Home and the Blue Lagoon
Hey everyone, it's Osrica and Torrie from Guyana!
Today was structured differently than our normal days. We took an hour and thirty minute bus ride to Linden to explore Osrica's hometown. Although the bus ride was long, we were excited to see a different part of Guyana besides the commercial hub, Georgetown. Linden is known for its mining of bauxite and natural resources. It was fascinating to see a much more rural area of Guyana as we drove to Linden. The houses were spread apart and we saw glimpses of the denseness of the rainforest as along the way. After we pulled into the bus park, Osrica was able to go visit with her family, while the rest of us had a quick history tour of the town and went to the Blue Lagoon.
Since Linden is a mining town, our bus driver took us around the area to show us some of the mining sites and taught us a little about its history. It was incredible to see the immense dunes and hills created by the mining industry. Then, we grabbed some lunch and headed to the Blue Lagoon to eat, hangout, and swim. The water is this pretty turquoise color because of the bauxite mineral from the soil. After finishing our lunches, we all enjoyed jumping into the refreshing water to cool off from the hot Guyanese sun.
Meanwhile, Osrica was left in the care of her family, who organized different activities for her. Fortunately, she was able to visit her old home and neighborhood, Blueberry Hill. Even though it was a quick "Hi" and "Bye," she was able to see many relatives, family friends, and pastors, who were equally as excited to see her. It was indeed a tremendous opportunity for Osrica to see those she grew up with and those that continue to support her over long distances. Her family gifted her with many snacks, food, and drinks. It was really nice for Osrica to have the opportunity to enjoy the fried rice prepared by her mom's friend because it reminded her of her early school days in Guyana. She is grateful to everyone that helped made this day possible because it was exciting to see everyone after recently graduating from Saint Michael's College.
After our different experiences in Linden, we had a very fun bus ride home. We were all singing, laughing and actually enjoying our cramped ride. I never thought that 19 people could all fit into a mini-bus, but there is always a way in Guyana.
Overall, this day was a refreshing and positive day. During our class session, we were able to process and reflect the volunteer work that we have been doing. It has been an emotional experience connecting with these people in need- for them to open up to us in our conversations and interactions with them. In our class discussions, we have all shared that we feel joy in giving ourselves to the service of others, but at the same time many of us feel the pains of connecting with amazing people to then leave in two weeks. We can see the positive impact that we are having on the people just by showing them that we are here for them, and that they are not forgotten. However, we do not feel that it is enough. Everything we have been doing seems to only have a short-term impact, so how can we extend this? There are many feeling and inquires that we as individuals are trying to tackle, and this day helped us bond and reconvene to think through these challenges.
Today was structured differently than our normal days. We took an hour and thirty minute bus ride to Linden to explore Osrica's hometown. Although the bus ride was long, we were excited to see a different part of Guyana besides the commercial hub, Georgetown. Linden is known for its mining of bauxite and natural resources. It was fascinating to see a much more rural area of Guyana as we drove to Linden. The houses were spread apart and we saw glimpses of the denseness of the rainforest as along the way. After we pulled into the bus park, Osrica was able to go visit with her family, while the rest of us had a quick history tour of the town and went to the Blue Lagoon.
Since Linden is a mining town, our bus driver took us around the area to show us some of the mining sites and taught us a little about its history. It was incredible to see the immense dunes and hills created by the mining industry. Then, we grabbed some lunch and headed to the Blue Lagoon to eat, hangout, and swim. The water is this pretty turquoise color because of the bauxite mineral from the soil. After finishing our lunches, we all enjoyed jumping into the refreshing water to cool off from the hot Guyanese sun.
Meanwhile, Osrica was left in the care of her family, who organized different activities for her. Fortunately, she was able to visit her old home and neighborhood, Blueberry Hill. Even though it was a quick "Hi" and "Bye," she was able to see many relatives, family friends, and pastors, who were equally as excited to see her. It was indeed a tremendous opportunity for Osrica to see those she grew up with and those that continue to support her over long distances. Her family gifted her with many snacks, food, and drinks. It was really nice for Osrica to have the opportunity to enjoy the fried rice prepared by her mom's friend because it reminded her of her early school days in Guyana. She is grateful to everyone that helped made this day possible because it was exciting to see everyone after recently graduating from Saint Michael's College.
After our different experiences in Linden, we had a very fun bus ride home. We were all singing, laughing and actually enjoying our cramped ride. I never thought that 19 people could all fit into a mini-bus, but there is always a way in Guyana.
Overall, this day was a refreshing and positive day. During our class session, we were able to process and reflect the volunteer work that we have been doing. It has been an emotional experience connecting with these people in need- for them to open up to us in our conversations and interactions with them. In our class discussions, we have all shared that we feel joy in giving ourselves to the service of others, but at the same time many of us feel the pains of connecting with amazing people to then leave in two weeks. We can see the positive impact that we are having on the people just by showing them that we are here for them, and that they are not forgotten. However, we do not feel that it is enough. Everything we have been doing seems to only have a short-term impact, so how can we extend this? There are many feeling and inquires that we as individuals are trying to tackle, and this day helped us bond and reconvene to think through these challenges.
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