Telling Friends and Family & Being Clear about Why

My friends and family are excited and very supportive of this trip. Mom and dad were, of course, very concerned about my safety and a little baffled about why I feel the need to do this. Couldn't I just volunteer in my own community?

My own community is very important to me and I do whatever I can to help it thrive. In fact, I believe a strong community that gives people a sense of belonging and gives them the opportunity to lead a good life is critical. And, while things certainly aren't perfect, I think we do that pretty well here in Canada - at least in comparison to other places in the world.

I'll keep doing my part at home, but I also want to help create that opportunity for others around the world and show them they are a part of a bigger community that cares about them. Helping others get good, safe housing that they can call their own, is my way of doing that.

Quiet frankly, I also want an opportunity to learn more about our world. More than just sight seeing, I want to connect with people and learn about their lives.

You're Going Where?!

I've always known that one day I would travel to a developing country to offer my help in some way. But that was all I knew. I didn't know when it would be, what it would be, where it would be or how it would happen.

Now I know. This November I'm going on a Global Village Build with Habitat for Humanity to Guatemala. I'll be going on my own with a team of people from across Canada for one week.

That's all I know - for now. When I think about it, there are still a lot of things I don't know:

I don't know anything about Guatemala. (I admit, I had to look it up.)
I don't know Spanish. (Will that matter?) (How quickly can someone learn Spanish?)
I don't know how to build houses. (How important is that for a house build anyway?)
I don't know how to tell my mom I'm going to a developing country. (Yes, I'm 40 years old and still concerned about what my mom will say!)

Despite the unkown, I am really looking forward to going. And, I'm looking forward to sharing my journey in this blog.