Living On Purpose: 2015 Spring Summer Update

Once again I return after a brief hiatus from my blog. Please be assured that I have been busy with my fair share of projects, camps, traveling and various other duties, nevertheless, it is always a pleasure to share my journey with you all.

This past spring, the third semester of the Gobi-Altai Happy Center for disabled children and friends commenced. We were fortunate to have received a generous donation from both World Vision International and the US Embassy to Mongolia, of which we are tremendously grateful. Last spring also saw the arrival of our country director to Gobi-Altai, a visit from the US Embassy's office of public affairs and a celebration of international women's day and soldier's day. Before leaving to UB for our bi-annual volunteer advisory council meeting, I taught an annual black history month lesson at community English club. Our students were just as excited to participate as I was to teach about African-American history and culture. I spent most of April and May preparing for Healthy Hoops, a youth leadership, life-skills and basketball development camp funded by the US Department of State.

Black History Month Lesson

Showing a video about American diversity

Fast-forward to June and Healthy Hoops 2015 was a success! After the camp I traveled back to Ulaanbaatar to volunteer at the Lotus Orphanage and Rose Home for children with special needs. The Lotus Children's Center serves as an orphanage and school for nearly a hundred children between the ages of 12-18, many found abandoned on the streets of UB. The lotus Center is an orphanage home, but more importantly it is a developmental center for abandoned and vulnerable children. In addition to its duties as an official Mongolian NGO caring for vulnerable and abused children it also takes part in community outreach projects. Over the course of 2 days, I worked closely with the orphanage's social worker, facilitating communication and planning life-skills for adolescent youth. The Lotus Center has a very special place in my heart and I plan on visiting once more before I move back to the States.

Which leads me to my next topic, I'll be leaving Mongolia in less than a month. Three years have flown by and my experience serving with the Peace Corps has been one of the most formative opportunities to date. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead and thank God for blessing me with such a unique and amazing journey. I'll have another post about leaving Mongolia soon. Until then, please enjoy a few pictures from this past spring and summer.

Teaching about famous Black inventors

Teaching about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Leading a group discussion about the Civil Rights Movement with site-mate Jerome

Celebrating Solider's Day with my counterparts at the Children's Department

Meeting with the Executive Director of Special Olympics Mongolia to discuss the current state of disability rights in Mongolia.

Hanging out with friends Kathy and Julia.

4th of July celebration in UB

4th of July hangout with friends at Khan Deli.

The Lotus Center

Donating a full set of Peace Corps Life-Skills books.

Teaching my counterparts how to make pizza, carrot and chocolate cake.

Country director's visit to Gobi-Altai

From Left to Right: Me, site-mate John Boeve, site-mate Lauren Javins, Country Director Darlene Grant, site-mate Kiowa Pratt-Gordon, Kiowa's counterpart Gantuya and site-mate Jerome Leonard.