e/motion

 Once in a while you come across a life experience that will change your life forever, this was one of those experiences…

Things just naturally fell into place. It was synchronicity at best. I was selected to be on a Vocational Training Team, with 6 other strangers embarking on a 5 week adventure to a place I had dreamed of going my entire life. I would be visiting Australia along with the small island  “East Timor” to document a mission.  It was 4 months of preparation that started nearly a year ago to this day. I would say more, but I will let the video below tell the story.

For anyone who has not heard of “Rotary” this may interest you. In a nutshell, it is an international service organization that strives to provide service to others, promote integrity and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace.

 It was nearly 4 years ago when I was first introduced into this amazing organization. I had the incredible opportunity of going to the Philippines where I traveled as a photojournalist documenting a mission for cleft lip and palate surgeries. From that experience, Rotary had opened my eyes to poverty, world needs and international service.  Most of all, I was left with the sense that a group of people, no matter how big or small, can make a difference.

It would be incredibly hard to summarize the trip in a singular blog post, so if you are interested, please click here for our team website where each member blogged about the journey in details.

To those initial six strangers, Mike, Kierstan, Tim, Debra, Jenny and Barbara, thank you. Thank you for walking this journey with me, I couldn’t be happier to have met and traveled with all of you. I will never, ever forget you!

I can’t begin to describe the gratitude that I have towards Rotary for this incredible opportunity, to the staff at Media Street for the support in allowing me this opportunity and to my family and friends for the encouragement during my travels.  I’m happy to say that this experience has changed my life in a multitude of ways, leaving an extraordinary impact on me both personally and professionally. It was a discovery of adaptability, simplicity, and perspective. I’ve learned about character, individuality and universal friendships. It truly has changed my idea of living.

My hope in creating the video below is that anyone watching it will have a better idea of who East Timor is and that any skill or passion can find an opportunity to volunteer.

If you have any desire at all to volunteer, please do.~

*Jana