-mads-: Ecuador

i found a piece of myself and my heart in Ecuador. in South America.
i truly love Latin culture and i don't think i will ever get over it.

some things i learned/was reminded of during my travels and service:
teenage girls are exhausting and so much fun. i look forward to years and years of experiences with them.
traveling with many (23) people is not preferred.
my spanish is better than i thought.
my spanish is better than it was before.
i really love speaking spanish.
people are the same, everywhere. just as good, just as petty, just as interesting.
human souls are of great, great worth.
not a person on this green earth is spared daily difficulties. [or bigger ones, for that matter.]
communication has many forms. [when you stare into the eyes of a child with severe cerebral palsy and you ask them to tell you a story and their faces light up, you don't need words.]
love grows devastatingly fast and it is limitless.
working all day everyday is the easiest way to grow and learn. being exhausted never felt so good.
laying bricks is pretty simple and rather enjoyable.
i, my body, could replace a cement mixer, but i'd rather not.
large stones don't move themselves.
always drink more water than you think you need.
the human body works through sicknesses pretty well, even foreign ones, if you rest it right.
God's blessings come abundantly when asked for and worked for.
no matter what i do, God has a plan for me, and will help me execute it.

i just can't process what happened. i never would have signed up for something like HEFY on my own, but God brought it to me and said, "Madeline, you have to do this." it changed everything. i had a nice five year plan, a pretty good one, actually. now, my life is a little different. my goals are different. my heart has turned.

i live an exciting life. DC comes up in a few weeks and it brings new adventures. what happens after that is a mystery, but i know it will be the best thing. i have good options.

here are some of my favs from the trip.