that are behind the (admittedly trite but I think honest) assertion that “I took away more than I could have
ever given.”
I will be back in the United States at the end of
July. A month later, I will start The Road Episcopal
Service Corps program in Atlanta. A year after that,
God only knows. But wherever I am, I hope to continue serving God in whatever capacity I can offer. Even
though I will miss Tanzania and the people I have met
here, the memories and lessons of this place are very
much ingrained in my heart. Chief among my recollections of Tanzania will be the way I experienced
God’s love through relationships.
Love your neighbor, serve God’s mission. The
best part? You don’t need to be in another country to
practice that.
Imagine getting on a flight to move
halfway around the world to a place you have
never been. It was scary, really scary. However, despite that fear, I knew I would find
a home serving in the Philippines for a
year through the Young Adult Service
Corps (YASC). I have always found a
home within The Episcopal Church for my true joy in
service and passion for learning about new cultures.
With this desire to serve in a new culture and in an
Episcopal community, my faith grew bigger than my
fears and I was able to make that faithful journey for
my year of service. To put it simply, I’m so glad I did.
I am serving in the Episcopal Diocese of North
Central Philippines volunteering with Episcopal
Community Action For Renewal and Empowerment.
E-CARE is focused on using asset-based community
development to create livelihood opportunities and
economic empowerment. The
E-CARE Foundation partners with these communities,
implements training and aids
in mobilizing their resources
to engage them in community
development projects. It is an
amazing organization that I feel
so lucky to have the opportunity
to work with. The main way I
serve is through aiding in the marketing of the livelihood goods made by E-CARE’s partner communities. While in the Philippines, I have assisted in
the opening of a new marketing center for partner
community goods. At the center, we help market
all our community goods from handicrafts, such as
traditional hand-woven bags, to organically grown
vegetables.
While I have loved helping the communities
with marketing, my favorite part of volunteering
has been going on community visits. Most of the
communities within the diocese I serve are in rural
areas. When I go with the development officers
to these communities, our travel is packed full of
beautiful views. When we arrive, we are greeted
with warm welcomes and hospitality. It is incredible to see and be a part of communities that are
so passionate about learning and growing together
through asset-based development. In my time
here, I am constantly reminded of how much
you can learn from the people around you;
they are a wealth of knowledge. This
has been especially true during visits.
I have spent time learning and creating strong relationships with people in
E-CARE’s partner communities. I’ve been able to
learn their stories and then share them with people
who come to the marketing center.
I have loved to do this sharing, but I don’t
think that’s where my work ends. As my time here
is coming to an end, I believe it is important that
I remember these stories.