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LA MANCHA workshop July 2006
Talk about a lesson in gratitude. La Mancha was an amazing experience. It was extremely humbling to see people who have so little be so happy. They all keep their values and family close to their hearts and only seem to focus on the things that really matter. They don’t seem to have the same problem like Americans of getting caught up in the whirlwind of society. I have seen a lot of beautiful qualities in people that you don’t often find in America. Being in a place like Romania helped me to look inward and see what kind of person I hope to be and what I want to contribute to this world. Megan J. “La Mancha was an incredible experience. To see how simple life can be shows how people can make it so incredibly complicated. I learned that you can do a whole lot with nothing, if you just work hard and make the best out of what you have. To work along with guys from Ireland was really incredible; they showed me what real hard work actually is. I also met a man who was 76 years old, cutting hay with a scythe, every day in the blazing heat wearing a long sleeve shirt and rain boots. Although I couldn’t communicate with 99% of the people that I met I learned so much from the people of Romania. My host was great as well, her parents had lived through the end of the communist era and told me all about their experience with communism and how hard life really was, it made me truly grateful for what I have. This trip was inspiring and a marvelous learning experience. I learned many lessons from this trip and I’m very grateful that I got this opportunity of a lifetime.” Casey S.
Playing with the kids from the orphanage - Valea Plopului, Romania A day with Romanian friends from National College I.L. Caragiale - Ploiesti , Romania
It’s funny because Alex said that the Church isn’t going to be this big fancy magnificent building. But it was. You could just tell how much work was put into it. The entire place was filled with the most amazing paintings. And all the effort that is put into the service is incredible. The love that the people have for their religion, you can just see it. It’s beaming. They all seem so devoted and in touch with their spirituality. It’s just incredibly admirable. Everything about this village.
We went to the orphanage today. There’s so much to say, I don’t know where to start. So we walked for a long time through this trail and up to the top of this hill. It looked like a scene from The Sound of Music when we got to the top. Beautiful green grasses, looking down on these simple and unfinished houses. Above it all was a small wood church on a hill. It was beautiful. Kids were riding bikes and running around. They were all the orphans. That sounds like such a lonely word, I almost don’t want to say it. As soon as we got done there a ten-year-old boy or so, named Georgio, said let’s play Futbol. And we immediately started playing. Man, those kids are intense. They have so much energy. They’re fearless. After I played for an hour or so. I went over and started playing with the other kids, the girls and the younger ones. They started to tackle me right away, taking me to the ground and all piling on top of me. They are certainly persistent though. As soon as I got up and tried to run away they chased after me and took me down. But there was The cutest little girl that kept chasing me, and oh she is gorgeous. When all the boys were tackling me she came to my rescue. Oh, she was just to die for. It was one of the most gratifying things that I’ve ever done. But also one of the hardest things. I wanted to take them all home. It broke my heart. They were all so happy just to have us American teenagers there and we didn’t even speak Romanian. They were just more than happy to have someone to play with. Being there got me thinking of how badly I wanted to help out, like literally move here, and live on the orphanage. -Nikoline N.
FOR MORE PICTURES FROM SUMMER2006 CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES FROM SPRING 2006 CLICK HERE
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