#2 “Flip The Switch”

Be The Change – Episode #2

Our second episode looks closely at the way a single moment – or a stream of moments can “flip the switch” in our minds  – leading to life-altering awareness.  “Why are people in America and Europe discovering a lot of things, and we’re discovering nothing?” he asks.  “One volunteer brings a lot of change,” he asserts.

This episode begins with Kate, who describes the emerging consciousness that occurred on each of her service programs – beginning with a new perspective on a transition period in her own life, to “trying out things bite-sized” to help define what’s waiting for her ahead.

The second story is from Ken, who looks back over the first week of each of his service programs to see the ways his teammates “are really different people” than they were at the beginning of the program.

Stephanie, our third guest is a self-described “go-getter” who learned that sometimes the best way to help is to go with the flow.  A great change in her personal “style” leads to surprising realizations!

Don’t miss our final story… Tim, a veteran volunteer, talks about a deeply personal experience he shares with a little girl of two years.  It may be the most unforgettable volunteer experience he’s had on 14 service programs!

Episode storytellers: Kate, Ken, Stephanie, and Tim

#1 “Deeper Dive”

Be The Change – Episode #1

What happens when you take a risk and dive deeper into experiences, testing your boundaries or challenging your assumptions? We inaugurate this podcast series with the vision of our long-term host partner in Tanzania, Bishop Dr. Owdenberg Mdegella, and his open invitation to to help him serve his people in ways that might seem like a leap of faith.  “Why are people in America and Europe discovering a lot of things, and we’re discovering nothing?” he asks suppositionally. What is missing in the equation that we can change together? “One volunteer brings a lot of change,” he asserts.  It is his life’s work, and our partnership with him for over three decades, that inspire us to share these stories of service.

This episode begins with Lisa, who with her daughter Maya, pursues an ambition to “replace talking with doing” to help children who struggle, and returns home with a changed perspective of her role in Maya’s developing world view.

In our second story, Bishop Mdegella counsels us to change how we think about our own abilities to make permanent, real change in the lives of children.

“Sometimes, you just have to jump,” says Kenneth, our third storyteller.  After admitting to himself that his fear often stands in the way of personal growth, he decides to embrace this new experience and discovers he can truly make a difference in an unfamiliar setting.  Now, he says, he “thinks about all that I could have missed” with gratitude.

Episode storytellers: Bishop Mdegella, Lisa, and Kenneth

Music in this episode:
Blue Dot Sessions & Podington Bear
From the Free Music Archive
CC BY NC