The earth stares into dryness,

while the rain falls out of tune.

Giving and giving,

but never takes.

Instead, he bottles the truth.

Drowning familiar skeletons out of daylight,

into uncharted closets.

An offered drop of trust

is repudiated

into cracks,

too wide to fill,

as he waits patiently

for the seasons to amend.

-by A.H. Abdullah

Headaches for clarity.

Thirsty for knowledge.

Hunger pains for humility.

Fasting for myself,

for humanity.

-by A.H. Abdullah

“No, thank you,” I said, as the bus vendors chanted through the aisle. Mmm, the smells of their’ freshly cut fruit and greasy French fries immediately allured my senses; thus, challenging my empty stomach to choose its fate. Any other day, I would have bought something gastronomical to quench myself with; however, today was a day for patience. While holding my prayer beads, I continued to ignore the vendors and their’ forbidden fruit. “Watermelon?” she asked. “No, thank you.” I said nicely. “Papaya?” she offered, this time displaying her goods at eye level. “No, thank you,” I said again. “Cucumber?!” she insisted; smiling as if she discovered my weakness. “No, thank you! I’m fasting!”

At the age of ten, I started fasting for the month of Ramadan. I remember sneaking juice and cookies behind my mother’s back; praying that she wouldn’t notice my red-stained tongue and crumby lips. I guess I was more worried about displeasing her than anything else. Yes, I was a total mama’s boy and I have no shame in that.

I, honestly, didn’t mean to snap at her. I tried being patient, but it was such a frustrating day filled with countless temptations. My mouth was dry and my caffeine headache wasn’t helping either. I needed for her to understand and just let me be. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she cried. “No, it’s fine. I’m sorry too,” I confessed.

As I grew older, I began to understand and appreciate the purpose of fasting. It wasn’t about pleasing my parents or anyone else; in fact, it was more about me and making me a better person. I soon discovered that fasting was teaching me about tolerance and humility, while purifying my heart and faith in God.

Her genuine respect, surprisingly, left me fuller than I could have imagined. For one of the first times in El Salvador, I didn’t have to explain my actions or beliefs. I guess fasting is more accepted and understood here than I thought it would be. “Divisadero, Divisadero!” the cobrador shouted. Yes, that’s my stop. This is kind of random, but one of my favorite streets in San Francisco is also named Divisadero, which means division or a point from which one can gaze afar. Sometimes, I feel my spirituality is what separates me from my community; however, it also plays a unifying role. As I got off the bus, I realized that the sun was getting ready to set. So, I quickly walked home; this time, with another reason to smile.

I would be lying if I said fasting was easy; however, with the proper support of family and friends and, most importantly, with the right intentions, it becomes manageable. Growing up, my mother used to tell me in Urdu, “Amir, always have a good reason for your actions.” Her advice was simple, and, yet, played a pivotal role towards how I developed as a person. I went to college, for example, to gain knowledge and a better understanding of the world. Now, I’m in El Salvador for more reasons than one, which I’m sure all of us can relate to. It’s a huge sacrifice to leave our homes and work in a foreign land. The job is tough and often requires us to practice self-discipline in order to achieve our goals. Many of us joined the Peace Corps to express our empathy for those who are less fortunate and, thus, make a positive change in society. Sometimes, I feel like the month of Ramadan teaches Muslims about certain lessons that we as PCVs learn during our service. It’s a time for self-reflection and great sacrifice, which we all observe daily. It’s a cathartic experience, and I feel fortunate to be able to celebrate my beliefs with communities that are more similar than I originally thought.

She stings for her life,

paralyzing him with unknown certainty.

The numbness fades quickly

while ten thousand needles crash

like lightning through iron fences.

In dismay, he yells

as the black sole takes over in fearful vengeance.

by A.H. Abdullah

Here's a short video of my Earth Club getting squeaky-clean while making shampoo. We plan to bottle and sell the shampoo in order to raise funds for future art and environmental activities at the school. The shampoo is made with natural ingredients, such as aloe vera, and it's super fun to make!

Symphonies of light

float over mooing meadows,

playing songs of bioluminescence

while crickets conduct for mates.

Dancers leap from heavy skies,

tapping away dirty faces

and worn out shoes.

Strongly rooted trees sway their' branches,

applauding the night to sleep.

-by A.H. Abdullah

Thunder growls make

It hard to contemplate.

Or is it Mr. Toad’s untimely jumping jacks?

Shhh…

Rats turn heads over cold shoulders.

They come through the roof

With heartless minds on Heroin,

Not knowing what they want.

But they take

And take until it rains.

Washed out vermin become them

And never truly live.

-by A.H. Abdullah

Indian weddings in El Salvador?! haha yeah, I don't think so. I actually went home in July, which was a fun way to see all my close friends and family! Jealous, eh? yeah, you should be! haha ;)

Mildew ages on clay walls.

Hard to breath.

Roof cries without warning.

Hard to sleep.

Power runs away with Thunder.

Fuck, I can't see!

Chai

sweet, hot 'n spicy Chai

is Home.

-by A.H. Abdullah

The rain is ending

Or has it just begun?

No, don't ask the wind

He whistles wrong answers

The sun will rise again,

but first we wait

and listen

Drip. Drop. Dream.

-A.H. Abdullah

The Penguin Song is something I picked up during my theater days in college. It's one of my favorite exercises and, now, I use it both in and outside the classroom. Here's a video of me teaching the song to teachers and my Peace Corps boss, Dr. Rolando Barillas! He's the one in the blue/white striped polo haha

Suicidal insects feed the floor

Boy in hammock stops and stares

one blink, two blinks...

Gone

-by A.H. Abdullah

Due to the tropical storm, President Funes of El Salvador declared a red alert this passed weekend. Fortunately, my community seems to be holding up ok; however, there are many other communities that have been evacuated and are currently dealing with the aftermath of floods and landslides.

AES, Aid El Salvador, is currently accepting donations for disaster relief. AES will focus their efforts to assure that basic needs are met (shelter, food, blankets, medicine, etc.). Please donate what you can via www.aidelsalvador.org

Here's a quick video outside my home during the storm. After two days of house arrest, I was finally able to get out of the house today. The schools are closed, water pipes are broken, and, fortunately, the rain has significantly calmed down; the same goes for my anxiety.

The shit on my shoe sticks to my sole.

Frustration shadows me.

The laughing Salvadoran playfully punches the pain away.

-by A.H. Abdullah

Memoirs of a Jihadist

By Amir Hasan Abdullah

(aka El Principe Hermoso Sirviente de Dios)

My name is Amir Hasan Abdullah, I am a Jihadist, and this is my story.

I was pretty nervous as I handed over the passports. Like everyone else, I didn’t completely know what I was getting myself into. I guess one can say that my anxiety levels run relatively high; so, naturally, anyone could imagine how I felt once given the task to check-in 30 Peace Corps Trainees at a high-security, international airport. It was insanely nerve wrecking, to say the least. So there I was, standing head to head with the check-in attendant, and waiting patiently for further instructions. The check-in attendant gave me a confused look, which I then passed on to one of my colleagues. “There appears to be a security block on your group reservation,” she said. Immediately, after hearing the words security and block, and as the only South Asian Muslim in the group, it didn’t take me long to realize that I was the one being racially profiled. I tried to play it cool, but I could not help but think about all the degrading procedures they could possibly put me through; such as a private discussion with the FBI. This may sound farfetched to the average American; however, when someone has a beautiful Arabic name, like mine, he or she automatically becomes a potential victim to our Nation’s lovely Patriot Act. Fortunately, the FBI didn’t appear for their’ friendly routine check; however, I still had to explain to my fellow travelers the reason it took so long to obtain our boarding passes. I know. Talk about making a good, first impression eh?

I was born and raised in San Francisco, one of the most liberal cities in the world; however, that never excluded me from all the ignorance and prejudices of both pre and post-9/11. Today, living as a Muslim-American can be challenging, which is often compared to the Japanese-American struggle of World War II. Before coming to El Salvador, I endured and witnessed a good amount of injustices; and, now that I’m here, the challenge continues. Like many PCVs, I recall my first few months as the toughest months of service. I also remember one day, in particular, that truly gave me perspective on what I was up against.

I’ve been in my site for nearly two weeks now, and I already feel busy. Today, for example, I went to the MINED office to help train science teachers. Teaching is actually one of my greatest passions, but that’s another story on its own. Anyway, so today was a surprisingly upsetting day. I was at my desk checking my email when it all happened. Just as I was about to delete my junk mail, one of my colleagues approaches me with an internet article. He shows me the article and asks me in Spanish, “Is this something you would do or support?” The article was about an Arab suicide bomber with a history of domestic violence. The article also identified the bomber as a Jihadist. Honestly, I was overly confused, surprised, and offended when he approached me with such poor propaganda. I even asked my coworker to repeat his question, in order to give myself time to properly respond. I could have easily overreacted by cursing him out sarcastically, but that’s just not me; in fact, my parents raised me better than that. I, instead, took a moment to reflect. I first thought about all the times Peace Corps Training failed to prepare and warn us about situations like this, and then I thought about something more important; I reminded myself of all the physical and spiritual reasons for why I’m here. I may have been taken off guard by the man’s unprofessional, ignorant behavior; however, I’m pretty sure that my calm demeanor was not what he expected. Rather than blowing up in his face, I sat him down to discuss my issues with the article and, most importantly, to clarify the true meaning of jihad and the teachings of Islam. He may not have understood nor agreed with everything I had to say, but, then again, that’s just a cost of being different. In fact, most people tend to fear and misjudge the people and things that they know little to nothing about. For me, knowledge is power and, thus, I felt it was my responsibility to not only teach this person, but to also protect myself.

When the average person, or perhaps even the average PCV, comes across the word jihad, he or she may automatically think of the following images: Muslim, Arab, terrorist, suicide bomber, and holy war. So I guess the big question now, is whether or not these are justified images? Well, if this question was asked to any educated Muslim, most likely they would disagree; and, honestly, if any person objectively studies Islamic texts, they will also follow suit. I, personally, grew up defining jihad as the internal struggle one endures during his or her lifetime; a struggle to maintain one’s faith, which clearly contradicts the militant imagery perceived by western societies.

The moment my mother passed away, I became torn apart in more ways than one. It was almost as if her cancer spread to me, manifesting into a completely new battle. I was clearly on a new path, a new struggle in my life, and, eventually, I knew that I wanted to honor my mom by living a more righteous lifestyle. I wanted to learn how to make spicy-sweet cups of chai and cook delicious Pakistani food. I also made the intention to study and apply my faith into everyday practices; such as praying regularly and by refraining myself from sex, drugs, alcohol, and gossip. I’ve become more disciplined and religious over the years and, now, I realize that my jihad, my internal struggle, has made me a stronger person and a better Muslim, just like my mother would have wanted.

My name is Amir Hasan Abdullah and I am a Jihadist, a South Asian-American born Muslim that favors the jihad; a term that has been frequently misconstrued and abused by the media. We all endure and witness injustices daily and, as PCVs, I feel that it is our duty to seek knowledge and stand up against all prejudices and stereotypes. Because isn’t that partly what being a Peace Corps Volunteer is about? We are here to help a developing nation, which is something that goes beyond building latrines and planting trees. We are a group of individuals from a variety of diverse backgrounds and, honestly, it would be a shame if a volunteer goes through his or her service without learning something new about Islam, Buddhism, and all the other ways of life that make us volunteers so unique.

Celebrating my 25th birthday with MINED (The Ministry of Education)! =)

In this video, I'm late for work while a chicken decides to play house in MY HOUSE!

mmm...chicken tikka masala!

Indian Food is extremely difficult to find in El Salvador; in fact, there's a rumor going around that a South Indian restaurant supposedly exists in the capital (~4 hours from my site). So, I think it's safe to say that Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM), or any of my other favorite dishes, are beyond my reach...that is, unless, I cook them myself. ok, so I know what you're thinking..."but isn't CTM a British invention?" yes, it is, but it's HELLA good and, up until last night, I haven't had it in months!

I'm a Pakistani kid that grew up on Indian spices. So, being deprived in El Salvador is just not ok with me! Indian/Pakistani food is pretty much all I cook now, thanks to all the savory spices I carried back from the states. I pretty much mastered CTM last night and, for the upcoming week, I'm dreaming about some Achar Chicken and Lamb Ghobi...mmm...hell yeah!!!

Here's another video blog, because sometimes it's easier and, often, more effective to express myself via other mediums. so, enjoy!

Here's a YouTube video tour of my home, here in El Divisadero/ Morazan! I know I'm hella late, but you have to understand that this video took me over an hour to upload...that's my precious peace corps time ;). so, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9HaFcIef6o

For the first time tonight, I saw news footage of the Haiti quake...I'm now in my room, in deep thought, and wiping my tears. I know crying doesn't directly help the people of Haiti; however, it's one way to express one's humanity. Another way, is to donate whatever you can to those impacted by the quake. I know if I were a PCV in Haiti and under a pile of rubble, I would like to think that everyone was doing everything possible to help us...and I'm sure the 3 million+ Haitians are hoping and praying for the same relief.

During my visit to the states, I look forward to…

• Not sweating.

• Sleeping in passed 6am, with no mosquito net, and without daily readings of Animal Farm: ”moo...cluck…woof…oink…kill, Napoleon!”

• Playing, I’m the coolest Uncle, with my nieces and nephews.

• Having a 4x4 quadruple-patty IN-n-Out burger, animal style fries, and an ice-cold Dr. Pepper! Mmm…hell yeah!

• Wearing my kafiyah + wool coat = deathtrap in balls-hot El Salvador.

• Watching some REAL fireworks…the non-bomb/gunshot sounding variety.

• Eating Indian food!

• Getting my teeth cleaned…yeah, Peace Corps is getting a little cheap and will only pay for one annual cleaning. In fact, they keep telling us that cleaning your teeth once a year is the same as getting it done every 6 months. I mean, come on, who the hell are they trying to fool?

• Drinking tap water and not having to worry about amebas alienating my insides.

• Using high-speed internet to download all the new tunes.

• Riding public transportation without the friendly extortionists.

• HOT showers!

• Playing Scrabble with competitive people…oh and no offense to the crybabies, but you guys need to sit this one out.

• 24hr coffee shops.

• Paying $10 for a movie! hahaha…ok, so this one’s clearly a joke. But, seriously, I could buy like 20 or 40 papusas with that much dough.

• Hanging out with brown people that don’t speak a word of Spanish.

• Hanging out with people that do speak Spanish.

• Sharing pictures and stories to those that care to listen.

• Not having my community health promoter accidentally prick me with a rabies vaccine this was clearly meant for Ramses. Yes, this actually happened and, if I’m lucky enough to live and see next week, I’ll be more than happy to tell you the story.

• Kissing Maryam’s cheeks :)

• All the little things that don’t seem so little anymore…I guess being a PCV in El Salvador has that effect.

**Ojalá, vaya a estar en los estados desde Dec. 27 - Jan. 6, 2010!**

I know it's been a while since my last post...I guess you can say that I've been overwhelmed...too many stories and not enough ink, or at least that's what it feels like.

Well, I guess I should start where I left off. About a week after my last entry, we had another big storm...which, at this point, didn't seem too out of the ordinary. I do remember, however, a significant amount of thunder and lightning that night; in fact, I pretty much stayed inside for the majority of that weekend. As I walked to work the next day, I saw nothing. That's right, nothing...or, really, no one. Normally, on my way to the school, I'm greeted by all sorts of people...vendors, children, and even by the town's drunk...but, oddly enough, that day took a one-eighty. So, where was everyone? Usually, when the pueblo turns ghost-town, there's most likely a concert, futbol game, or funeral in session. It didn't take me long to realize what was happening. There was a large crowd of people outside of the mother's home...the vendors, children, news reporters, and, yes, even the town's drunk. I guess you can say that I sort of knew him. I knew that he played for our town's futbol team and that he was a promising college student. No, I'm not talking about the drunk...I wish I was, but I'm talking about the 23 year old kid in the casket. He was playing futbol when it happened. They say that the lighting went straight through his chest, killing him instantly. I wanted to feel sorry for the boy, but I knew in my heart that he will be treated like a martyr and, thus, be taken take of. I guess I was more concerned for the mother. Her tears were so heavy, clearly carving paths down her cheeks...a familiar pain, but yet so different.

'Martyr' in Spanish is 'mártir'...a word that I've heard here more than anywhere else. I'm not going to go into too much detail about the hurricane and landslides; in fact, I think I expressed myself enough on fb. If there's one positive thing that surfaced from all this mess, it's that my faith and purpose here in El Salvador have evolved to something greater. I look forward to visiting friends and family this winter, but I also look forward to return to El Salvador with new endeavors and hope.

It was a dark and stormy night...but seriously though, as cliché as it may sound, it was pretty dark and stormy the other night...I'm talkin about axe murderer friendly type weather here! Anyway, so here I was in my house, all nice and cozy in my hammock and getting ready to watch the opening season of Heroes, which by the way took me about 2 hours to download. Oh, and yes it was worth it! I'm actually downloading new episodes of The Office as I type. Anyway, so I'm in my hammock and it's raining vacas and caballos outside...I have about three leaks in my roof, which are loud enough to keep any Abdullah (or person with selective hearing) awake. So I start watching the show. About 5 minutes into the show, the power goes out. Luckily for me, my laptop was fully charged...so the power outage really didn't bother me too much...at least not at first. Within minutes, my laptop becomes an open flame to all flying creatures. I was a little annoyed, but I kept watching my show anyway. I guess I could have easily migrated over to my mosquito-netted bed, but I was way too comfortable to move. About an hour into the show, I start hearing some familiar noises...squeaks, chirps, and ribbets to be exact. Normally, these sounds don’t faze me; however, they were a little different that night…in fact, they were significantly louder and closer than I liked them to be. Even with all the leaks, bugs, and well orchestrated jungle music, I still remained adamant about staying put and completing my show...which is exactly what I did. I'm sure you'd do the same, right? Alright so there I was, glued to my laptop, and all of sudden this giant frog jumps into my hammock! I frickin' flip out! About a few minutes later, the power turns back on and I discover bats flying over my head. Thinking that the situation couldn't get any worse, I go to the kitchen to grab a broom and find about a thousand ants attacking a nearly dead scorpion. oh, and I'm not gonna lie...it was kinda cool to watch! Now, the only thing missing from this picture was a chicken eating my Top Ramen. Yes, it happened before and if it happened again...'Pollo' would have become the new main course of the week! Anyway, so about a can of Raid later, I was able to play hero and reclaim my house...yeah, whatever that means LoL

I moved into my new site yesterday...or, I guess you can say my new house. I´m renting a 3 bedroom house (for $25 a month!) that lies about 100 ft. from the main highway. I live within a 5 minute walking distance to the nearby pueblo (town). It´s a pretty tranquilo (chill) spot...there´s a ciber cafe, a hardware store, other small tiendas/chill spots, a sweet futbol field, and a beautiful church. My house came partially furnished with a hammack, bed, table, and 2 chairs. There´s still quite a few things that I still need...such as a fridge and stove. Fortunately, Peace Corps gave us about $750 each for our first month, which gives me some budget to work with. All in all, I´m pretty excited to make my house into a home and to start working in my community! ojala (inshaAllah) =)

I'm the yellow start on the far right, middle part of the map.

I probably should have added the 7 painful blisters that I inherited during this past, eventful weekend...but I guess it´s always best to start out with something positive, right? lol. aite so I, along with 5 other PCTs, joined a youth group in making bamboo benches for our community´s playground (aka ¨La Cancha¨). It was definitely a fun and interesting experience, one that I´m excited to share with you all. So go ahead and enjoy these videos...and don´t be afraid to pick my brain and share your thoughts. peace ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOj4myOPbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5uDJjYOwxo

Here´s a video I made during Santo Domingo, a religious festival here in San Vicente, E.S. It was a pretty wild day! There were people dressed up in all sorts of costumes...there were even cross-dressers in the mix. Anyway, enjoy the video! =)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5BjvC9WERY

Here are a couple of videos I took of my host-community in San Isidros, San Vicente. Enjoy! =)

Part 1 or 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eOHbCutWpI

Part 2 of 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh-2Kzuoqds

Alright, so it's been about 2 weeks since I've arrived in El Salvador and I'm loving every minute of it! Yes it's HELLA hot, but the people and food make up for that. My host family is super nice too. I live with a mother and father and their two beautiful kids. I'm in San Salvador today and plan on buying a couple of birthday presents for my host dad and brother. Oh, did I mention that birthdays are pretty big here? yeah, just imagine a low scale wedding lol. it's pretty awesome. Hasta luego

It would have been another typical Saturday night at the movies, at least until my dad offered me a better opportunity. He asked me if I would like to accompany him at the Human Development Foundation's (HDF) annual benefit dinner. I recall reading my dad's daily memos on the fridge about the event, so in the back of my mind I kind of didn't want to go. Not because the event wouldn't be fun, but mainly because my dad would know that his memos work, which isn't exactly desirable in the Abdullah household.

Ok, so I ended up going to the dinner. The food and the company were good. They even raised about 90K, which will go to the development of schools and clinics in Pakistan. My story almost ended here, but fortunately my dad wanted to stay til the end of the program.

Later that night, something surreal happened. Congressman Mike Honda of the 15th district was the final speaker of the night. He's a pretty respectable man. As a young boy, he endured Japanese interment camps and mass discrimination. He immediately had my attention. But the crazy thing about his speech was his Peace Corps experience in EL SALVADOR! yeah, it was insane! As soon as he finished his speech, I went up to him and told him about my PC plans. He was estatic and he gave me the biggest hug and advice I've ever heard. He gave me his personal email and told me to conjure up a fiance before I leave. I laughed, at first, but then soon realized that his advice was totally legit. hmm...I guess I have about 2 weeks left to find a girl. Who's interested?! LoL

Here I am, honored in a Peace Corps newsletter! =)

http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/LandingPage.aspx?id=390360&p=1

January 2008: I began to think about the Peace Corps and the application process.

August 2008: I started the online application

December 2008: I submitted my application. I really only spent about a good two weeks getting my application together; however, I spent months deciding whether or not to go through with it. I prayed a lot and, ultimately, I felt great about my decision.

December 18, 2008: I had my PC interview with THE best recruiter, Ms. Heather Driscoll =)

January 16, 2009: Heather nominated me for the Environmental Education program. I was so stolked, because I love teaching about the environment =)

January 23: I received my medical toolkit, which was probably my least favorite part of the process. You'd feel the same way after 5 vaccinations, 6 fillings, and 2 wisdom teeth extractions =(

February 2009: I was medically cleared and received my invitation to become a PCV =)

April 2009: I should have been in Latin America by this time, but my program was pushed back to July. It worked out nicely, because now I can be here for the birth of my new niece, Mariam =)

April-June 2009: Just chillin', doing some acting, rollerblading on the pier, hanging out with friends and family, and brushing up on my Spanish.

July 7, 2009: My orientation in Washington, DC.

July 8, 2009: I arrive in San Vicente, El Salvador where I'll be completing my first three months of training.

September 8, 2009: I will be sworn in as an official PCV and serve for 2 years!

Hasta Luego ;)

My mom is my inspiration for joining the Peace Corps. She was a strong, loving person and had a tremendous heart; always putting other peoples' needs before her own. She was the type of person that said hello with warm smiles and sweet cups of chai. She was more than a mother of six, but a friend to anyone who needed a friend. She was also my teacher and, because of her, I learned to stand strong with my convictions. Within my first semester of college, my mother became ill. The doctors said it was breast cancer and that it spread to her lungs, kidneys, and liver. They also said that if it had been detected early, she might have had a better chance of recovery. Knowing that my mom had the resources to monitor her health was tough and, for a while, I felt guilty not monitoring her health as much as I could have. Fortunately, through faith and through the love and support of my family, I was able to mend my wounds and develop ways to honor my mom.

In May 2004, I participated in my first fight against cancer walk. I initially chose to walk for my mom; however, I ended up walking for millions of people that have been touched by cancer. It was a cathartic experience, listening to survivor stories and talking to others just like me. The walk was empowering and, most importantly, I felt that my actions made a difference. It turned out that our Nation’s cancer rate dropped that year, and it continues to drop due to the development of new treatments and prevention programs. I wanted to continue to make a difference, so I signed up for the next event and for the one after that. In my heart, I needed to participate in these events not only for my mom, but because they were the right thing to do and I felt great doing them. Someday, I hope to feel the same way about the Peace Corps.

My friends and family always ask why I want to join the Peace Corps, and I usually say that it's an opportunity of a lifetime. Sure there may be moments of great stress, emotional and physical demands, but I know in my heart that the rewards will outweigh the costs. My mom used to always tell me that you can do anything, as long as you have pure intentions and the right reasons. As a volunteer, I hope to help others with the same love and compassion that I was given growing up. In the process, I want to better myself, so that someday I may inspire my own children to do what makes them happy.