The trip has come to an end.
In many ways, I’m relieved to be going back to my life back home, especially my family (and my local pharmacy – I’m on my second round of antibiotics for my foot, which is less swollen but still not back to normal). Part of me feels guilty for feeling such relief, because there’s still so much more work to be done here.
It always takes time to re-adjust to ‘regular’ life – soon I’ll be going to grocery stores in my air conditioned car with my well-fed kids, and that’s a hard thing to reconcile with what I’ve experienced recently.
This trip has been so much harder for me than previous years. I know the main reason is because my children have no reservations in telling me exactly what they think of me leaving them. But as a group, we’ve had a lot of weird stuff happen – driving off bridges, getting thrown from the back of the Helix and being charged by a bull (that was all the same person) and the physical as well as emotional demands were grueling and unrelenting.
I’m leaving Africa asking myself the same questions that often plague me: Why are we here, in Africa? Are we making a real difference?
On our ride to the airport, I sat quietly in the back of the vehicle. Actually, all of the volunteers were pretty subdued. My friend, Patricia, and I were both listening to my iPod and staring out the window. A song came on and before the it was over, tears were streaming down both of our faces. The song, called “Heaven”, by Brett Dennen, perfectly expresses why we’re here and why we keep coming back.
It’s the soundtrack for the montage we’ve put together in the video below. The main message, for me, is this: the concept of Heaven is fairly universal – it is a place of love, where nobody is hurting, hungry or alone. If we all can agree that this is the perfect place, then why can’t we strive for it here on Earth? If we all do our little part, we can be one step closer to creating it for each other. Here. Today.
Thank you for following the blog during this trip. I loved sharing it with you.
Tags: Africa, Cameroon, Obakki Foundation, orphan, Orphanage, Treana Peake
Oh I love it. I have never heard that song is’t wonderful. The song is perfect for all of the pictures. I am sad that you are leaving but you need to be with your family the miss you and you really miss them. Keep us posted on things that are going on please. Thank you
Hi Anita,
Thank you so much for your comments and support – Treana will definitely be posting (hopefully every day) with the other volunteers on the trip doing some guest blogging!
Thanks again,
Lori
PERFECT song, for a great montage.
Guest bloggers! It will be great to read their thoughts as well.
Can you say goosebumps??? That was beautiful, thank you!
WOW!! Beautiful pictures and the song was fitting! And yes, Treana and friends, you have made a difference and you will continue to do so. You have touched so many lives and i am grateful for people like you!
Amazing! You have given hope where there is no hope!!
That was beautifully done i have never heard that song before either.
Just want to say that following all your blogs has been amazing as you have made us all apart of all the emotional, aspects of this adventure. I have had tears well up in my eyes quite alot reading these but just knowing that you and the Obakki Foundation are doing so much is amazing..Maybe one day we can all be apart of this too. Hope your foot gets better soon
Treana and team you are all true inspriations.
Take Care xo
Wonderful song and montage – made my 7 and 10 year olds ask lots of questions. Great photos – helped us get a bit of a flavour of what life is like out there.
Very beautiful!!! The pictures and the song!!!
I see the word amazing used through out the comments on the blog and I can’t think of a better word to use to describe the work the group has done. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us all.
That was amazing – There is so much work to be done, but you have to start somewhere and you can’t do it all at once!! You have a phenominal start compared to many projects in Africa. Your work will continue even without your presence there – guilt & questioning your presence in Africa should be the farthest thing from your mind!! You are an amazing person doing amazing things
I love the fact that you take what you are blessed with and give it back to people who really need and want the simple things we take advantage of everyday. Bless you!!!
Thanks, Sherri – I changed the post!
Lori
What a fabulous video! Amazing photos, Candace.
Yes!!! There’s always ‘hope for the hopeless’… in their hurts!!! That’s why, when we look at those ‘incredible eyes’… they might be telling us how huge is their pain… but they still smilling, because ‘hope’ is all they really have ‘inside’!
I’m used to see ‘pain’… and know that a simple smile, a warm hug or the touch of just one of my hands, helps someone even if it is for just one second… but, it’s always worthy! There are no words to discribe what this video made me feel…
‘Thanks’ to all the ‘incredible volunteers’ and especially to Treana, who, in a ‘dreamily way’ was able to create such a ‘huge sky of hope’ to them!!!
Best wishes to all of you!
Thank you, Treana, for sharing your experiences with us, and allowing us into a world we so seldom think about in our everyday lives. We all need to be more concious of the rest of the world, what is happening there, and what we would like to do to help. You have awakened my sometimes complacent heart, and I must thank you for that, too.