Third Goal

Grace Admist the Challenges

My memories of her would suggest that my maternal grandmother, Jennie Inge Vester would probably call what I felt on the morning of July 22, 2010, one year after boarding the plane to Cambodia -- grace. Loaded down with a large backpack of “just in case” outfits, at 5:45 a.m. I walked the 1 kilo to P’sa T’may (New Market) to catch the Battambang City bus to Phnom Penh for my 50th birthday celebration. Walking along Highway 5, witnessing the sunrise and responding to calls in Khmer to buy brea...

Magical Azerbaijan

In a village just outside of Sheki, Azerbaijan lies this beautiful 13th century church set against a backdrop of the Greater Caucasus mountain range.  To get here, my two good friends and I took an old, rickety marshrutka (think Soviet-era cargo bus complete with side benches and holes in the floor) up the hill from Sheki to Kish. As we got off the bus to pay our nominal 25 cent fare, the driver smiled, politely refused our payment, welcomed us as his guests, and then continued rolling down ...

September 1st

September 1st celebration marking the first day of the school year in Kazakhstan.

Village Art Day

Mountains in Naxchivan

This photo was taken during the 2010 Novrus holiday on our way to visit a holy place in the mountains.

Spring time in Azerbaijan

This photo was taken during the Novrus holiday in Naxchivan, Azerbaijan. The beginning of spring was warm causing all the trees to bloom early before a quick freeze just in time for the holiday.

Oh snap!

Our Community Development Officer, Mr. Douglas snaps his finger after just missing the target with his traditional bow and arrow at our Amerindian Heritage Day. 

Only in Africa

This was a story that as it was happening, I just kept thinking, “only in Africa, only in Africa”.  Here’s the back-story first.  So normally the rainy season ends at the end of September or the first few weeks of October (it might rain from time to time but for the most part the dry season has started to set in), but here we are into November and it’s still raining almost every day.  As a result of this nonstop precipitation the roads are in TERRIBLE shape.  It’s gotten so bad that if it rai...

Inviting the New Year

As an OCAP volunteer I am involved in promoting activities that bring together the colleagues of Samal Center, a rehabilitation center for disabled children and youth. As 2011 approaches, the country of Kazakhstan celebrates with Grandfather Frost and Snow Granddaughter, rather than Santa Clause and his elves. Here we see Grandfather Frost performing a traditional song while the colleagues dance together and sing along.  

Dramatic Coastline in Samoa

Eight-year old Lio, explores lava fields on the coast of southern Upolu.