Participant Blogs

  If I were to ask you to think of the most favorite gift you have ever received, what would your answer be? I am sure you have quite a few just like me but if I were to name but one it would be my time in Spain. I was given the immense privilege to not only give a gift but to receive one much greater than I myself could have hoped for.    Our adventure started in Tarifa. A quaint little seaside town overlooking the glorious mountains of Morocco. Coming from a country where Christianity and Bibles are...

After two months of training and preparation the day finally arrived for the international leg of our Global Challenge journey to begin! It was with much excitement and expectation that our entire group of 36 students got on the midnight flight form Johannesburg to Dar Es Salam. On arrival we stepped out into the pressing humidity of an early morning in Tanzania. Everyone scurried about to pick up their bags and hurry off to catch the next mode of transport which would take us to our various destinations. When the commotion died down it became evident that my bag might...

This whole Global Challenge has been tough. I've really been struggling to fit into my team and to find my purpose. I spoke to my leader and she said a few things that was needed, but I want to tell you about two things. Fitst she said that you're value is not in your purpose, it is in who you are. Second thing is that we are not human doings, we are human beings. I am not going to elaborate on that, but think about it. Anyway, continuing. It went really bad with my emotional and spiritual state. I started...

You could almost call Panama America with the countless similarities between the two. The closest to western culture we have seen thus far, the culture shock was more apparent then is has been in previous countries. During our time here we came into contact with more Americans then Panamanians, and the pace of our work also changed from day work to minute work.  In previous countries we had become accustomed to a certain style of living- a pace at which it seemed everyone lived by. Our schedule became a day to day thing, where we may have things to do,...