Petionville, Haiti

Petionville, Haiti

Sunday, May 23, 2010

No Expectations (Pendleton County, WV)

We have spent many hours preparing for this Global Health Fund trip to the Appalachian Region of West Virginia -- planning, calling, making handouts for the health fair, arranging, e-mailing, etc. -- and yet, we sort of have no idea what to anticipate. Everything could go perfectly according to plan, or everything could be nothing like our expectations.

We spent tonight at the Micheller home in Ohio to break up our drive on the way to Pendleton County, WV, and our group reflection focused on expectations. What do we expect to see? What do we think it will be like? About what are we most excited? Anxious? Nervous? What are our preconceived notions regarding the people in this area? What stereotypes are we already subject to believing?

After voicing all of our thoughts and concerns, Betsy (leading the reflection for tonight) challenged us to have "no expectations." She talked about doing our best to go into this completely open-minded, willing to learn what there is to learn there and find a way for us to make a positive mark on all those we meet. By having no expectations, we can truly allow ourselves to be immersed in this new experience and live it to the fullest.

Having been on many trips like this before to various places, I can't help but believe this is a necessity for a trip to be successful. By having no expectations, we are allowing ourselves to leave behind our selfish desires and just be open with gratitude for that which is to come. It is a tough challenge to not expect anything, but one we have agreed to strive for throughout the coming week.

No expectations. Here we go!

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