We
Call Ourselves the Bluff Belters
CASEY
Where do I
even begin to talk about the trip that I just experienced? Me and 11 peers that
I thought I knew piled into Bertha, our 12 passenger van, and set off on a
journey without much to expect. Little did I realize that I would build amazing
relationships, some of which I would be able to bring back to Mizzou and some
that unfortunately only lasted a week. The group of participants were beyond
amazing. We bonded through hiking every day, listening to Ed Sheeran (courtesy
of Brooke), and struggling to find the gas tank. The group was very outgoing
and everyone was amazing with the kids. I could not ask for a better group of
people to share this experience with.
Arriving
at the school after a long first few days of driving and camping was a breath
of fresh air. It seemed as the kids instantly feel in love, and we did the
same. Working with the children of Bluff Elementary is something that I will
keep with me for a long time. Even though we only were able to spend five days
with them, I was able to see improvements in reading, writing, math, and
especially science, which I spent most of my time with. The kids always seemed
willing to learn and were very respectful to us. I loved playing fox and chicken
and dodgeball every day, (even though they beat us once…or twice). We made it a
point to stress getting a good education and going to college, because many of
these kids are not exposed to that aspect of education. I can only hope that we
made as big of an impact on the kids as they made on us.
Picking a
favorite part of the trip is not very easy but if I had to choose I would make
it our journey onto the Navajo reservation. Hearing the “medicine man” opening
up and educating us about their culture and lifestyle was very courageous of
him. They included us in a short ceremony, showed us everything about their
property, and even made us delicious traditional Navajo tacos for dinner. It
was instantly the most unique and incredible experience I have had, and I will
hold onto it for the rest of my life.
This MAB trip was life changing
for me and I cannot put into words how grateful I am to have been able to be a
part of it.
MAB love,
Casey Leadbetter
Utah Crew, aka The Bluff Belters
_______________________________________________
ANNIE
The best
way I can describe my experience with MAB is joy. I created friendships
that were founded on thoughtful discussion from people who all wanted to be a
part of something that made the world a little better. I don't consider myself
much of an optimist, but it gives me a great deal of hope that those 11 people
driving across the desert with me were so compassionate, kind, and wise. MAB is
a great example of how service helps those who serve. By the third
day, I was calling the 2nd graders "mine". They were a tough class of
26 extremely energetic students and I absolutely loved being around them. There
is a lot of joy to be found in the curiosity and gentleness of
children. They were so willing to open themselves up and make us a part of
their lives, and that was incredible. We reach a point in our lives
when it 's harder for us to be happy because of all the trivial and
material beliefs we hold. When I see children who are so interested in
learning and so engaged in the world around them, it makes me wonder why we
don't all try a little harder to try a little less at what makes us angry, or
confused, or stressed out. I was so happy in Bluff, Utah, and I think that
now I have figured out how to be a little happier everywhere. Finally, I want
to say that this trip gave me a perspective into Navajo culture that
few people probably will ever have. I hope that I can take what
I have experienced through the accepting and humble nature of the Navajo
people and move forward in a life of compassion.
_______________________________________________
MEGHAN
This week
was one that I will always remember. Growing along with my fellow participants,
challenging myself to try new things and climb to new heights (literally), and
hearing the joyful laughter of children at Bluff Elementary School all brought
me so much gratification. I could have spent this week sleeping on my parents
couch, but instead I spent it sleeping under the stars in my first ever camping
experience. I could have wasted away my days with Netflix and naps, but instead
I tutored students in math and English and hiked all over Utah. To my Bluff
Booties, you all are incredible and I’m so happy to have shared this experience
with you. This week was so much more than I thought it would be, and I thank
every person who encouraged me and made this possible.
_______________________________________________
HENRY
The week I
spent with the Bluff crew was without a doubt one of the best experiences of my
life. It is difficult to summarize all of the different moments of this trip.
For starters, when you spend 24 hours every day with the same 12 people, you
get to know them very quickly. It was great to see how awesome everyone on our
trip came together. Whether is was finding out where the gas tank was on our
van, digging our van out of the sand or cooking dinner, everyone pitched in
with no hesitation, and we had a blast doing it.
One of the
most enjoyable parts of our trip was talking to everyone and getting to know
everyone individually. I am so grateful for the many conversations I had with
the awesome people on our trip and the things they shared with me. There is so
much to learn about other people, yourself and the world if you simply have a meaningful
conversation with someone else.
As for the
specifics of the trip itself, the kids of Bluff Elementary are absolutely
amazing. Working with them and their teachers for a week was a blast, even when
it was challenging. Getting to know the kids and working with them
on their math, reading, science or any other subject was truly
rewarding. Many of the children at this school face plenty of difficulties
in their lives with regards to their education and future success and I really do
believe we affected them in a positive way.
On top of
all of that, two other things stand out: our experience on the Navajo
reservation and our hiking and climbing adventures. Hiking through Arches
National Park, Canyonlands and Valley of the Gods was like nothing else I had
ever done. Exploring the area of Bluff, climbing countless hillsides and
watching the best sunrises and sunsets I have ever seen was incredible. The
climax of our trip was definitely our evening spent on the Navajo reservation.
The family that welcomed us to their home to spend time with them, eat with
them, and experience aspects of their culture was truly an honor. It was an
eye-opening experience and one I am incredibly grateful for. I am grateful for
this entire week, too. And I am hopeful that many others will continue to have
similar experiences on MAB trips.
_______________________________________________
VIVIAN
I was a
little skeptical at first on how a week’s worth of service is able to improve
anything besides our own experiences, but the past week at Bluff Elementary
proved me wrong. Last week is too hard for me to summarize. All twelve of us
had done so much in such a short time. If there is one thing I feel like I’ve
contributed the most, it would be how my ability to speak different languages
encouraged the kids of Bluff Elementary to think that them knowing the Navajo
language is a cool thing too. Being a person who constantly tries to fit in, I
was proud that I allowed my differences, physically and culturally, openly be pointed
out to show these Navajo children how important it is to preserve their
culture.
_______________________________________________
CORI
Mizzou
Alternative Breaks was one of the greatest decisions I have made in my college
career. While going into the trip I was not sure what to expect, and at times
was a little frightened, I knew that I would be participating in something that
not many people get to do. This past week, the children I worked with opened up
my eyes to lessons not only about children and the Navajo culture, but how
special life truly is and how much I have to be grateful for. I have pledged to
myself that I will work harder to better the children in my community. I have
pledged to myself that I will no longer be ignorant of the vast inequalities
within my own country. And finally, I have pledged to myself that I will no
longer take my small luxuries for granted and complain less about the minor
strains within my own life.
_______________________________________________
SALAH
I remember
first entering a large, white Ford van that would house 12 college students as
they made their long journey from Columbia, Missouri to the small town of
Bluff, Utah to serve a predominately Navajo elementary school. I remember
the thoughts of doubt that entered my mind. I wondered whether I had made
the right choice to join this trip. I wondered whether I would work well
with the other members of the group. Even though I had gone to the weekly
MAB group meetings with them, I still was unsure of what to expect.
People who went on past trips always lauded the program for being remarkable
and for being able to foster friendship among the participants. It seemed
too good to be true, so I held my expectations low. In addition, I was
unsure of what to expect when volunteering in the elementary school in the
following week. These thoughts, however, soon became expelled as I
volunteered to “get out” and “give back”. Not only did I forge a strong
relationship with the participants on the trip, I truly enjoyed immersing
myself in the elementary school and the beautiful state of Utah.
I cannot give enough praise to the participants on the trip as they each had
something meaningful to contribute on the trip whether it was the insight about
life and life of the Navajo or by being caring for each other and the children
in the elementary school. These people are by far the most impressive set
of people I’ve encountered. They made me want to work by being a
resourceful member in the group, improve my communication skills, and be a good
role model to the students. Meanwhile, working in the elementary school
was tremendously fun and rewarding. It was amazing how close of a bond
each of the participants formed with the children in a matter of a few
days. By the end of the trip, it was as if we had known these children
for years. They called me a range of nicknames that ranged from “Salsa T”
to “Sloth”. They eagerly waited for us to sit next to them during
lunch. They dragged us into their games of “Fox and Chicken” and
dodgeball. They admired us, they looked up to us, and they saw us as role
models. They always put on infectious smiles when we arrived to the
school. I wanted these children to succeed as I assisted them in whatever
they needed help in whether it was for reading, writing, or math. I want
these children to have the same educational opportunities that I have been
given. It’s unfair that they’ve been placed in an adverse situation as
they had no involvement in being placed in that situation. The best way,
however, to overcome this adversity is through education. As Horace Mann,
a prominent 19th century educational reformer, once said, “education is the
great equalizer”, and I hope this trip underscored this very idea to the
students.
By the end of the week, I was sad to head back home just after a week of
service. The children hugged us, they gave us good-bye high fives, and
they gave us cards. The worst part was answering the common question of
whether we would come back or not the subsequent year. I gave them a
vague answer, but I knew in the back of my mind that I most likely would not
come back. I truly enjoyed this trip, and it was, without a doubt, my
most fun and productive spring break. I wish the children the best, and I
hope the small amount of time we spent with them will have some beneficial
impact on their future lives. I hope this trip continues whether it’s
with the same people or not. Regardless, I recommend any MAB trip to
anyone in Mizzou. It’s a fantastic program and my experience was beyond
phenomenal. It has introduced me to a new set of friends, encouraged me to do
service in the future, and it gave me a large amount of satisfaction doing
something that I know is beneficial to society.
_______________________________________________
MEGAN
Good morning Bluff Eagles! Megan
(Bertha) Anderson here, just for those who may not know. This week I got to
travel to Bluff, Utah with eleven stellar humans to serve the Bluff Elementary
Eagles, which has a student population of majority Navajo kids. We laughed, we
tent camped, we sang Ed Sheerhan, we lost in dodgeball to a bunch of 5th graders (sorry Sam, never
forget), and we served the elementary school teachers and staff with anything
and everything they wanted us to do throughout our week-long adventure. And
while teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders about science this week, I have gotten the
opportunity to be a student as well. Not in the traditional sense, though. I
didn’t have to buy any textbooks, nor did I really have to get any pens, there
was no homework, and I was never assigned a specific teacher. But nonetheless,
I learned this week. I’ve learned from the teachers a passion for Bluff and the
school; I’ve learned from a Navajo family the importance of being satisfied and
of love for yourself, your family, others, and your culture; and I’ve learned
from the students the beauty of tag, how to dance, an excitement to learn, and
the strength that can be found in a group with love and support. But my lessons
never ended with the end of the school day. From Cori I’ve learned the
greatness that is Coa Coa Puffs and how to be a kid, Vivian taught me how to be
strong and to have a pride in who I am (Vivian, you rock), Salalalalalah taught
me the importance of good story telling…and sporeman…and just kind of made me
laugh a lot, Abby taught me the beauty in a good smile J, MegHan taught me
how to act perfectly goofy…and to show kindergarten kids no mercy in kickball,
Alicia taught me how to be passionate about science and children, Henry taught
me how to live an adventurous life(fire starting competition is still
happening), Annie taught me the poetic beauty in life (yes, Annie, you did),
Casey taught me about being a genuinely thoughtful person…and how to smize,
Brooke taught me how to be a joyous leader and about the great city of Nixa
(where true leaders are born), and Sam taught me the beauty in a good
conversation…and laugh (rolls eyes). So that probably wasn’t a real sentence
and this isn’t a real paragraph (so I didn’t learn grammar this week), but
that’s okay. Service is great, becoming an active citizen is fantastic, but
learning alongside the children of Bluff Elementary is an experience I will
never forget. Good morning Bluff Eagles! Today is Sunday, March 29, 2015. For
lunch, we are having Navajo tacos made with love and friendship…and Rice Krispy
treats…duh. We have two Birthdays: Cori and the end of this trip, not because
it’s sad, but because it is the birth of a very beautiful future…for everyone
involved (we all knew this was going to get cheesy, but act surprised). So good
morning Bluff Eagles! See y’all later.
peace, love, service,
Megan
_______________________________________________
ABBY
As my eyes darted from cow to cow
through rolling Kansas and scanned ski slopes in the mountains of Colorado, I
never would have guessed just how much my understanding of privilege would be
transformed in the short week that was upon us. I had gotten glimpses of the
tough situation out on Native American reservations before, but could never
truly guess what life was like. On Thursday of our week, when we finally got
the chance to visit the Navajo reservation, much to my surprise, the situation
wasn’t saddening. Actually, it was inspiring. The Navajos that welcomed us into
their home weren’t burdened by the lack of plumbing or running water. Instead,
they believed that was their privilege. They told us they were fortunate to be
living life so connected to their faith and heritage. By my previous standards,
this family had chosen a life of difficulty and inconvenience, but as I
listened to the medicine man during the prayer ceremony, I began to realize the
purity of their happiness. They didn’t need modern amenities to keep them
entertained because they had their faith and their family. They had everything
they needed to survive and they believed any difficulty that was thrown their
way was well worth it to live a modest life connected to mother earth.
Since leaving the reservation, I
have become more aware of all that I have to be grateful for. It sounds cliché,
but after seeing their welcoming smiles and listening to their affirming words,
I know now that I don’t need all my physical belongings to be happy. I just
need to be happy from within. I’m privileged not because I have plumbing or
running water, but because I have the ability to be myself. I have the ability
to be happy. By no means am I to the point of contentment that this Navajo
family enjoys, but it wouldn’t be a life-changing experience if I didn’t have
something to aspire to.
So, I’ll just leave you with this:
“Never forget the earth beneath
you because that is the person on which you walk, but never forget the sky
above you because that is where you are going.”
_______________________________________________
ALICIA
Participating in Mizzou
Alternative Breaks served as a moving experience. I was surprised to learn that
the Navajo Nation had as much poverty as a developing country and that many
families did not have even the most basic needs for living met, such as access
to clean water or electricity. In my career, I hope to somehow address all of
the poverty that goes unnoticed in rural areas similar to the one in which we
worked. During the experience, I learned a lot about culture and the sense of
pride that the Navajo people that I worked with had. Witnessing their pride in
their culture and heritage made me want to be proud of my own cultural
practices. Being around children eight hours a day made me incredibly happy,
and I loved getting know each and every child at Bluff Elementary. It amazed me
that these kids were able to grow in just one week, and I hope that these kids
are able to be successful in their future.
_______________________________________________
BROOKE
It is
incredibly hard to wrap up a week in a simple paragraph of a blog. As people
have asked me how my break was all I can bring myself to say is, “It was
amazing,” but that doesn’t even begin to cover just how amazing the trip truly
was. We raced to each sunset to give ourselves the best new landscape to
experience it with, laughed with one another as our true colors began to show
throughout the trip, and served the student of Bluff Elementary School in Utah
to the best of our abilities.
But my favorite
part about all of this has truly been seeing the principle of “communicate
love” just beam from each of Sam and I’s participants. In everything they did,
there was always love. Whether it was telling a joke to the group of us,
playing with the children, or simply writing these blogs. I have truly enjoyed
watching my participants interact with others on this trip.
And I know
this is incredibly short, but I just don’t have words to describe the week
right now. It was simply and truly amazing just as all MAB trips are and just
as all MAB trip will continue to be.
Thank you
to all who made this amazing trip possible.
_______________________________________________
SAM
During my
4 years at Mizzou, I’ve been involved in a wide array of different things. Each
has shaped my experience in some way, but one stands out in its transformative
impact on me over these last 4 years. Mizzou Alternative Breaks. This program
has reshaped me in so many ways and I couldn’t have asked for a better final trip
this past week. From the moment Brooke and I held our first participant
meeting, I knew this was a special group. It was a diverse group of people, but
one that I was confident would gel on our trip. They exceeded all of my
expectations. Each and every participant brought something unique to the group
and added value to every discussion and experience we had. Often on MAB you get
asked if everyone on the trip is the same religion or at the very least the
same major. I love answering no to that question and explaining to people that
the participants on the trip are from all aspects of campus life, brought
together by a simple desire to serve. The diversity prevalent in an MAB trip is
so unique and truly one of the reasons that makes the program so special.
I’m
sitting here today 24 hours after we got back and my brain is filled with so
many thoughts and emotions. Thoughts about if I should pursue a career in
teaching, after loving each moment I spent in the classroom with the amazing
kids at Bluff Elementary. Thoughts about my faith and whether I believe the
things I hold most dearly with as much conviction as I think. Thoughts about my
heart, why it’s not marked by the same level of gratitude as the Navajo people
displayed throughout the week. MAB isn’t just about building relationships with
a service site and the 11 other people on your trip. It’s also about examining
yourself at your very core. This program never fails to make me ask life’s
toughest questions to myself and refocus on what I truly believe is worth
living for.
Saying
goodbye to this program hurts. I’m trying to avoid the reality that I don’t get
to experience another one of these trips. But I’m encouraged because I know my
heart and mind are filled with some amazing experiences over these last 4 years
that aren’t going to leave me. I’ve been molded and shaped by this program and
I know that when I leave Mizzou I will take the lessons I’ve learned through
MAB to wherever life takes me. MAB doesn’t end when the tiger tail on your van
drags itself back into a Columbia parking lot. It continues on as each and
every person takes their experience and “Brings It Home” no matter where on the
globe they call home.
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