 scholarships. So without further ado, here is the list:

Almoubarak Abdoulaye, Dudley High School
Ricky Anjorin, High Point Central High School
Steven Ayers, Lexington High School
Kierra Campbell, Ragsdale High School
Kevin Dang, Ragsdale High School
Victoria Idol, Ragsdale High School
Sarah Lucas, Weaver Academy
Qlyl Middelijn, Dudley High School
Victoria Perez, Middle College at GTCC High Point
Macen Revels, Middle College at GTCC High Point
Mario Scott, Smith High School

I hope you will enjoy following the journeys of this new group of young men and women.

Namaste.

An Amazing Week in Siyathuthka

2010-07-26T10:26:00.000-04:00

We have spent an amazing week in the township of Mufambiza, working at the Siyathuthka community center that was set up by Hands at Work. The kids have been planting a garden about the size of half a football field, painting the community center, hosting a party for the volunteers and 300 orphans from the community and finishing the week by spliting up and spending the night in five different orphan lead homes. I figured the best way for the readers of this blog to get a feel it had on the students was to hear it directly from the kids. From the mouths of babes…

Taylor – New day, new week, new experiences, and new everything! This week Dustin’s Greenhouse finally got to start on the garden in Siyathuthka! Not one person that was in the van felt tired or weighed down. It was quite the opposite really! There was an air of anticipation and fear in the van on the first day we all drove there. The ride there was something else! You wouldn’t even know that the places we rode through were imagined in the mind to be sad and depressing; it wasn’t! Not even close! It was unbelievable. So this is how the week so far went for the Globetrotters:

Monday: We all got to Siyathuthuka at the early hour of 8am and got to meet the women and men of the community that volunteered their time to be there with us. There are up to 13 women and 3 men in all with us, very hard working and dedicated men and women. The women are always smiling and there is not one day they are not! We all couldn’t help but laugh and have a blast with them. After a morning prayer, slowly we all came together and started the first committed day of many to come on the garden. Everyone had a station that worked well with them and worked like worker bees. Monday we got half of the garden done.

Tuesday: The globetrotters split up, the boys were with Marty, they were the first to leave for the garden so that they could get an early start. The girls went to Masoyi were they met with a group of young African mothers who are in a program called “The Young Mothers of Masoyi”. These young women are taught to sew and knit so that they may one day make a living. We heard some of the young mother’s stories and later on some of us shared our own stories and understandings with them. Really something else! After that, the young mothers had a different look in their eyes for us, it was truly inspiring. We passed out give-a-gallon bags to the women and they all had glowing smiles on their faces!

The boys also had a story of their own that we all still think is hilarious! After the boys left, they stopped at a gas station where two globetrotters, got out to use the bathroom. They start asking around for where the bathroom may be and they kept on getting directed the wrong way. After the third time of being messed with, they finally got directed the right way and after doing their business, they came out to find that the workers had locked them in the bathroom!!

Something interesting in Africa is you pay a fee to use the public bathroom and to get in, there may be a revolving door. When they came out, the door was locked and the workers are laughing at them! They put two-and-two together and realize that the workers aren’t letting them out any time soon and are too busy laughing. They asked the counter lady, who was with the workers, to unlock the door and she told them that the key was “lost” and they were locked in, that is when panic started to set in. On the other side of the store, two other globetrotters were leaving when they heard the commotion and came to help. Eventually everything sorta worked out and they had a laugh at the experience. “Sorta” being that security was called over by the commotion also! The boys eventually got to Siyathuthuka and instead of working in the garden they spent the rest of the day painting the little community center where the Siyathuthuka Home Base Care was based. They did an amazing job on it to! We got another half done on the garden Tuesday as the girls came back and helped. Later that night Hands at Work got a snake exhibition here at the compound, mambas, spitting cobras and a boomslang.

Gaby and Lexx - After the orphan party at Siyathuthuka we all sort of stood against the fence and laid around on our twin size sleeping mats waiting for the bus to come that would drop us off at the home of our assigned families. Any worries or anxiety was long gone by then and was replaced with anticipation and lots of excitement with hopes and prayers that our family would like us and welcome us in.

When we first arrived to our home we were given a tour of the small concrete home with three bedrooms, a kitchen, and an outhouse. Our family had two sisters (one with a baby named Pendulo), and two brothers. The older brother we weren’t able to meet until the next morning because he was working. Marty, thought we could cook them dinner, but we ended up mistaking flour for porridge. So we started cooking “porridge” and eventually noticed that it was looking a bit off and discovered we’d actually made them flour water. After that minor set back we got help from one of the sisters and her friend and were able to cook a meal with porridge and chicken stew with vegetables.

When dinner was over and we’d all gotten to know each other a little better we watched a South African soap called Generation, and then watched and American show called The Game. Thandazile, our “sister”, taught me how to do Shakira’s Waka Waka dance, and then later her and her friend Maudy and Maudy’s little brother sang and danced for us while we recorded and attempted to learn the dance. Once we’d exhausted our energy the boys all went to bed in a separate room with Lexx and Marty on mats in front of our little brother’s bed. I slept in a bed with Thandazile and Maudy but before bed we put on a movie with intentions of watching it, but we never actually got around to seeing past the first five minutes because our girl talked kicked in as it normally does at sleepovers and we weren’t able to stop until late after the movie was over.

The next morning we woke up bright and early and right away began cleaning the house in detail. Marty and our younger brother took the task of gardening and weeding outside. Afterwards we made peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast and then did dishes. We finally met our older brother and got to know him a bit and then were then prompted to go to the stream by a very excited Maudy who kept repeating it was “Maudy River”.

We went down to the stream and hopped around from side to side trying to get to Khaleel and Deshawn’s homestay from there. When we finally arrived we watched the brave boys gag down S’more sandwiches and laughed at everyone’s attempts to dance to more music (people really love to dance here). We hung out with Khaleel, Deshawn, and Silo (their “brother”) for a bit and then invited them back to our place to show them around. When we arrived they were quickly submerged in a game of cards and Maudy stole us off to her home to show us around. She gave us cold drinks and provided Lexx with toilet paper when we had an unexpected nosebleed.

After we sat around on the couch and watched TV for awhile we walked back to our own home to spend our last hour together and pack up our things. When we were done getting our things together we said goodbye with many hugs and pictures. It was a fulfilling and significant experience for all three of us.

Askia, Madelyn and Lauren – Our night started with 20 people crammed in a 14 person van, so we got to know each other very quickly. The head of the house was a twenty year old guy named Richard. He was friendly but quiet as his English was not too good. His siblings: Ness, who was 21, and her daughter, Landumiso (“Faith” in English) who was seven months old, Sandeli who was 14, Innocent who was 16, Freedom who was 24, her daughter Cierra who was 5 months, and Treasure who was 4, lived with him.

Their cousins lived very close where Lou, Melissa and Taylor stayed a couple houses down. We watched a soap opera called Generation in Swasi. Ness seemed very surprised when we told her we did not have the show in America. We ate dinner—pop, porridge, and chicken, no forks and spoons here, meals are eaten with your fingers. Sandeli and her cousin, Gift, played with Madelyn and Lauren’s hair. Gift said it was the first time he touched a white person’s hair and that it was “slippery”. We went to sleep with the light and the TV on. In the morning we cleaned up the three room house, sweeping the floor and cleaning up our bedrolls. Freedom made us butter sandwiches and sweet, hot tea with milk. Lou, Melissa, and Taylor, along with the family they were staying with, came over and we made S’mores on a fire outside.

Then we walked down to the community well that had been contaminated because of a hole in the well that allowed dirty water to seep in. Several families were washing their clothes with the water and taking jugs back to their homes. Later we walked to a store that was also a rec-center with a pool table.

They sold their soda in glass bottles by the liter and we all agreed it was the best coca-cola we’d ever tasted. We walked back to the house, Martin played them in pool (and yes Brad he is leaving Africa 6-0 a perfect score) Richard brought out a stereo set-up and blared, “Waka, Waka (This Time for Africa)” by Shakira; we all danced, much to the delight of the townspeople who came out and watched us.

The neighborhood Go-Gos (Grandmothers) joined us, decked out in traditional Swasi costumes,.which meant beaded skirts and necklaces, and no tops. When the van finally came to pick us up, we did not want to leave. They were such incredibly gracious, open hearted people and it was an honor to spend even one day with them. It was an incredible experience we will never forget.

Khaleel and Deshawn - We have had the honor of meeting Silo Donald Ngoben. Silo is a nineteen year old young man currently in grade eleven living in a one room house with no income, and no one to assist him with his school needs. Silo’s mother struggled with sickness from TB, HIV, and cancer which later took her life in March of 2008, and his father has been absent for the majority of his life. From then on Silo has been totally dependent on himself for school, food, and the basic necessities of life. The only support he receives is that of the volunteers of Siyathathuka home based care, church members, and occasionally his aunt.

Words can’t describe the emotion dispersed throughout Silo’s house last night. After reading his bio we were reluctant in how to connect to someone that had gone through so much pain. It was an experience neither of us prepared ourselves for, but subconsciously we wanted to make sure that we didn’t leave without having a positive influence on his humble life. We also wanted to embrace the influence he would have on our lives by making sure we share his life story with everyone. Immediately we were greeted by a warm presence within his one bedroom house. With Barry White’s “Practice What You Preach” playing in the background we soon found that music was the one thing that connected our lifestyles together.

Though his house only consisted of two beds, one couch, a small television, a dvd player that didn’t always work, a refrigerator, and a small propane stove we felt as if we were home. Silo seemed as if he was very soft spoken but that soon changed as we began exchanging our aspirations for the future. He says he wants to become either a “American Superstar” featured in movies or a “Powerful Preacher”, which we saw as total opposites. We shared many laughs and shed few tears after hearing about his mother passing away. Silo gave us a piece of himself in many different ways by sharing information with us he had never shared with anyone else, not even his closest friends. His relationship with God was most significant to us. Throughout all of his trials and tribulations, his faith remains strong, and he continues to thank God for every day he has on earth. This was more than just a home stay with an orphan for a night. This was a chance for us to get outside of ourselves to truly see our world in a completely different dimension. Silo is the strongest person we have ever met. In the “world” we live in, it is sometimes easy to seek support from others. Often we look for tangible things to substitute what we feel, but staying with Silo for a night showed us to appreciate the things we can not physically touch. Last night has changed our lives forever, Silo has inspired us to keep strong faith no matter the situation and to value the opportunities we have been blessed with. Now we live our lives knowing that we hold a piece of him and he holds a piece of us. We can truly say we have a new found brother in the village of Mufambiza that we will never forget.

Sorry to give the parents some bad news but Lou and I have decided to keep your kids! They are awesome!!!

Sorry no pics but it is 3am in the morning and I am beat after an incredible night, day in Mufambiza, shopping, cooking and having a braii with 24 brits here at Hands at Work, I will try to fill you in more in the next day or two. We are headed to Kruger tomorrow and we are all sad that we will lose Mr. Gadget (Marty).

White River Idol

2010-07-20T19:47:00.001-04:00

I wasn’t sure if this trip could get much better after a rough start, then doing a shark cage dive and meeting Desmond Tutu but tonight was another incredible night.

After a day of souvenir shopping with the kids we got ready for White River Idol, a talent show of local kids to raise money for Hands at Work that Paul and Mike Matthews organized. The level of talent was amazing. I thought that I was just going to be taking pictures but I was informed that I was going to be the MC for the evening. Not sure how I got that job, I guess I drew the short straw. The crazy thing is that I don’t remember every drawing any straws.

I received the list of acts with a brief description right before the show started so I was flying blind. Nobody had thought about recording the event on video or audio so Marty and Lexx jumped into action. Mr. Gadget figured out how to patch into their sound system and we had multiple video camera running during the show.

Lou, Lynne and Melissa worked the box office. All of the sudden it was show time with MC Green and the White River Idol. The local acts were incredible, with singing and dancing.

The Globetrotters stepped on stage and blew it away. Their act started with a poem that they had written about Dustin’s GreenHouse with a harmonica accompaniment by Lexx, then they broke into their step dance as the recited Invictus. It was awesome!

Here is the poem out Globetrotters wrote:

Out of tragedy seeds are sown

By the mends of the Green’s their faith is known

And through their efforts our lives have grown

Over the ocean and across new lands

We lay God’s blanket with giving hands
His loving wildness inspires our plans

This journey will forever change our lives

Through planes and sharks, we have survived

We thank our leaders with this surprise

Hope Grows Here

As the show finished our kids ran up on stage and started dancing which prompted all the other acts to join them. The night finished with all the kids who participated dancing on the stage. I can’t wait until you get to see the film, it is amazing! I love these kids!!!!

Masphumelele

2010-07-16T11:41:00.003-04:00

We started this morning the same way we left off yesterday, in the township of Masphumelele. The globetrotters loved the kids they saw and Shane has told me that he could arrange to have a band who lived in the township play for us so I had him set it up.

Masphumelele is a community like any other with barber shops, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. It is just a very very poor community. It was fascinating to see how they could set up a grocery store in what was just the backend of a trailer, or a funeral home in a broken down shack.

It was a really unique morning as the band set up in the middle of the street with their xylophones, African drum and Kudu horn. The band is called Buyambo and they have a very unique sound. As they played people came out in the streets and our kids started doing the Electric Slide to the African beat. Wow! It was amazing to watch as a group of American kids danced to the music in the middle of a township in South Africa early on a Thursday morning. What a sight!

The kids stick out in your mind as the victims of poverty but the amazing thing is how everyone still seemed so happy. It is amazing to see how money is not the root of happiness in many African communities. I guess when you think about it, money is never the root of happiness for anyone anywhere.

Shark Diving and Base Jumping on Table Mountain

2010-07-16T11:36:00.001-04:00

The rest of our afternoon was full of adventure as we did our shark cage dive and base jumping on Table Mountain. We headed out in our shark boat towards Seal Island. Seal Island is about 25 minutes off the coast, an island with over 40 thousand seals hanging out on it. When you get downwind of the island the smell is overpowering. Unfortunately not a recipe for a bunch of kids who are seasick which is exactly what happened to almost all who went for the dive. Some sweated out the sickness and jumped in anyway, just two were too sick to think about jumping into 50 degree water.

As we anchored they dumped the cage in and tied it off to the side of the boat, then started chumming. Madelyn, Minesha and myself were the first to jump in. The crew had a fish head tied to a rope and a seal decoy they would toss out. When a shark came along they would lure it towards the cage.

The sea was pretty rough and you were constantly worried about a limb slipping though the cage and a Great White nabbing your arm or leg. Sometimes as you came up for air a swell would come at the same time not giving you any room to breath or your snorkel would fill with salt water leaving you gasping for air and a mouth full of salt water but when they lured a shark close enough to the cage you got up close and personal with one of the most dreaded creatures on earth. It was exhilarating!

The shark would grab the bait sometimes and the crew would bring the shark within a couple of feet or even inches of the cage. A couple of times the shark would actually bump the cage. These creatures are magnificent! Watching from the boat was just as thrilling as 10 to 15 foot sharks swarmed our boat right on the surface.

I could not have been prouder of our Globetrotter kids and want to thank all the parents for loaning us 10 amazing people. People thank Lou and I all the time for giving these kids amazing experiences. The real secret is that we are granted an opportunity to mold and watch your children experience a whole list of “firsts”. It’s like letting us teach your child how to ride a bike and getting to watch them the first time the can ride without training wheels. Thank you so much!

Watching a bunch of high school kids, some who have never been on a boat, jump into a cage in freezing water when they are sick as a dog, throwing up over the side of the boat but still tough enough to do one of the scariest activities in the world is an experience that I will never forget. These kids are AWESOME! So you don’t owe us any thanks, we owe it to you!

I can check one more thing off my bucket list. As for the base jumping, it was off a park bench but Table Mountain gave us some spectacular views of Cape Town.

Going to the End of the Earth to Find Hope – Cape Hope

2010-07-14T16:40:00.001-04:00

We joined the first group in Cape Town and were relieved that we all finally made it to Cape Town. Our guide, Shane Pinear picked us up and after dropping off our bags at our beautiful guest house, Moon Bay Guest House, we headed to the Cape of Good Hope. The kids were amazed with the beauty of the cliffs, the crashing waves and the flora and fauna. We made it to a restaurant overlooking the ocean and had a wonderful meal that was finished by all the wait staff singing some African songs. Really cool!

Then we climbed up to the lighthouse. The kids got to see penguins, a whale, and ostriches and millions of sea lice. You quickly understood why the coast of Africa is so treacherous. The kids finally got to see some of the incredible beauty of Cape Town.

We went into a township and the kids got to see how many of the people of Africa live. The township was really awful but a country club compared to some of the shanty towns.

So here are some of the pics you have been waiting for…

Rough Start

2010-07-14T16:39:00.002-04:00

Never a dull moment on a Globetrotter trip and our first 48 hours of this trip were no exception. It started with a flight delay in Greensboro that almost made us miss the last plane to Johannesburg out of Atlanta. We found ourselves running through the Atlanta airport to catch the flight and jumped on the plane as the doors shut. Missing that flight would have meant we would not have been able to fly out until Tues night, we dodged one bullet.

The second bullet came three quarters of the way through the flight when Lou told me she was having severe abdominal pains. Neither one of us had any pain killer so she toughed out for a couple more hours before she said she couldn’t stand it anymore. I know she is in serious pain when Lou let the flight attendant page for a doctor onboard.

A really nice doctor came forward and we found some strong pain reliever. The flight attendant radioed ahead for an emergency removal from the plane. The doctor felt that Lou was suffering from kidney stones. Then they moved us into first class. What a cheap way to get into first class. Unfortunately by that time there was only 45 minutes left in the flight.

A wheel chair was waiting for Lou when we touched down and we went to the medical clinic in the airport where they checked her out. The pain killer had kicked in and she was feeling better so rather than have an ambulance take us to the hospital my good friends Paul and Mike were waiting in the lobby took us to a private hospital.

Meanwhile back at the airport, since we were so late getting into Joburg we missed the last flight to Cape Town. Marty started working his magic with his co-workers in Greensboro, (thank you Melissa) to find a hotel and rebook our flight. Melissa called me at the hospital and Paul suggested that he make the hotel reservation since he was local and knew a good hotel close to the airport. After the hotel reservation was made we called Marty and the rest of the group and told them to go to the City Lodge Hotel, which they did. Unfortunately there are two City Lodge Hotels. Yeah you guessed it, they went to the wrong one. Now don’t forget Marty has two leaders, 10 kids with baggage and 14 duffle bags full of “give a gallon” bags.

Meanwhile back at the hospital, Lou is feeling much better. They still think it is kidney stones but not much they can do for her so we head for the right City Lodge. We finally meet back up with the kids about 11:30pm after starting our journey 33 hours earlier.

We got all the kids in their rooms and settled down about 12:30am on Wed and told them we had to be up at 5am to try to catch the 7am flight to Cape Town.

Everybody was up and ready at 5am and off we go to the airport. When we arrived they told us to get on the 7am flight we would have to rebuy all the tickets at $300 per person but if we waited until 12pm we could go for $45 per person.

That would mean we would not get into Cape Town until 2pm and another day would be wasted. I knew there was a chance that we could get Delta to help us because their delay made us miss our flight so I left the group and ran to the international terminal.

Of course when I got there Delta desk was closed with no one to be found . Now am I running back to the domestic terminal. Suddenly I remembered that our trip insurance included flight delay and cancellation coverage. I called and they said it should be covered, the only problem was there were only 9 seats available on the 7am flight and 8 seats available on the 7:30am flight and it was 6:15am, we had 45 minutes to rebook, check our luggage and get on the flight.

Marty was working the ticket rep and I was getting the kids ready. He told them to put Lou and I along with 7 kids on the first flight and the rest of the leaders and the remaining three kids on the second flight.

They close the flight 30 minutes before takeoff so we had 15 minutes to get our tickets and check our luggage. As they printed out the boarding passes I sent Lou with the kids to security. Our boarding passes were the last ones to print. They had printed all 7 kids boarding passes and they had headed for security when I was informed that the flight was closed and we would not make the flight.

Now I am running towards security to stop the kids because we have no leader on the flight. When I get to security I see Lou sending Lauren through security the last one to clear, all the others have already gotten through. So I grabbed Lauren told her she had to make the flight without an adult and we would be ½ hour behind them.

Here we go again, I am running back to the counter to try to make the 7:30 flight. When you are in a hurry nobody seems to move fast enough and as the clock ticked the second flight was about to close. We got our boarding passes just in time and again found ourselves running to the gate. Again we were the last people on the flight as they shut the door behind us.

Lou is feeling much better and we are on our way to Cape Town with enough running through airports to last me a lifetime.

On Their Way!

2010-07-14T08:58:00.000-04:00

All 15 Globetrotters made it to Jo-burg. Unfortunately, due to the delays, they missed their Capetown connection. I think they will attempt tomorrow.

Thursday is swimming with great white sharks, Friday is coffee with Desmund Tutu! Then the Globetrotters will get down to the serious work of planting a garden for an orphanage and setting up the irrigation system. They've allowed a week for that.

Thanks for all the warm wishes and support.

New DGH Facebook Page...

2010-06-30T08:06:00.002-04:00

Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dustins-Greenhouse/103825472998677?ref=ts

The Great Kind of War!

2010-06-21T17:28:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, June 29th The Bistro at Adams Farm is having a RESTAURANT WAR.

For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, it breaks down to a BIG trading of places. For one night, The Bistro's head chef, Kristina Fuller and her culinary crew will drop their cutlery and leave their stove tops in exchange for serving trays and some customer facing. Likewise, the maître d’ and her wait staff will head to the kitchen tasked with everything from menu design through to "order-up" preparation.

The Bistro is never shy of friendly faces, entertainment or excellent food. They are also incredibly philanthropic, and in that light will be donating 15% of the night's proceeds to Dustin's GreenHouse.

So for a number of reasons, please call and reserve your space before it's too late! This is one you really don't want to miss.
xo,
Ashlie

Reservations: 336.294.4610 (Make sure to tell Rhonda I sent you!)
Entrée prices will range from $15-$17.

5710 High Point Road
Greensboro, NC 27407
www.thebistroatadamsfarm.com

Many teens send 100-plus texts a day, survey says...

2010-04-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

I am fascinated by the social constructs that exist in today's high schools and the ways in which teenage girls in particular are communicating with one another. This article on CNN.com validates a lot of assumptions, but 100+ text messages a day... wow!

Makes me wonder how many text messages I send in a 24 hour time period. Also gives me reason to think that there must be a number of ways our education system could be leveraging this communication vehicle.

Here's a link to the article if you are interested: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/20/teens.text.messaging/index.html?hpt=T2

A text I received from one of our GreenHouse girls this morning:

2010-03-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

"Everyday I can speak of our trip!!! In almost every class I can use our trip to explain or inform the class about me. Thanks again."

The 2010 Globetrotter Team!

2010-02-04T15:27:00.002-05:00

We have selected this year’s group of Globetrotters and what a GREAT group of students!
This year’s group of students include a 16 year old mother, a 16 year old who is being raised by her 23 year old sister, a student who made his way to America from Sierra Leone as a refugee and now is a star soccer player for Page High School, and a future filmmaker from the Middle College of High Point. All students where someone, (a teacher, counselor or a neighbor) who saw through the smoke and saw that sparkle in the kid who is underserved and/or under-recognized, our diamonds.

A special thanks to everyone who has supported Dustin’s GreenHouse and/or nominated a student for this year’s program. We have a tremendous mix of talent, cultures and enthusiasm and we hope that you will all get a chance to meet and get to know our 2010 Globetrotters!

Congratulations to:
Minesha Carter - The Academy at High Point Central
Shatora Blackwell – Ragsdale High School
Gabriel Scott – Grimsley High School
Madelyn Rindal – Ragsdale High School
Lauren Nunley – Western Guilford
Taylor Woody – Ragsdale High School
Askia Abdul-Rahman – Smith High School
DeShawn Adams – Middle College of High Point
Lexx Truss – Middle College of High Point
Hassan Kouyateh – Page High School

We would like to thank all the people who helped during the nomination and selection process, Lynne Bergeron, Lin Bostian, Sam Bostian, Dan Turner, Joan Wellman, Janie Carter, Quana Gainey, Meghan Benz, Frankie Goins, Fanny Taylor, Brad Harder

This year’s Globetrotter Program theme is “responsibility”. What is your responsibility to yourself? Your community? Your world? Do you accept responsibility for your actions?
We will be headed for South Africa on July 15th and will be working with orphan children through Hands at Work (www.handsatwork.org). There are a ton of plans in motion, from celebrating Mandela Day in South Africa on July 18th to camping out on the African savannah. Ohhh lions and tigers and bears…. Well lions at least.

How can you help?

We are still looking for a male leader to mentor our Globetrotters and go on our trip to Africa. Any ideas?
We will be collecting and distributing “Give a Gallon” bags. Put some of your favorite things (shampoo, lotion, birthday supplies, mosquito repellent, etc) in a gallon ziplock bag.
Mosquito nets, if you have a few extra hanging around the house.
We are looking for fundraising opportunities or part time work for these students. Got any yard work that needs to be done? For many of these students if may mean you have to provide transportation but how often do you get to help a kid who has no mode of transportation?
Sponsorship – we can always use help sponsoring these kids.
You can help provide shelter, education and healthcare to an orphan in Africa for $15 per month. Go to Hands at Work www.handsatwork.org to find details.
Storybags (www.storybags.com) has designed a new line of story bags and is donating part of their sales to Dustin’s GreenHouse.

We would like to thank the community for all your support for Dustin’s GreenHouse and the kids we have touched. None of it would have been possible without our village! I hope Dustin is J.

Martin, Lou, Ashlie and Mallory.

Dustin's GreenHouse Wishlist in the News and Record!

2009-12-09T09:27:00.001-05:00

http://www.news-record.com/wishlist

Attention High School Seniors!!!!!!

2009-11-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

20 Schools in NC have waived application fees for students who submit their admissions applications this week!

Bennett
Brevard
Campbell
Chowan
Gardner-Webb
Greensboro
Johnson C. Smith
Lenoir Rhyne
Livingstone
Louisburg
Mars Hill
Meredith
Montreat
NC Wesleyan
Peace
Pfeiffer
St. Andrews
Saint Augustine's
Shaw
Wingate

Here is a link to the article in the News & Record and to CFNC with more details:

News and Record Article

CFNC Details

Community Matters Non-Profit Festival

2009-11-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

Stop by the Community Matters Non-Profit Festival this weekend. You can shop for holiday gifts and support local charities at the same time! We are selling some great thngs at our booth!!!

When: Saturday, November 7th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Where: Operations Center, 1300 East Hartley Avenue (Across from Oak Hollow Mall, High Point)

Why: To Raise Money and Awareness for DGH Programs In-Country & Communities Abroad

"Half of US kids will get food stamps"

2009-11-03T09:09:00.001-05:00

Associated Press: Nov. 2, 2009 - Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say.

The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and it bolsters other recent evidence on the pervasiveness of youngsters at economic risk. It suggests that almost everyone knows a family who has received food stamps, or will in the future, said lead author Mark Rank, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis.

"Your neighbor may be using some of these programs but it's not the kind of thing people want to talk about," Rank said.

The analysis was released Monday in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The authors say it's a medical issue pediatricians need to be aware of because children on food stamps are at risk for malnutrition and other ills linked with poverty.

"This is a real danger sign that we as a society need to do a lot more to protect children," Rank said.

Food stamps are a Department of Agriculture program for low-income individuals and families, covering most foods although not prepared hot foods or alcohol. For a family of four to be eligible, their annual take-home pay can't exceed about $22,000.

According to a USDA report released last month, 28.4 million Americans received food stamps in an average month in 2008, and about half were younger than age 18. The average monthly benefit per household totaled $222.

Rank and Cornell University sociologist Thomas Hirschl studied data from a nationally representative survey of 4,800 American households interviewed annually from 1968 through 1997 by the University of Michigan. About 18,000 adults and children were involved.

Overall, about 49 percent of all children were on food stamps at some point by the age of 20, the analysis found. That includes 90 percent of black children and 37 percent of whites. The analysis didn't include other ethnic groups.

The time span included typical economic ups and downs, including the early 1980s recession. That means similar portions of children now and in the future will live in families receiving food stamps, although ongoing economic turmoil may increase the numbers, Rank said.

An editorial in the medical journal agreed.

"The current recession is likely to generate for children in the United States the greatest level of material deprivation that we will see in our professional lifetimes," Stanford pediatrician Dr. Paul Wise wrote.

Wise said the Archives study estimate is believable.

"I find it terribly sad, but not surprising," Wise said.

James Weill, president of Food Research and Action Center, a Washington-based advocacy group, said the analysis underscores that "there are just very large numbers of people who rely on this program for a month, six months, a year."

"What I hope comes out of this study is an understanding that food stamp beneficiaries aren't them — they're us," Weill said.

The analysis is in line with other recent research suggesting that more than 40 percent of U.S. children will live in poverty or near-poverty by age 17; and that half will live at some point in a single-parent family. Also, other researchers have estimated that slightly more than half of adults will use food stamps at some point by age 65.

DGH Highlighted in the Business and Philanthropy Journals:

2009-10-23T09:44:00.000-04:00

Check Out the Article!
http://philanthropyjournal.org/nc/ncnews/dustin%E2%80%99s-greenhouse-aims-nurture-kids

DGH Volunteer Kick-Off Meeting

2009-10-14T20:51:00.000-04:00

We are hosting a volunteer kick-off meeting on Monday, October 19th from 6:00-7:00. If you are interested in learning more about Dustin’s GreenHouse, and/or have an interest in getting involved in our Globetrotter or Village programs, we would love to have you join us!

Valleybrook Office Center

5009 High Point Road, 27407

Please let us know if you plan on attending; we look forward to planting seeds of hope and opportunity together in the near future!

Congrats to this year's Hope Grows Here Golf Tournament Winners:

2009-10-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Championship Flight, 1st Place:
William Johnson
Jeff Crittenden
Rick Poston
Brent Marty

Championship Flight, 2nd Place:
Jim Costas
Chris Costas
Scott Hamilton
Gary Stratton

First Flight, 1st Place:
Dick Toomey
Fred Starr
Carl Smith
Jeff Holmes

First Flight, 2nd Place:
Layne Fuller
Burke Prarie
Chris Morris
Mike Mensel

Ladies Flight, 1st Place:
Kris Bullock
Lin Bostian
Krista Headley
Caren Bills

Ladies Flight, 2nd Place
Jamie Gulledge
Sue Miller
Debbie Champagne
Marianne Ganley

Long Drive:
Brent Marty

Closest to the Pin:
Tyler Handy

The GreenHouse Circuit

2009-09-03T09:02:00.003-04:00

Hey Fellow Travelers!
Just wanted to let the team know that tonight I had Ashia and Genny (and Lou) attend my Greenboro Woman's Club meeting for the program. I told a little about DGH and Romania and Ashia and Genny told about our experience. They blew the room away! They both spoke so articulately and really entertained and touched the hearts of the women present. (I just wish there had been more members present....I guess, since it's nearly Labor Day people are out of town.). I was so proud of both girls. I had one woman ask if the team would be interested in speaking at her church and numerous people commented on how poised and well-spoken they were. Way to Go!!!

Vanessa

Admin:

2009-08-26T10:47:00.002-04:00

A couple of new blogs to capture a couple of different chapters...

Leopard Umbrella: www.leopardumbrella.blogspot.com

"ie" Adventures: www.ieadventures.blogspot.com

Go Sara, it's your "first" day...

2009-08-17T10:30:00.005-04:00

One of our GreenHouse leaders, Sara Corcoran, just got a job teaching Biology at Southern Guilford High School. Anyone who knows Sara would agree, she will definitely be the coolest teacher at school!
Good luck with your first day Mrs. Corcoran. We love you very much, and we are SO INCREDIBLY PROUD of you!

Play, Sponsor, Volunteer!!!

2009-08-14T11:13:00.003-04:00

The 8th Annual Dustin's GreenHouse Golf Tournament is just around the corner! This is our ONE MAJOR FUNDRAISER of the year, so please consider getting involved either as a player, a sponsor or as a volunteer.

Tournament details are online at: www.dustinsgreenhouse.org

WFMY Interviews

2009-08-13T11:39:00.000-04:00

Rosemary Plybon organized a follow-up interview with some of our 2009 team members since our return to the US. Here's a link to the interview in case you missed it on Tuesday: http://www.digtriad.com/news/GMS/article.aspx?storyid=128456&catid=67

Words of Wisdom from Ashia Neal

2009-08-13T11:38:00.000-04:00

Females,

We slowly build our confidence and self-esteem throughout the years... then what happens? So many of us allow a man or a simple incident tear it all away...

We are too strong, too beautiful!! Don't let it happen. Rise above it. You are great! WE are great, inside and out, and don't you ever for a second get to thinking your anything less than the BEST!!!!

I LOVE YOU LADIES.

Back home, safe and sound!

2009-08-05T06:43:00.003-04:00

Welcome Home Romanian Team

2009-08-03T11:28:00.005-04:00

The Dustin's GreenHouse 2009 Globetrotters are on the way back to the states from their wonderful two-week trip to Romania!!!

Let's welcome them home with open arms and true Southern hospitality!!!

Would love for anyone to join us...all friends of Dustin's GreenHouse.

The team is due to arrive in Greensboro tonight (August 3rd),
PTI Airport, at 7:14 pm, USAirways Flight#3847.
I will update with any flight status changes.

Come one, come all to welcome home our Globetrotters!!!

See you at the airport...Ashley Staton

Perfection (by Sammantha Ingram)

2009-08-02T17:49:00.000-04:00

In a perfect place where nothing is what it seems,
It’s like I’m in some enchanted, perfected dream.

The flawless houses and perfect sky,
How perfectly magnificent it is, you can’t deny.

The kind people with their perfect smiles,
Reaching the desired destination in the perfect mile.

The children are perfectly pleasant and their eyes are amazing,
To take in this perfect scenery is truly embracing.

This perfect journey is exactly what I need,
To witness this glorious perfection I see.

I don’t know any other way to explain it,
Other than this experience is absolutely, inexplicably PERFECT!

A few photo updates:

2009-08-02T14:51:00.005-04:00

Tour de Kathleen:

Graffiti Tunnel:

Chain Bridge at sunset during a cruise down the Danube:

Floating on the Danube:

In front of the Budapest Parliament Building:

In the brightest festival clothes we could find:

A family photo at the "Whirlpool" with 2 Romanian ladies:

Working the fields:

Doing laundry:

Johnisha showing the Romanians how we bust a move in the States:

Romanian Reflections

2009-08-02T12:35:00.001-04:00

We literally just crossed the border back into Hungary and came across our first unfriendly Romanian. The border guard was more like the KGB when she asked (demanded) for our passports, then told us to hurry up.

As I type this on the train, I am blown away that we even have the technology to do this. This day (Friday) has been a long one. We started midmorning with a walking tour of Cluj. The highlight of which was a beautiful catholic church built in the fourteen hundreds. After a not-so-quick trip to a mall, yes, a mall....the girls were in hog heaven....we set out on foot for more up close and personal Cluj, which culminated in a visit to an internet cafe and a lovely dinner at an adjacent restaurant. We then went back to the mall to catch a late showing of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Luckily, it is a very long movie, and allowed for some cat napping on the part of the leaders because when it ended the day was not over. Next stop, the train station for a 2:20am train to Budapest. I am amazed (and quite envious) of the ability of these girls to sleep almost anywhere, in almost any position. As for myself, I have only had a small nap on the train, added to the small nap I got during the movie, and well, I just see that I am going to be very tired as we explore Budapest today!

As I watch the countryside go by the in the light of the rising sun, I find myself reflecting on just what we experienced in Romania. As I missed the experience in Poiana, I can only comment on all the sights since the 25th of July. The Maramures region has been my favorite. It was definitely the most reflective of what my image of Romania was before I arrived. The Carpathian Mountains were the backdrop for this very rural area in the north of the country, where in places we could see villages in the Ukraine just across the Tisa River. Village life is very physical, from cutting the grass with tools found only in museums in our country, to using river water to wash rugs, and bicycles to get around. All the older women dress very traditionally, with skirts, leggings underneath, long sleeves and head scarves, even while doing this work. We visited the workshop of a master wood carver in an area known for their beautifully carved churches and entrances to their homes. We also met one of the first artists to bring back, after the fall of communism, the traditional iconic painting on glass depicting religious scenes and important figures of Christianity.

While I treasure this view of traditional Romania, the most impactful part of my experience in Maramures was the visit to the Museum of Arrested Thought in Sighet. It is a memorial to the victims of the communist regime and was a prison that housed Romania's top pre-communist politicians and intellectuals, in addition to other anti-communist activists or sympathizers. Romania was one of the last countries to experience the "Revolution" as communism fell across Eastern Europe in 1989. I had the amazing privilege of exploring the museum with Ashia, who literally drank in the details we learned. Our guide was a wealth of knowledge about the rise and fall of communism in post WWII Europe. This experience allowed for a dialogue to emerge with the girls about current political situations where human rights infringements are occurring every day. The same day we visited Ely Wiesel's home. It was from here that he was taken to Auschwitz, but miraculously survived his imprisonment in the concentration camp and went on the win the Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to human rights.

“Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion or political view that place must-at that moment become the center of the universe.”

-Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech Oslo 1986

Both of those experiences, the prison museum, as well as Wiesel’s home, spoke to the girls in ways that as leaders we could have never done. By planting the seeds of awareness, we are growing good citizens of the human race who will be better informed and less likely to be indifferent when faced with moral crisis.

~Sara Corcoran

Hello America... Can you smell us?

2009-08-01T06:44:00.002-04:00

We have arrived in Budapest via the 2:45am train from Cluj and everyone is doing well. After a fabulous breakfast on the Buda side of the Danube, we headed over to Pest to visit the open air markets. The girls are outside buying little treasures now. We will do our best to find a phone this afternoon so everyone can check in.

P.S. Sara Corcoran has a humorous account of the train experience that she will post shortly.

Hugs and Kisses to all!

The Trip of a Lifetime

2009-07-30T09:50:00.005-04:00

Reporting stateside...Hope you had the opportunity to see our Skype Shot on WFMY-TV2, The Good Morning Show at 5:45 AM this morning. If you missed it, you can go to http://www.digtriad.com/ and click on The Trip of a Lifetime to see the video. The comments bar will take you to photos of the trip and additional commentary. Thanks to Rosemary Plybon for making this happen!

Lorna Devkota, representing the Dustin's GreenHouse Globetrotter's, did a beautiful job conveying the differences between the living conditions in Romania and at home. She commented on "how much we take for granted in America and that can't be said enough." Lorna recounted their earlier visit to a hospital, unpainted with cracked tiles, which was filled with abondoned children. It felt more like they were in a prison; there was no air circulating.

The DGH team will undoubtedly come home with a greater appreciation of what we have here in America. Their horizons have been broadened by experiencing the rich culture in Romania, learning about the people and most significantly, working alongside with them, improving their living conditions.

The Romanian Adventure is almost over, but the impact of the journey will be lasting in ways beyond measure.

'Til next time...Ashley Staton

Irony - 21st century technology meets 17th century life

2009-07-30T05:00:00.003-04:00

Standing here with a group of our girls at the Barsana Monastery in Barsana, Romania.

Half of our group is helping separate wool threads that the nuns will use for sewing clothes and blankets. The other half has gone with one of the sisters to change bed sheets in the pilgrims' house.

Hoping to connect with WFMY this morning, so if you are up, tune in!

Viseu de Sus by Train and Foot

2009-07-29T15:42:00.002-04:00

We pushed the girls hard today and boy did they step up to the challenge! Breakfast was at 5:30am. We boarded the bus at 6:00am and made the 1.5 hour drive to Viseu de Sus in order to be on the Carpathian Steam Train platform by 7:30am.

I am learning that you just have to laugh at the girls in moments like these... They come dressed in PJ's, they can hardly form complete sentences, and they will lean on absolutely anything (walls, windows, bags, each other) with hopes of catching a few additional minutes of sleep.

Fortunately, out of the exhaustion came triumph; everyone in our group can say that she added another 7+ miles to her growing list of outdoor accomplishments. During our walk we had the opportunity to play with young kids who would run out of their homes as we passed through their villages. We inhaled a delicious picnic lunch in the fields of a famous Romanian monastery (in one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen in my entire life). We even tasted a "sweet" from a local woman who saw us passing by... she came out with a cardboard shoebox in-hand and shared homemade chocolate treats with everyone in our group. (Size 8, they were just perfect!)

For those of you who received phone calls from your girls this afternoon... they miss you dearly. A couple were in tears when they got back on the bus; a short wave of homesickness on the tail-end of an exhausting day. They broke out the Lee Greenwood God Bless the USA shortly after, and then laughter ensued… no worries, they are all in great spirits.

I am having a tough time loading pictures from here, but promise to share more soon. We are off to the nunnery and Cluj tomorrow. Sweet dreams America. We will be home soon.

Vadu Izei Earlier Today

2009-07-28T21:08:00.003-04:00

From Ashlie: "A quick note to let you know we have arrived in Vadu Izei. We are living with a local family in three different houses (Sylvia's, Anka's and George's). We wake to sheep, roosters, chickens...pretty much every farm animal you can imagine. Meals have been spectacular: fresh cheeses, chicken, tomatoes, eggs and veggies."

"We are about to head out on a walking tour of the village. This will be followed by another hands-on cooking class and later a Romanian Folk Festival." (As I gathered from Ashlie, the festival turned into a dance party. I'm sure more to follow on that note!)

"We love and miss you to pieces!!!"

Lights, Camera, Action

2009-07-27T03:01:00.002-04:00

The girls have requested that we post some of the video we have taken during our travels. Here’s to foreign airports, first arrivals, Romanian food and new friends!

Back in Oradea

2009-07-26T19:22:00.003-04:00

In case you missed the flood of status updates on Facebook from the GreenHouse girls earlier today, we are back in Oradea. We picked up our long-lost Sara Corcoran at the hotel this afternoon. A huge relief considering she made the journey over all on her own! (A huge thank you to Ashley Staton and my grandmother for all of your help coordinating logistics!!!) Now it's off to Baia Mare tomorrow for part two of the adventure. More updates to come!

Hope Grows Here

2009-07-26T19:13:00.001-04:00

For our last night is Poiana, we wanted to create an experience that could move us away from some of the pettiness and “drama” that comes when a group has been in close quarters and sleep deprived for a long period of time, and into a spirit of family.

We were in a magnificent setting with a mountain backdrop, a clear river washing over rocks as our lullaby, and our host family simply and joyfully exuding love; yet we had quite a bit of discord.

Earlier in the trip, we had small group dialog that had produced some very positive response. So we decided to build on that and focus on ways in which we had immersed ourselves in the village culture and on the fact that you never really know what someone else’s life is like until you “walk in their shoes.”

Our night-time skies prior had been filled with stars, and the girls barely noticed them. We, as leaders, decided to try to bring the girls together around a campfire, observe the stars, and have an open discussion. Storms were threatening earlier in the day, but by the time dinner was finished, the skies had cleared somewhat, and our helpers expertly built a teepee from wood that the girls assisted in gathering.

We started out slowly, talking about our observations of life for the villagers and how it contrasts to ours; the strong work ethic, simple organic foods, the focus on family and on nature. Then we gradually began to share some of our own differences and challenges. Some of our girls have gut-wrenching stories, and all of them have amazing gifts as well as individual challenges. The ways in which they – and the leaders – opened themselves up and reached out to support and surround each other truly broke down barriers and opened new doors of acceptance and love.

What beautiful energy for us to take into the remainder of our journey. One of our leaders (Joan) had stones made by a potter from the North Carolina Mountains with “Hope Grows Here” on the front and Dustin’s GreenHouse on the back. Our last night in Poiana was the perfect opportunity to share those with the group. We were all filled with such emotion. As it turned out, although the sky was covered in clouds last night, our stars were on the ground.

~Sheryl Bryan

Fun, Games & In The Kitchen

2009-07-26T19:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was interesting. We helped prepare a traditional Romanian dish names Sormales. To me, helping make the food means so much more than eating the food the host provides. For us, in my mind, it lets me know that they trust us enough to include us in a part of their culture.

Also, we visited the Bears Cave!!! This was so interesting. It also lets you know America is not the only place that has history.

To close out the day, we had a sister-to-sister talk where we reached out to each other. We discovered that everyone here has a lot in common. You never know a person until you really talk to them. This brought us together in a way I could not have imagined. This next week will bring us together even more.

~Johnisha Watlington

To the top, as a team!

2009-07-26T18:49:00.006-04:00

One of the hardest things 4 me 2 do on this trip was the hike. I guess it's because I'm out of shape and I usually don't exercise. At the beginning my legs were burning and I was complaining more than all the other girls. But Ashlie stayed behind with me and helped me stretch my calf muscles so that my legs wouldn't hurt as bad... I grabbed a walking stick and started having fun. In the end I fell about 4 times and got stung in the head 7 times by an angry set of bees, but I lived to make it 2 the top and I was like the 3rd person to make it to the bottom.

~Ashley Hunt

Perspective

2009-07-26T18:37:00.004-04:00

My favorite part of the trip so far has been the hay festival. We woke up Thursday morning and after breakfast and a quick trip to the market, were told to grab a rake tool or a pitchfork. It was so interesting to see these hand-carved wooden pitchforks. I know in America we are used to seeing hay rolled up in the fields, but that is all done by machine. In Romania, they spend hours every day to bail their hay by hand. I gained so much respect for them as a people because of their work ethic.

The Romanian way of life is so strikingly beautiful to me. I wish America was less urbanized and spoiled so we would be more appreciative of our surroundings and what we do have.
We turned the hay bailing chore into a competition (who could rake their pile the fastest). But I kept thinking about how it isn’t a game to them, it is a way of life.

After bailing the hay, we went to the village school. It was so depressing to see these children beg and try to trick us into giving them what we had in our Give a Gallon bags. We played games and sang in the field behind the school in the beginning. Entertaining them was fun because they caught on pretty quickly. It was just hard to give our gifts at the end because it just didn’t feel like enough. As Sammantha said Saturday night, there is a difference between being broke and being poor.

~ Kathleen Harrington

July 23rd, in Pictures:

July 22nd - In Pictures

2009-07-26T18:33:00.002-04:00

Why?

2009-07-26T17:43:00.004-04:00

Today is Wednesday, July 22nd and we just arrived in Poiana, the remote mountain village where we will be living for the next four days. It is only the first “official” day of our trip, and already it is difficult to comprehend all of the miles we have traveled and the things we have experienced that brought us to this point. Together, we have journeyed through heartbreak, wonder, laughter and exhaustion.

Our day started with a trip to the main hospital in Oradea. Sylvia, the hospital’s Chief Administrator and Adi, our Host in Poiana, had arranged for us to hand out Give a Gallon bags in the Gypsy, Pediatric Oncology and Abandoned Children units of the facility. Going into it, I knew the experience would be challenging, and we did our best to prepare the girls (and ourselves) for what was in store. Looking back on it now, I realize there is no way to prepare anyone for this type of experience.

Before going any further, I wanted to share a little bit about the Romanian healthcare system. Socialized medicine welcomes a mother to live with her sick newborn/toddler (in a private room) at ZERO expense up until the child turns three years of age. Once that child turns three, that mother can continue living alongside her child for as long as she chooses, but the state does begin charging the equivalent of $3.00 a day for room and board.

If this sounds like a system designed to be taken advantage of, in Oradea I can assure you that is exactly what is happening! As we walked the halls of the Gypsy wing of the hospital it was overly apparent that they operated more like a daycare or live-in shelter than they did a healthcare provider. We struggled differentiating between patients and visitors. Women lined the halls socializing with one another while their kids ran up and down playing. It was dorm life meets playgroup... absolutely craziness!

I asked Sylvia about the situation and she shook her head with disgust. She explained how the Gypsy families grossly abuse the system. Some come up with excuses as to why their children should be admitted: a runny nose, a small cough, diarrhea… then they either move in with the kids, or drop them off, go out for coffee and disappear for indefinite periods of time. We were all shocked to see that this is a way of life for a lot of families in Romania. Briana kept saying, “And I thought people in America abused welfare!”

I share this experience not to be political, but to point out the difference between the two cultures. So many of the parents I know dream of giving their children a better life. These women were strategically abusing the system; they are trapped in the cycle of poverty. It breaks my heart to think about their children's future... I don't know how they will ever learn how to break free.

Down the hall and blocked off from the Gypsy wing of the hospital is the Pediatric Oncology unit. Fortunately, I have not spent much time in American Oncology units, but the little bit I have experienced has been hopeful… doctors and patients optimistically evaluating ways to fight the horrible disease. The mood in the Oncology unit of the Oradea hospital is much bleaker. Some of our girls tried to give one of the patients a Give a Gallon bag and the nurse sitting beside the child's bed shrugged off the gesture. She mumbled something along the lines of, “Don’t waste your bag on this child, she is going to die.”

If you think this is gut-wrenching, go up another 2 flights of stairs to the floor for Abandoned Children. You know you are somewhere different the second you arrive. While no place in the hospital is in quality condition, here the floors are missing tiles, paint is peeling off the walls and the air is still and eerily silent. Sylvia introduced us to the ONE nurse who works in this unit, and together they walked my group in and out of rooms on the hall.

The first room we visited was divided into two halves; there were three children one side and two on the other. Thankfully one of the five kids living in this dismal space appeared healthy. She rested quietly in a carrier on the floor. Just above her head were two cribs, one with a young boy who has Down Syndrome and another with a 5-month old little girl who is paralyzed from the waist down. The little girl with the spinal injury was positioned on a pillow such that her legs looked hyper extended. When I went over to pick her up I quickly realized how long it had been since anyone had cradled this child in their arms – much less exercised her legs. Her legs were unbelievably stiff and there was a white fungus-looking substance growing in the creases above her knees.

On the other side of the room we met a young boy who was born with a disease that causes his head to grow at a disproportionate rate than the rest of his body. His name is Istavan and Sylvia told us he has very little brain function. It bothered all of us to see how quickly Sylvia dismissed him because of his condition – again it was the “he won’t notice, so do not bother” attitude.

The child that stole my heart was lying in the crib next to Istavan. Her name is Evaleen and she is three years old. Evaleen has a terrible clef pallet, obvious developmental disabilities, seven fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. When we first approached her crib, she was lying on her side with her back to us. She would move her legs if I rubbed her feet and rock slightly as I stroked her back. I do not know if Evaleen was capable of sitting up, but she eventually rolled over onto her other side, allowing us to stare back into her deep and lonely brown eyes.

This is the point where I lost it emotionally. I stepped out into the hall to get a breath of fresh air and fell to the floor in tears. These kids have no one yet need everyone. Their physical disabilities are one thing, the absence of love and care is another. Why God, Why??????? Life is not passing children like Evaleen by; life never came to Evaleen and Istavan in the first place.

I could not bring myself to take pictures while we were in the hospital. In many ways, I did not need to because the experience will forever be engrained in my mind. Please say a prayer for these children, and for these families. It will not be the last time you hear me speak of them. While I do not know what we can/should do, I know we have to do something.

We are now three hours outside of the buzz of city life. You could describe the place where we are staying as a cute little house in a big, beautiful wood. (There are actually two houses here – a main house where 11 girls are sharing 5 rooms and 1 bathroom, and a river house where 10 girls are sharing 3 rooms, a pullout couch and 1 bathroom.) We keep the windows open at night so that we can marvel at the stars and enjoy the melody of the river. If ever there was a place where you could try to make sense of the craziness in this world, perhaps it is here.

The Journey So Far...

2009-07-25T10:40:00.004-04:00

The Dustin's GreenHouse team has visited a local hospital where they gave 100 (of the 300 taken) Give a Gallon bags to orphan children.

100 more Give a Gallon bags were taken to a school in the village of Gorani. The DGH girls did relay races with the students, elementary through 8th grade. To share our American culture with them, the girls played Duck Duck Goose and danced the Hokey Pokey. Our girls were adored by the students and were treated like celebrities. The air was delightfully filled with laughter, singing and clapping.

Before school, the girls bailed hay which naturally became a contest to see who could build the higher mountain (of hay.) With only a rake and pitch fork in hand, the girls were mounding hay around a pole. The locals would push the DGH girls to the top of the "mountain" where they could compress the hay, dancing like "Ring around the Roses."

In freezing cold water, in their bathing suits, the girls played in the river behind the cottages where they are staying.

Divided into teams for breakfast and lunch, the girls are setting the tables and cleaning up after meals. They are washing their clothes in the river and are making their beds each morning. Parents and guardians, take note!!!

Being without the usual amenities and not too concerned with appearances, the girls are boasting "hot mess" hair!

The food is good and the DGH team has eaten very well. Goulash, schnitzel, and meat knish are a few of the native dishes they've sampled. Raven was prepared by bringing 2 power bars for each day in case she did not like the food, but has not needed them!

The team, girls and leaders, have shared a "natural sanctuary" devotion in small groups.

Reminiscent of our hikes in Boone, the team completed a rigorous 5-mile hike where they chose the waterfall versus the trail version. At times they were wading in water chest-high. Asked to rank the degree of difficulty, Ashlie said "just shy of needing to be strapped or cabled." WOW!!! Ashia commented that "If I can do this, I can do anything!"

When not in the water, the jungle boy guides were clearing the way for the team by thrashing brush along the way. Genny and Nikki said the "American boys need to step it up a notch."

Some random thoughts from your stateside reporter...

Technology is amazing! When Ashlie called this morning, she sounded like she was sitting right beside me. And within the next two hours, Janii and Adi were on the radio, 1075 KZL, live from Romania. Forget about the old-timey radio, I listened on my computer.

Earlier today, Sara Corcoran, a Dustin's GreenHouse leader, was departing for Romania to join the group and we were going over some last minute details. I was sharing pieces of what the team has experienced so far and we were both filled with emotion. Sara, exhilarated by what lies ahead for her and me feeling a part of the team although they are halfway around the globe.

The Dustin's GreenHouse Globetrotter Romanian adventure has barely begun, but the impact is already immeasurable both in what has been given and what has been received.

'Til next time...

Live from Romania

2009-07-24T09:11:00.003-04:00

Good Morning Friends of Dustin's GreenHouse! Tune in this morning to 107.5 KZL at 9:50 - the girls will be reporting LIVE from Romania on the Jack Murphy show! Janii James will be our correspondent today. More to come on the Romanian Journey...stay tuned.

www.1075kzl.com and click on the "Listen Live" button or access via this link: http://www.1075kzl.com/pages/3973588.php

Reporting stateside - Ashley Staton

We have arrived!

2009-07-21T16:27:00.004-04:00

Apologies in advance for the quality of this post… I am nearing a point of deliriousness, but wanted to share a quick update since our arrival in Romania.

Just before noon we made our way out of the Budapest airport. Unfortunately, we had to leave two bags short... Janii and Samm's bags did not make the journey. Thankfully, both girls are handling the situation with grace and patience.

Our group loaded into two vans and buckled down for the last leg of our trip, a 155 mile drive into Oradea, Romania. We drove through beautiful sunflower fields, past a couple of meager towns and by several rundown, institutional-looking buildings.

When we finally arrived at the hotel, our gracious hosts awaited. Thank you to Adi, Lavi and their beautiful daughters, Becky and Sai, for providing us with an incredibly warm welcome to the country.

After a massive baggage unload and a quick "fluff," we sat for dinner at a local pizza restaurant located on the bank of the Crisul River. After a long meal and many more laughs, we are (finally) off to bed, or if you are cool, to the party in room 218 "where the Dustin's GreenHouse Ladies get in for free." (Don't worry parents, the party is in Lorna and Briana's room and they are playing board games.)

A bit of airport humor collected over the past two days:

"They have the same message here; sex sells."
~Raven Wilson

"I asked the lady if they had a water fountain and she told me to use the water in the toilet."
~Ashia Neal

"I have already taken 125 pictures and we haven't even left the airport."
~Kathleen Harrington

"I just met a dude from Israel and officially shook his hand. How cool is that!"
~Ashley Hunt

A Grateful Perspective (from Romania)

2009-07-21T12:03:00.003-04:00

The journey has officially begun. We are 21 strong and Frankfurt-bound, and already our girls look like a posse of professional travelers. Despite the fact that this is only the second plane many of them have ever been on (Greensboro to Philly being the first), they have been quick to adjust to the life of a jet-setter.

Of the girls I can see from my seat...

- Adrian is watching re-runs of Desperate Housewives on her seatback television screen
- Monisola has her hair wrapped in a scarf, her head propped on a pillow and seems to be enjoying a good book
- Samm and Briana are snoozing - both out like a light only minutes after boarding
- Audra is talking the ear off of the woman next to her
- Lorna, whom I cannot see but I can hear, is laughing out loud on occasion
- Lakeya is beaming with excitement as the "Lufa-ya-ya" (better known as Lufthansa) beverage cart inches close to her seat

From a leader perspective, I think I speak for all of us in expressing a deep sigh of relief. All of the girls made it to the airport (on time), we maneuvered them through check-in, past security and onto the Philly-bound plane.
Once in the Philadelphia airport, we watched in awe as they scarfed down enough MacDonalds and China Express (in tandem for many) to last them the entire two weeks we are gone.

Just knowing that their bellies are full, their minds are entertained and their spirits are happy, I can momentarily breathe easy. Day one is off to a beautiful start, and for that I am very grateful.

On the Way

2009-07-21T00:39:00.002-04:00

The Dustin's GreenHouse team is on the way to Romania! There was so much excitement at the Greensboro airport awaiting departure, the anticipation of flying over the "big pond," a first for many, and the adventure yet to be experienced.

We all, team members, family and friends joined hands in a circle of prayer prior to the girls' leaving. Thank you, Raquel, for your uplifting words!

I got the message of a safe first leg arrival in Philly, although the flight was a bit bumpy. Will update on Tuesday after the team arrives in Budapest with photos of departure.

'Til next time...

One More Day

2009-07-19T14:48:00.006-04:00

Hey! This is Ashley Staton and I will be reporting stateside along with the Dustin's GreenHouse Globetrotters who will be reporting from Romania. Together we hope we can give you a unique perspective through our travels over the next two weeks.

To kick things off, the team is departing Greensboro tomorrow and there is already exciting news to share! We have collected just shy of 300 bags for our
Give a Gallon campaign that the girls will give out to families in Romania.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon together at a farewell pool party hosted by Fanny Taylor. We heard from a former Globetrotter, Frankie Goins, who traveled to Ecuador in 2006. The experience for her was life-changing; she knew what she was going to do with the rest of life and how she was going to do it. How inspirational her message was for the girls to hear.

'Til we meet again...

Like a kid on Christmas Eve...

2009-07-15T00:06:00.002-04:00

We are days away from embarking on our Romanian and Hungarian adventures, and if I thought it was tough concentrating on anything other than Dustin's GreenHouse a week ago, boy, was I naive. At this point I am about to jump out of my skin with excitement, adoration, hopefulness, gratitude, ambition... the list could go on and on!

A few highlights from today:
- Jack Murphy introduced three of our girls to the 107.5 listeners this morning. He plans on teleconferencing with them several times while we are in Romania! Stay tuned for updates on when they will be on, live with the Murphy in the Morning Show!

- Two sophomores from Weaver Academy (one of whom is my adorably talented God-Sister) stopped by to teach the DGH Team Leaders a dance routine earlier tonight. They did not go easy on us in terms of choreography, but our attempts at mastering the routine promise to be comedic and unforgettable at the very least. Here is a demo of the challenge we have ahead of us:

- Lorna Devkota, one of our DGH girls, sent me a text late today asking how many additional "Give a Gallon" bags we could pack and take with us to Romania. When I responded with the word "lots" I had no clue how grand her vision was! Lorna has coordinated with the Executive Secretary of Harris Teeter Corporate for Dustin's GreenHouse to have a table outside of their New Garden store all day on Thursday. What an incredible opportunity for our girls to spread the message of Dustin's GreenHouse and to involve others in their effort to collect items for Romanian families. If you live in the area, please stop by and see them!

Tune in...

2009-07-14T06:46:00.002-04:00

A few of the GreenHouse girls will be on 107.5's Murphy in the Morning show today. I'm not sure of the exact time but it will definitely be in the 9:00 hour. Thanks to Jack Murphy (and team) for inviting us to be a part of your show!

http://www.1075kzl.com/

PR, Marketing, Strategic Communication

2009-07-09T10:15:00.004-04:00

I love sharing information and facilitating connections between great people. Here is the resume of a recent UNC grad. Caroline is clearly strong on paper, but she is even more impressive in person. (There are countless people in Greensboro who would echo this recommendation.)

If you are looking for a resource who has PR, marketing and/or strategic communication skills, check this girl out: http://issuu.com/dustinsgreenhouse/docs/carolinebrantleyresume

Give a Gallon Bags!!!!

2009-07-06T09:50:00.003-04:00

If you are thinking about helping Dustin's GreenHouse with our Give a Gallon project, please read below:

While in Romania, our team will spend a week living and working in Transylvania's Apuseni Nature Park. Over the past month, we have been collecting bags filled with soaps, shampoos, wet wipes, etc. These Give a Gallon bags will be incredibly helpful to local families, but after talking with my new friend Lavi on Friday, I have a few additional requests... (P.S. Lavi works with the Poiana New Vista team - the group hosting us for part-1 of our trip. www.poiananewvista.com)

- Think about doing a Birthday Party in a bag: Candles, hats, balloons, etc.
- Educational items for kids in 1st - 4th grade: Crayons, books, paper, etc.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Good news, bad news...

2009-07-05T15:31:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to figure out how to get a leather couch (temporarily stranded in our breakfast nook) up to our playroom for weeks now.

There were a couple of significant obstacles standing in my way: 1) the fact that my husband has grown to love the "kitchen couch" - he claims that it is a great place for him to sit while I cook dinner and 2) the two super-strong mover dudes who helped us bring everything else into our new home were unsuccessful at getting the very same couch up the very same stairway.

So a couple nights ago, I hatched a plan... I was going to buy one of those giant rolls of saran wrap from Costco, wrap the couch, take the feet and screws out of the bottom and remove the weird foldy-door that separates our back stairs from our back hallway. Then I was going to put a blanket on the ground, flip the couch on its end and push it to the back stairs. At this point one of two things would happen. It would slide through the door with ease, I would flip it back on its side and push it up the stairs on my own or Mike would catch on to what I was doing. Seeing how far along I was in the process, my hope was that he would help me maneuvre the couch the rest of the way up the back steps.

The "good news" part of this post is that my plan worked perfectly! We now have a very comfy, leather couch upstairs, which means lots of room for a table in our cute little breakfast nook. Yippee!

The "bad news" part of this post is that my hubby is coming down with a cold and I suck at playing nurse. I just had the same cold and battled through it. Sympathy, in these cases, is not my strong suit. If any fellow wives out there have words of wisdom and/or inspiration I am all ears! After all, he did help rescue the stranded playroom couch!

Big Pimpin'

2009-07-02T22:02:00.004-04:00

For some reason people seem to think Mike and I have a Bentley for sale. (Yes, I am talking about the ridiculously expensive car kind-of Bentley, not a dog or a horse with the same name.)

In fact, there are only two kinds of people who ever really call our new home phone number... 1) my friend Carrie and 2) a handful of very determined, want-to-be Bentley owners.

So, if anyone out there has a Bentley for sale, I'm telling you... I am your girl! I would be more than happy to arrange the sale of your beautiful car, for a small referral fee of course.

Dustin's Lovely Ladies

2009-07-02T13:10:00.003-04:00

Last night I had the privilege of attending the 2009 DGH Community Social and Team Dinner. The evening was intended to be a celebration of the 17 extraordinary women who make up this year's Globetrotter Team. It ended up being that and SO much more!

I would like to thank Patti Harrington, Celia Hunter, Mollie Perez, Mary Herlocker, Rebecca Sharpe, Janet Lacy and Marti Randall for everything they did to make the night extra special. The food, the decorations, the hospitality... everything was beyond my wildest expectations. Thank you for giving all of us a night we will (truly) never forget.

Hoping to have a few pics from the dinner shortly. In the meantime, here is a short video that tells the story of our 2009 journey thus far.

2009-06-27T22:57:00.002-04:00

Mike and I have reached a new point of cool. We are spending our Saturday night ripping down wallpaper! Actually, I am spending my Saturday night cleaning the kitchen, occasionally checking facebook and now blogging because the smell of the vinegar is making me gag!

Mike seems content with his scraping duties so long as I continue to talk to him. Typing and talking is hard so I better run...

Hope grows here.

2009-06-23T10:42:00.006-04:00

For six years Dustin’s GreenHouse has been taking local high school students out of the country through our Globetrotter program. In less than one month, our 2009 team will depart on this year’s international adventure – a journey to Budapest, Hungary and the Transylvania region of Romania.

Leading up to this point we have worked hard to EMPOWER the 17 young women who make up the 2009 team. We have taken them to Cisco Systems in Raleigh where they were introduced to opportunities for women in the engineering and technology fields. We traveled to Washington DC where the DGH girls were spotlighted at Author and Philanthropist Edie Fraser’s Women and Giving event, and where they attended NC Senator Kay Hagan’s Carolina Coffee. We have exposed them to local volunteer activities through the Junior League of Greensboro and HorsePOWER Therapeutic Riding. And most recently, we took the team to the North Carolina mountains where we spent two days touring the Appalachian State University campus, hiking, cooking and talking about some of the pressures teenage students face today.

As the international piece of this year’s Globetrotter program approaches, and we begin the process of selecting a new team of high school students for next year's program, I wanted to ask for your help…

I recognize that the current job and financial markets have made things tight for everyone… Believe me, we feel the pressure as well. But as they say in show business, “the show must go on.” There are too many kids out there that need our help to slow our pace or to scale-back our programs.

Should you choose to get involved, there are a number of ways you can support this year’s Globetrotter Program, as well as DGH programs in years to come…

You can make a financial contribution. (Please keep in mind that every bit helps. Whether you are saving loose change or pledging full scholarships, every penny donated will help us carry-out our mission of cultivating opportunities for North Carolina students.)

We also have a way for donors to get involved in a more “hands-on” capacity though our Give A Gallon campaign. We invite you to fill a Gallon-Size Ziploc bag(s) with everyday, household items (things like soap, deodorant, toothpaste, tooth brushes, hand sanitizer, over the counter medicines, band-aids, razors, feminine products and more). Members of the 2009 team will be collecting these bags up until July 15th to take with them to Romania. While in country, they will share your bags with local families – offering those families an array of desperately needed household items, and even more valuable, the hopeful feeling that comes from knowing that a complete stranger, thousands of miles away, truly cares about their well being.

To learn more about either "gifting" option, you can click on one of the images above or visit www.dustinsgreenhouse.org. And thank you for caring... Dustin's GreenHouse would never be what it is today without the support we have received from so many of you.

2009-06-16T07:44:00.002-04:00

Just climbed up into the inside of our roof...

It looks like there is a leak towards the back of our house but the water is running down and out of the base of a skylight into the playroom.

I cannot figure out how to get a towel up in there...

Roof doctor still needed. God, please make the rain stop.

OMG! Our roof is leaking!

2009-06-16T07:23:00.002-04:00

Not sure if I should wake my husband up and tell him, or not...
Worried he might try to climb up on the roof and repair (temporarily) on his own. Crap... What do I do?
Roof doctor - I need you!

Dustin's GreenHouse DC Pictures (a little overdue!)

2009-06-15T18:23:00.002-04:00

Warning: The Secret is Out!

2009-06-12T10:39:00.003-04:00

I invited 3 girlfriends over on Wednesday night for pizza and wine on the front porch. Mike had been out playing a round of golf, and I wasn’t expecting him home for a little while. To my surprise he walked in only moments after the girls arrived and asked if he could join us for dinner. “Of course,” I said, not sure whether he was being serious or only kidding. At which point Mike (seriously) proceeded to pile some pizza on a plate and followed us outside.

The five of us, Carrie, Carli, Leah, me and Mike were having a grand ‘ole time when spontaneously Carrie darted off the porch and ran to get something out of her car. It was a new dress she had found on sale at Macy’s that she wanted to show us before Gary, her husband, dropped by. The girls spent the next few minutes oohing and aahing over Carrie’s new find... Mike, on the other hand, sat perplexed.

Mike to Carrie: “What are you going to tell Gary when he sees you in this new dress?”

Carrie to Mike: “Simple, I’ll tell him I’ve had it forever but that it’s the first time I’ve ever worn it.”

Mike’s head darts over to me: “You don’t ever do that to me, do you?”

Me: Oh no, crap – I was a baby deer frozen in the head lights of a MACK truck! In an attempt to spare women everywhere, I smiled slyly and said, “Of course not Sweetie.”

Unfortunately the damage was done. The secret was out. The fool proof “I’ve had it forever” trick was blown.

So ladies, I apologize in advance if my dear, dear husband calls any of your boyfriends, fiancés or fellow husbands and alerts them of our strategy. In the meantime, I am working on a plan-B. (Oh, and I would highly caution you about the dangers of inviting any boys to your next girlfriend dinner.)

Thoughts from 5505

2009-06-07T23:03:00.003-04:00

Things I absolutely love:
- Having a garage and a garage door opener
- Watching the golf crew groom the course in the early morning
- Addie's new favorite spot (on the back of the couch looking out the front window)
- The little surprises people have been leaving on our front porch
- Learning how to light the pilot on a hot water heater
- Hanging art work
- Great neighbors (Carrie and Gary, you have been amazing!)
- Opening and using long-stored wedding gifts
- Sitting on the front porch with Mike

Things I am not so fond of:
- The mouse I saw run across the floor of our garage
- Having to cook on an electric stove
- Our giant couch that we cannot manage to get upstairs
- Wallpaper

Things I am still unsure about:
- The wild foxes that run across our yard
- Organizing closets

Guess what...

2009-06-03T21:20:00.004-04:00

Mike and I are finally living in the same place! We moved into our Greensboro house this past Sunday, and while there are still boxes everywhere and a growing number of things on our renovation wish list, the house could not be more perfect.

Please, please, please stop by and see us. We are way overdue on entertaining friends and family!

5505 Wallace Drive
Greensboro, NC 27407

Home Phone: 336.292.3111

P.S. I'm running on fumes at the moment... Give me a week or so and I promise I will deliver a much better post.

Yuk.

2009-05-24T16:06:00.001-04:00

Packing, packing and more packing... Why do we have so much stuff???

HorsePOWER

2009-05-21T22:53:00.004-04:00

Thanks to one of our leaders, Sara Corcoran, our DGH girls had the opportunity to volunteer at the HorsePOWER Therapeutic Riding ride-a-thon this past weekend. More pictures to come, but here is a sneak peak of their afternoon at the stables...

Love is Truth

2009-05-21T01:57:00.003-04:00

When I walked into my parents house tonight after a LONG three days filled with work, fun, more work and more fun, I was a little surprised to see my dad with dinner plates in-hand...

It was a random Wednesday night, and it was after eleven o'clock... Why was he still cooking dinner?

Oh my gosh - it is their anniversary! My dad has a candle-lit dinner going out in the garden and not only have I forgotten the occasion, but I have just walked right up into the middle of it...

My dad immediately invites me to join them (just as they have done with the other friends who happened to drop by on this "random" Wednesday night).

So my parents' 29th wedding anniversary ended up filled/crashed with love, fantastic food, wonderful wine and lots of friends.

Mama and Pops, thank you for loving each other through so much. You have taught me how to live and how to love at the same time. I know I am your younger, less-experienced daughter but I am proud of you and admire you more than you will EVER know.

It may have been a very quick walk across a very wet stage, but my baby is a law school graduate!

2009-05-18T20:30:00.008-04:00

Three years, eight moves, thousands of miles on Highway 29, countless hours of studying, many new friends and an unbelievable number of Box-y memories all came to a ceremonial end this weekend.

Bill (Duke) thank you for spoiling us rotten and for being such an incredible older brother. Eileen and Kiyosi, your surprise visit to Charlottesville meant the world to Mike. Thank you for doing everything it took to be there. Mom and Pops, I can't tell you how much your support has meant to us over the past three years. I love you very, very much.

A couple snapshots from the graduation weekend:

“At a time of such great challenge for America, no single issue is as fundamental to our future as energy.” Barack Obama

2009-05-12T09:30:00.005-04:00

My amazing hubby has a big event coming up this Thursday... A couple months ago, he was asked to help co-author a whitepaper on the future of American energy. The plan was to give a panel of experts the information so that they could discuss the topic in front of a national audience. This Thursday Christine Todd Whitman, John Podesta, James Woosley, Karen Harbert and Jim Angle will do exactly that - debate the topic Mike summarized so brilliantly (sorry for bragging), the United States' dependency on carbon-based fuels.

PBS will be airing the discussion, however; if you're interested in learning more about the panelists or in reading Mike's paper, here is a link to both: http://millercenter.org/public/debates/energy

(Sweetie, on a personal note, I am SO proud of the relationship you have formed with Professor Cannon and the paper you were able to produce for him. Your drive, your intelligence and your determination continue to amaze me. Thank you for being such a wonderful partner in life. I love you very, very much.)

This is just the beginning of a beautiful story!

2009-05-12T09:12:00.005-04:00

I'm still in shock that my baby sister is a college grad, and trying to make a full recovery (thanks to Reid) after the weekend's festivities.

Johnsons, Greens, Thompsons... Anyone need a swig of water?

Our little "star, who I must, add graduated with Honors!

Pops and his five girls...

Birdy, I know you will probably hate this picture but you look so happy I just had to share it. Reid, thanks for bringing so much joy into all of our lives!

How ridiculous is this...

2009-05-06T16:50:00.003-04:00

I took this picture from the driver seat in my rental car. Still have absolutely no clue why they would put the entire dashboard in line with the center console... Maybe it's a car made for back seat drivers.

A couple DSH pics:

2009-05-05T00:29:00.002-04:00

Op-Ed Piece by one of our DGH girls:

2009-04-30T15:42:00.000-04:00

University budget cuts worry future collegian

I was deeply saddened when I read the front-page story, “Budget cuts inflict pain at colleges” (March 19), which involved the budget cuts at local colleges. What could this mean for the future of education?

As a junior in high school it disturbs me to know that reductions in the budgets of state-supported universities such as UNCG and N.C. A&T may hurt my education.

The termination of more and more professors will lead to larger classes and a smaller selection of courses.

Meanwhile, the tuition of these universities could skyrocket, making education more costly, especially to freshmen — even though we’re all struggling to make it through the economic drought.

Depriving our schools of their curricula and instructors is bound to have a much broader effect if it’s carried on too long.

I’m just hoping that there is a chance this won’t last and these schools eventually will reverse all of their major cuts.

Raven Wilson
Greensboro

The writer is a junior at Dudley High School.

Overdue Pics

2009-04-29T22:43:00.003-04:00

Looking stellar at our traditional Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday.

(Reido, are you wearing your outfit from the night before at church??? Hmmm...)

And a couple photos from the Rotary fundraiser we attended with Gary and Carrie. It was a lucky night... Dan Turner won $500 bucks and my pops won $5K!

My not-so-little "Bird"

2009-04-28T09:09:00.003-04:00

I just got off the phone with my baby sister and she was walking out of her LAST COLLEGE CLASS! Holy cow, it seems like yesterday when I was sitting in my grandmother's kitchen... Her old, rotary dial, wood phone rang and my parents announced I had a little sister. Hallaluiah! I took off running through the house, screaming with delight.

Now that baby girl is all grown up! While it has happened at lightening speed, it has been one of the biggest blessings of my entire life. Mallory is part of my soul. She is my best friend, my teacher, my student, my life-line... Birdy, I am so, so, so proud of you. Thank you for being absolutely everything to me.

Mini-Goal Achieved!

2009-04-27T13:34:00.002-04:00

The Junior League of Greensboro's Legacy Campaign just passed the $300,000 fundraising mark! We are at $306,135 and counting...

Back to my real job...

2009-04-26T19:06:00.004-04:00

I'm in Virginia for a couple of nights. (Yay, with the hubby!)

Just spent about 3 hours cooking enough "study food" to last him the next two weeks. Mollie Perez, you would be proud; I made:

- Fresh Veggie and Beef Spanish Rice
- BBQ, Broccoli and Red Onion Pizza (I even made the crust)
- Baked Spaghetti
- Cornbread Casserole
- Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Mustard and Soy Glazed Roasted Red Potatoes
- Magic Cookie Bars

As one would probably expect, The Box is a little dirtier than the last time I was here. I think we might need to rename it The Bachelor Box!

I also started packing for our move back to Greensboro today. Mike and I have been enjoying a glass of red wine and a new playlist he made for me... I cannot wait to enjoy dinner and dance nights on the front porch of our new house!!!!

Thank you for all of the words of encouragement in response to my last post. I took a couple days of "think time" over the weekend... It gave my heart a chance to let my head put everything into perspective. This, in combination with your support, has me geared up and ready for a new week, full of new ideas and a renewed passion.

In the meantime, I am going to go back to enjoying my last night (for a couple weeks) at my real job... Being Mrs. Michael Ryan Bucy.

Sometimes I just want to cry.

2009-04-23T23:28:00.003-04:00

Is this what it's like? You put your heart and soul into someone and then they tell you they don't need you...

Student:
"I'll be fine on my own or else I'll ask my teacher. I don't need your help."

Me:
"You know you need to be ready by 9:30 tomorrow morning, right?"
(It is 10:00pm the night before)

Student:
"Uh huh."

In some ways, I have no idea what it's like to be a parent... In others, I feel like I've suddenly adopted several teenage girls...

The hard part is that I believe in them so much... I am happy to sacrifice the time, the money, and (most valuable of all) the emotion. But when they act like they don't need or want me in their lives, it rips my heart out...

Recap of the past three days

I find out that one of our GreenHouse girls is going to receive a scholarship that we nominated her for. I am super excited. Her acceptance speech is tomorrow and she is supposed to give a 3-5 minute "thank you" and to eat lunch with the group of women who are funding the award. All she is concerned with is the jewelry and dress we are helping her get for prom. She has not, will not, write any remarks to prepare. She got mad at me (and my sister) for trying to stress the importance of the scholarship over the dress.

Another one of our girls has been telling me she has all A's, B's and C's... Come to find out she is actually failing her entire freshman year. All F's!!! The worst part is that she is bright and capable, she just has a major attendance problem.

Which brings me to the third point of drama... Her drug addicted mother who sold all of their family's food stamps so she could fund her addictions. Now they are calling asking if we can help them get some groceries. Lord, what do you want us to do at this point? It feels like such a complicated, whirlwind of mess. How can we help without enabling this downward, self-deprecating spiral?

Sometimes I just want to cry. I mean - seriously, I want to fall into my husband's arms and bawl my eyes out.

So Dustin, this is a skymail entry... I want you to know that your work (here on earth) is hard. I am trying. I promise I am trying, but it is so incredibly hard. I guess that's to be expected... Maybe we are reaching that point of truth. The point where the social philanthropist is separated from the real philanthropist. It really makes you stop and question - Am I even doing a good job?

How do you parent teenagers who have grown up with no rules, no mentors, no guiding light??? How do you play parent when you've never even had an infant, toddler or adolescent of your own??? How do you help someone when you are forced to send them back to a war-zone of a home night after night???

Please, Dustin, find these girls some mercy! Please, little brother, help me do a better job of being your arms, your legs, your hands...

Today's Updates

2009-04-22T23:22:00.002-04:00

Happy Earth Day. Just ate Sushi and went to see Planet Earth (the movie) with friends. Typically not my cup of tea but I have to say, I actually enjoyed it.

The Junior League is at $290,985... So close to the 3-mark!!!

Termite inspection at the new house today. The inspector was a woman named Amy and darn was she brave! She would stick her bare hands in holes and up under boards. The only tool she carried was a screwdriver... I kept thinking, "don't you want a can of Off or something with a little more surface area than a screwdriver!" I was also running around squeamishly behind her (in white pants and heels). It's a wonder she didn't grow impatient and chuck the thing at me.

Girl Golf on Saturday. Email me if you'd like to join us. So far Carli and I are confirmed!

A friend from college is helping us line-up Capitol tickets for the Dustin's GreenHouse DC trip. Still looking for White House tour tickets if anyone has any ideas.

Girls love when we let them be girls

2009-04-21T09:25:00.007-04:00

Last night, the Dustin's GreenHouse girls began working on a gift they will give to the people of Oradea, Romania. This gift is unique in that it will never wear out, nor can it ever be sold or taken away from its recipients...

It is the gift of music and of dance.

We split the team into two groups of eight and gave them one hour to choreograph a routine. There were five rules to the exercise:

1. Pick 1 song out of the 4 that have been provided to you.

2. Each member of the group must contribute at least 1 move.

3. Your routine must be at least 60 seconds long.

4. Please keep everything PG-13 ( Sorry, I know I’m a dork!)

5. You only have 1 hour to choreograph your routine.

The activity was a hit - In fact, I think the Leaders enjoyed it just as much as the girls!!! Here are 2 videos showcasing the final product.