EOY updates May 28, 2009

A game of soccer at Maracas Bay in Trinidad. Beautiful pink flowers growing out of a stone wall at the monastery. I talked with Jamie this morning. All is well as the group headed out for a day of service.

Very important and necessary on-campus work is being done by Ken and Rob's groups. Ken has a painting crew. They have painted Ken's and Rob's rooms and have moved on to the computer lab, which was in bad need of a new coat of paint. Here, you can see Monsieur Ken at work, and then Xin and Xiaona painting the computer lab. Meanwhile, Rob's group is cleaning out the attic.
You can't believe what they are finding. David is holding paper bags from the CFS Craft Fair, which they stopped having 20 years ago! Graham is holding one of the old adding machines that were found. He also found a great (and really old!) typewriter that he is taking home with him. Sherri's group is doing local service at Welcome Baby in downtown Durham. They are helping to fold and stuff 9,000 newsletters that get sent every other month. Sherri and her group are getting cross-eyed as they do this tedious, important, and very much appreciated work.

LITHUANIA

Here is a note from CFS grad and co-leader, Will Gordon:

All is well, we are currently in Juodkrante, a seaside town on the Baltic Coast. We just got back from a walk through the forest to the seafront. It has been a blur thus far, all in all things are going great. I think it has been a memorable trip for all the students. Certainly lots of 'new' things to see and try. I think the highlight of the trip thus far was a flight in a hot air balloon floating over Kaunas yesterday at dusk. Nine of twelve students flew. It was really amazing. And the night before, on monday, we had a meal at a traditional lithuanian food restaurant. We hosted seven local lithuanian high school students, as well as two other lithuanians, and it was great for the CFS kids to get to meet 'local' kids. I think it personalized the experience for many of them. Apparently there is a 'Pop Music Festival' in the small fishing village we'll be visiting tomorrow. Gonna check that out.

Each year, the End of Year experiences are fun, exhausting, life-changing, important, emotional, educational, astounding, inspirational, and unforgettable. This year is no different.