Churches, Coffee, and Cloud Forests….

As we reflect on this past week, it is hard to absorb all we saw and experienced in the last seven days.  The SST experience continued its daily sensory buffet of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and the unique feel of being in a place unlike others you’ve been to before.  From 16th-century churches, to organic coffee farms, to cloud forests, it’s often hard to take in all there is to see and experience each day.  We also had the opportunity to participate in a native plant reintroduction project in a rural community that gave students a chance to go beyond just the figurative planting of seeds and invest some of their own sweat and muscle in a community project.

One of the many unique elements of the SST experience is that it is a very personal experience for each student and leader who is privileged to participate in the program.  No person’s experience is like another’s even within the same group.  Each person’s personality, past experiences, and interests come together to craft a sensory encounter unique to each individual.  There are so many exciting things to see, learn, and absorb that sometimes it’s hard to take a step back and just let the moments wash over us as they come.  The rhythm of experiencing and reflecting is one that each of us, students and leaders, walks through together.

Thank you family and friends for supporting us from afar.  This past week in one of our times of reflection we talked about where we saw moments of beauty and light.  Wherever we are in the world it is important to remember that light overcomes darkness and we as human beings must always return to that light.