Be the Cause

Author: Laura Ava.Tesimale

2007 Walk for Hope ~ Activity Stations

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The Walk for Hope is a reflective journey that leads the walker along a park path decorated with handmade expressions of love and famous quotes, all selected with care for their insight and inspiration. In addition, there are several activity stations set-up along the beautiful path to give each walker the opportunity to pause, interact, reflect and sow new seeds of change. Here is a brief description of each activity station:

Activity Station #1:   Leaf to Self & Hope Tree

The Walk for Hope is a reminder to us all of the things that matter most in life: love, compassion, truth, peace, unity, family and hope for all that is good. Each new day is an opportunity for us to be the change we wish to see in the world. With this in mind, when you enter into this first activity station, you will be given a paper leaf to write a note or a letter to the most important person you know: YOURSELF!   Write down your hopes, your dreams or simply what you wish to change from within. As you hang your leaf on our Hope Tree, ponder upon and plant the seeds of change deep within your heart. By the conclusion of our Walk for Hope event, our amazing Hope Tree will have been magically transformed with hundreds of colorful leaves, each with it’s own inspiring message to a very special recipient: YOU!  Next summer, you will receive your leaf in the mail along with a picture of our beautiful Hope Tree. May this gift put a smile on your face and warm your heart as the memories of this year’s walk begin to flow through your mind. As you read your leaf to self, may you be filled with joy knowing that the seeds of change which were planted months ago, have now blossomed from within. May it also serve as a reminder of how important you are and that each individual can and does make a difference in transforming our home, community and world. 

Activity Station #2:   Best Wishes Cards

The Walk for Hope seeks to create a venue in which individuals may feel, in a very real way, the interconnectivity of life. The quotes along the walk path remind us of the bond that we all share with one another through the thread of hope. Another dimension of this bond is that we have the very powerful gift of being able to share one another’s suffering – that we are able to find support in our fellow man in times of sorrow and struggle as well as those of joy and triumph. With this in mind, Be The Cause is creating a way to connect people on that level across the globe, through the Best Wishes Cards activity station. From Africa to Sri Lanka, Malaysia to Pakistan, Greece to the Philippines, a selection of individuals and groups from around the world will be presented to the walkers, and their stories shared with those at El Dorado park that day. The walkers will then have the opportunity to create a card that will be sent to these recipients, spreading love and compassion all around the world through a bit of construction paper and ink…. creating a heart-to-heart connection with our global family. 
 

Activity Station #3:   Kindness Garden

Inspired by the picture on our Walk for Hope brochures and posters, which depicts a walker taking steps and moving forward in her journey through life, unaware that her kindness and good deeds has caused a trail of blooming flowers in the hearts of all that she has encountered along the way. With this in mind, on the last mile of your walk, each participant will enter into the Kindness Garden and pick a beautiful, handmade daisy to take with you as a remembrance of your experience at the Walk for Hope… turn that daisy over to reveal a Random Act of Kindness to continue spreading joy and beauty in the world.  Although we may never fully know how our own lives and the lives of many others on our path of service may be touched by the things we do… keep on doing… keep on walking… keep on serving!! 

We wish to express our gratitude to Manav Sadhna (a WFH beneficiary in India) and all their kids in the Earn N’ Learn program, for creating the hundreds of handmade daisies for our unique garden. May the love and care that they have put into each beautiful flower cause a blossoming of more love and kindness within your heart to share with everyone you encounter on your own journey through life.

We Carry You All In Our Hearts. Journey Safely…

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To My Dearest BTC Family Members,

WOW! Your amazing Service Vacation to Ecuador and Peru begins today, December 15th!!  I am certain that you’re all very excited for what this new journey will unfold (both internally and externally). I have no doubts that your service adventures will be a blessing to you and to ALL the beautiful souls that you will come in contact with. Touch every heart and love them unconditionally… give of yourself, give from your heart… receive with open arms and open heart… full of gratitude, joy, laughter, and childlike wonder! Remember that the seeds that you plant with every labor of love, will grow strong and blossom into beautiful trees of Hope. Those new trees will continuously branch out and produce sweet fruits for many to partake of… for many generations to come. We Hope for more peace, love, compassion, respect and understanding in our world. Thank you all for your sincere dedication to this worthy cause. You each inspire us and will also inspire our brothers and sisters in South America.

With lots of love, you all have been on my mind and in my heart so much this week. The feelings of excitement, pure joy and happiness continued to intensify with each passing day… it almost felt like I was going on this service vacation too!! I even panicked a bit about not being packed yet and even feared that my visa for the trip won’t arrive on time!! Then finally, reality got a hold of me, slapped some sense back into my head and reminded me that I’m not going to South America with all of you physically, but WE, your entire BTC Family- will be there with you in Spirit… just as you all will be here with us in Spirit… just as we were with Sonali in SriLanka and Manuri in SriLanka & Thailand, just as we were in India with Bharti (well, maybe not with Bharti? I think she’s had enough of us! :), just as we are currently with Nirali, Sheetal and our Manav Sadhna Family in India, just as we are with Lanie in Syria & Jordan, with Maushmi in Houston, with David in Kanses, with Nikkie in South Carolina, and with Holy Father Tarlok in (COLD!) Calgary, Canada. No matter where we are in different parts of the world, we are always together and connected as ONE FAMILY.

As I prepare to leave in a few weeks for my own service journey to Africa & India, you all will be with me too because…

I Carry You in My Heart
I carry your heart with me; I carry it in my heart
I am never without it
Anywhere I go, you go my dear
And whatever is done by only me, is your doing, my darling
I fear no fate, for you are my fate, my sweet
I want no world, for beautiful, you are my world, my true
Here is the deepest secret no one knows
Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
And the sky of the sky, of a tree called life
Which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide
It is the wonder that is keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart

(My Favorite Poem By:  E.E. Cummings)

p.s. To our BTC Mother Bharti, I expect to read another inspiring, heartwarming, and tear-jerking poem from you: “We Did Not See Ecuador and Peru”.  :)
Journey Safely…