Monday, May 18, 2009

I Believe Paper

Megan Herndon
8:30
This I Believe
I believe in Santa. I believe in the Easter Bunny. I believe in God. I believe in people.
I believe in Santa. I think that someone can give to others looking for nothing in return. I know that if one wants to help others and make the world a better place they can. I believe that one person can travel around the world and give to people who he or she has never met before, whether in an airplane or magic sleigh led by Rudolph. I know one person can make dreams come true and futures a reality.
I believe in the Easter Bunny. I know there are people out there encouraging us to work harder than we ever have to find what we are looking for. I trust that someone can hide treasures that are meant to be found. These treasures might be knowledge, money or little chocolate eggs. I think that one person can hide treasures for us that we seek with all our hearts. I believe that the Easter Bunny knows that the journey finding the egg is more valuable than the egg itself.
I believe in God. I believe in believing. I believe in someone to trust when you can’t rely on anyone else. I know that even when you are in the darkest of times you can find light if you know where to look. I see Courage and Hope and Honesty and Love at every turn, even though they are invisible. I think one can look past someone’s race, religion, class or group of friends and see what’s inside. I know one can choose between what is right and what is easy.
I believe that you don’t have to be a Supreme Being or fantastical character to make these things possible. Greg Mortensen has taught me that. He showed me that one person can change the world. He showed me that it is possible to travel around the world and give to others without hoping for anything in return. He has taught me that if you seek something you should do whatever possible to achieve it. A promise Mortensen made to the chief of a village acted as Mortensen’s own Easter Bunny, who hid his egg that he searched for. He said he would build a school and he didn’t stop trying until he finished. I believe that values such as courage, honesty, love and hope made his journey possible. I believe that one should believe even if their achievement seems impossible.
This book has taught me about the people of the Middle East, and what they need. It showed me just how fortunate I am; I am a girl and I receive education. I realize that in my future consists of high school, collage, and a career but for many people my age their futures show nothing of the sort. I have learned that we can look past stereotypes and prejudices and see the beauty of life and people. I have learned to look not flaws but at beauty. This book has taught me to believe in things that seem impossible.
After reading this book, I believe in reaching. I believe in determination and achieving goals. I believe in looking past another’s race and religion and seeing what’s in their heart. I believe in helping others in search of nothing for myself in return. I believe in searching for what I seek and not giving up until I find it. I believe in values and goals. I believe that one person can make a difference.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Three Cups of Tea Project

Three Cups of tea is a book about one man, Greg Mortensen, and how he helped so many people halfway around the world. After reading this book, it's impossible not to want to help. The hard thing is figuring out how to help. Fortunately, Greg Mortensen helps us there as well by having a list of things you can do to help the Central Asia Institute and the kids in Pakistan. This list is found on page 337 and 338 of the book. My Project was to do each thing on the list.
The pictures on this video are from www.threecupsoftea.com

Step 1: Order books online at threecupsoftea.com

To do this, I ordered two copies of Three Cups of Tea online.

Step 2: Recommend this book to a friend

To do this I told several friends, teachers, and family members about this book.

Step 3: Check State Libraries to see if they Carry Three Cups of Tea

To do this I checked the internet and made sure that several local libraries carried Three Cups of Tea.

Step 4: Encourage Local Book Stores to Carry Three Cups of Tea

To do this, I donated the books I ordered online to Book Ends in Kailua.