The Long Awaited...

I promised to keep y'all up to date and I miserably failed. I will now have to recount the events of two weeks ago so I apologize if I don't give as much detail as I might have if I had been recounting the day at the end of it.

Let's start with Monday:

Monday May 19th

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DALLAS

I drove to Dallas and spent the night so I could be at the airport by 330am the next morning. Well, I thought I would be in bed at a decent hour but I ended up spending a lot of the night translating interview questions. I am soooooo glad I did that before I left. Thank God for my mother who is fluent. :) I ended up hitting the hay at 1am and rising at 3am. 

Tuesday May 20th 

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IT'S TIME

I was the first one in line to check in for my flight. Felt good to have my passport back in my hand and ready to present for my international adventure. I then went through security and all that jazz. Made my way to my gate and waited. The first flight out of Dallas to Florida was rough because of how tired I was and how uncomfortable the seat was. I slept most of the way. 

FLORIDA

Turned my phone on and the first thing I did was text Alli to see where I could meet her. The moment we saw each other we shrieked with excitement and hugged not fully believing that the day had actually arrived. We grabbed a bit of lunch and took it back to our gate only to be boarding in the next 5 minutes for our flight to Guatemala. On board the plane I ended up having the whole row to myself so Alli joined me. We didn't sleep that ride at all. Come to find out she hadn't slept that night either. We chatted with some other young adults behind us who were traveling for leisure and traveling for work. One of the things I noticed as we flew over Guatemala is the different social class housing. You could tell where the wealthy and the poor lived pretty easily. The mountains though...beautiful! & they only got better as we got back down on the ground. 

GUATEMALA!!!

So we got off the plane and made our way to immigration and then to get our bags. I forgot how much you need to use the immigration form and your passport and plane ticket and baggage stub. We ended up juggling trying to carry bags and take those forms out over and over. Note to self for the future international travels: Leave all the documents out and handy. So we went through customs and had the all clear! Phew! Met with one of the ladies from LegalShield named Karen and made our way to find Estuardo (husband of a different Karen, the lady who started the orphanage). The moment we stepped out onto the concrete it hit me...nostalgia. I knew that scent very well and all the sudden my heart ached for Costa Rica. For those who don't know, I spent a little of my summer in Costa Rica two years ago working with trafficked victims and prostitutes and children at risk. So we got in the new Girls Hogar van and made our way to get some lunch (pizza hut ~ 'mericuh). I spent most of the van ride pretty silent. I was taking in the surroundings and kinda still trying to bring myself to reality. I was flooded with flashback visions of costa rica and seeing some of the similarities and some differences. Alli noticed and asked if I was alright but I simply said I was taking it all in and left it at that. I'm glad I didn't just let the moment pass by without grasping it, I have such vivid memories of what it all looked like and felt like for the beginning of that weeks adventure. 

MORE TO COME...

Tres Dias En Guatemala!

Today was day three and I already cannot believe that it's over. Let me do a little recap of what the last three days were like. Bear with me because I am exhausted right now and I know that I promised a video log but my words will have to do for now. I met Allison in Ft. Lauderdale where I basically hopped off my plane grabbed a hot dog and jumped on my next flight. I had the entire row to myself which was awesome because that meant Alli could come and sit with me and we could use the middle seat for all our things. :) It's silly but I'm thankful because it gave us a perfect experience heading out to Guatemala City together.

We arrived in GC and were picked up by Estuardo (Karen's husband - They own and run the orphanage). Estuardo took us to get lunch at a pizza hut and then we went shopping for some groceries for the two days we were spending in the orphanage. We finally made it to the orphanage and dropped our things off. We got a full tour of the whole Princesa Hogar. It is beautiful. Like seriously these girls are going to be living a fairytale life there at the hogar and its so touching to see how so many donations of funds and time and love have made this dream of Karen & Estuardo's come true. They are still finishing up the final touches before saturday. The girls did have lice and we were warned so for the days we were at the girls hogar we didn't wash our hair. So today was day three of dirty hair until we made it to the hotel and that shower was glorious. haha.

All the kids want to touch my camera and want to take photos and see them after I record them. I keep having to remind them "No Tocar Por Favor" which is "No Touching Please." I'm getting along pretty well with my spanish and learning more and more as the days go by. The kids think its hilarious if I misuse a word or mess up the pronunciation. I have been doing A LOT of filming. We walked the boys to school the other day which is a two mile walk and half way there a Taxi Van pulled up and the Profesora with us said in spanish "everyone in the van! hurry! hurry!" it was seriously almost like a scene out of a movie. We piled about 25 kids and like 5 adults plus the drives in the van which we took the rest of the way to school. They don't always do that but when they have the chance they take it. It's quite the hike back up to the hogar too. My legs were feeling it the next day for sure.

I will have to tell you all more about the boys home tomorrow. I'm just so tired I will have to leave you with a few pictures and tell you about how filming is going as well.

Shout out to my dad who's birthday was today... yesterday...! De quiero mucho papi!

Hasta Mañana!

¡Una Dia!

By this time tomorrow I should be almost to the airport in Guatemala!! I cannot believe how quickly this day come around. Today I head out to Dallas and leave on a very early flight tomorrow morning! I will be meeting up with Allison (Alli) in FL where both our connecting flight is and then we will make our way to Central America! Eee! Today is just another part of the journey! I can't wait!

Here's some photos from a couple days ago. My sister was awesome and went out with me to be my subject as I shot video and then we snapped some pictures!

I'm ready to take on the world!

I'm Glad You're Here

Welcome to my Heart for Hearts mission blog! I will be trying to keep everyone updated as much as I can so if I miss a day bear with me :) I definitely want to share all about what's happening out in Guatemala!

UPDATE #9 -- 2 DAYS TILL GUATEMALA :: It's been about 8 days since my last post so forgive me for not updating you all till just now. The week before a trip like this is always craaaazy. It's bee exhausting but I'm glad I will get to rest up some tomorrow before flying out to Guatemala!

I REACHED MY FUNDRAISING GOAL 2 DAYS AGO! Yay!! Thank you all so much for your support, encouragment and prayers I could not have gotten to this point without you all. I receieved a couple checks in the mail and with those I was able to reach my goal! Praise God!! So awesome!

In other news, been doing some major preperation with unexpected things popping up now and then but everything at the moment has been smoothed out and I am just spending the day wrapping up paperwork and packing!! Be on the lookout Tuesday for a bloggie post (video log) on my blog. Don't forget you can sign up to be emailed when I post! Just look to the right column of this page and you'll find a spot for it!

Alrighty folks, I have some major packing to do! ¡Ciao!

// O N E W E E K //

This past weekend I went galavanting around Austin to get essential items for the trip. One of those important things being preventative lice spray. Yep. You read right... lice. I was informed while out and about this weekend that a lice epidemic has occurred at the hogar. Those poor little girls :( Please be praying for their little heads and for all of us that we don't pick up lice as well! Everyone will be doing what they can to prevent it.

This week is going to go by incredibly quick I have no doubts about that. Today I had my last day of cleaning house for my parents. I've been doing this every other week to earn some extra spending and expense money for the trip and it takes all day so I'm pretty pooped. There's so much to do before next tuesday I am having to make sure I make my lists and check them twice. haha. I'm starting to throw things into my bag that I know I will be needing to pack which is exciting!

Let's see... Let's see... I don't think there's too much to update everyone on a week out other than how close we are to lift off! I am so close to reaching my fundraising goal so thank you so much to all who donated towards this trip I am so thankful and cannot wait to be serving with the Work, Play, Love team. There are a couple people who may be sending some donations so I'm sure that I will have reached the goal by the end of this week!


Be sure to check out the Work Play Love Facebook Page!

& be sure to sign up for updates from this blog it'll send you an email when I post. You can do that from the right hand column > > > >

Fundraising Ends Tomorrow

UPDATE #7 :: TWO DAYS LEFT FOR THE ONLINE FUNDRAISER! I only have $490 left to fundraise before the end of tomorrow, if anyone would like to give online they can give through this site which uses PayPal. Otherwise if anyone would like to give I can send you my address to send a check or I can give you my email to give directly through PayPal. Thank you all for your support of myself and ultimately the Work, Play, Love team who are working hard to do what they can for these children to help better their lives. (I'm not actually sure what time the fundraiser ends whether it is tomorrow at the end of the day or midnight tonight so as soon as I find out I will let y'all know)

11 DAYS TILL WE LEAVE FOR GUATEMALA! I will be running around town today to pick up some nessesary things for the trip like bug spray and sunscreen and all those wonderful things. I'm starting to gather all my equipment together to make sure I have everything ready to go!

Again here are those links for more information on Work,Play, Love, The Orphanage:

Please check out their Facebook page:www.facebook.com/pages/WorkPlay-Love/329778497125470
Or their website: www.workplaylove.org

The Orphanage's Page: www.hogarmiguelmagone.com

¡Ciao!

¡Quince Dias!

May 20th is just 15 DAYS AWAY!! It's crunch time! Getting the most out of every day before the trip by making sure all bases are covered. Something that I find beautiful about filming documentary pieces is that you go in with an expectant perspective. I can do my best to plan the course of action, to make possible shot lists and plan to execute according to the vision of what Work, Play, Love is all about, yet, even with all the planning and preperation I know that there are some things that I just can't plan for and have to be flexible with how everything happens when it does. That could mean that there were unforseen challenges and/or it could mean that there were unexpected beauties that I was able to capture. It's all very exciting!! I am going into this trip expectant of great and beautiful things and I welcome the challenges that may present themselves becuase those challenges only grow me in my craft and give me wisdom to use in the future.

That's just a bit from my heart this afternoon. The fundraiser ends on the 10th of May! Just 5 days away :) Thank you to all who have shared the word about this fundraiser and to all who have given thank you for giving because of your giving I am able to give to Work, Play, Love and ultimately the children of Hogar Miguel Magone Orphanage.

Please check out their Facebook page: Facebook - Work, Play, Love

Or their website: www.workplaylove.org

The Orphanage's Page: www.hogarmiguelmagone.com

G U A T E M A L A // M A Y // 2 0 1 4

It's time!!! I am so glad to be back and writing in this blog. So a little update for those of you who follow this blog that I haven't updated in a year:

In about 20 days I am headed to Guatemala for a week to do some pro bono work for a organization called Work. Play. Love. on behalf of an orphanage near Guatemala City. The orphanage used to only house boys but has grown over the years and they needed to provide housing for the girls they are taking in. Well through a lot of fundraising enough was raised to build the girls their own building. Yay! Super exciting stuff! I will be going to document the opening ceremonies of the new girls hogar (home) and basically gather footage about the orphanage and their mission and vision and about Work. Play. Love. and what they are doing to support Hogar Miguel Magone Orphanage. I will then be bringing the footage back to the states and putting together short films to help the organization raise money for the orphanage. There's even chances of a longer documentary to be made in the future. Awesome stuff.

So here's where I am right now:

Preparing for the trip in any way I can by making a shot list, gathering the equipment I need, working on a little spanish with my honduran mother and praying a lot. I am also still fundraising till I leave the states. I have an online fundraiser that will be going on for the next 10 days and then after that anyone who would like to give towards my trip can give by check or cash. So in case you would like to give via paypal or would like a little more information on what I will be doing or about the orphanage you can visit this link: www.youcaring.com/send-gabrielle-to-guatemala

It will all come together I have no doubt! I am just oh so excited! I really hope time slows down when I get there like it did when I was in Costa Rica. Two weeks in Costa Rica seemed like a month. I just can't wait to be serving again!

If you would like to keep up with my journey over the next month I will be posting on this blog to keep everyone updated! Hopefully I will be able to vlog the trip and post those little updates at the end of each day but please bear with me if that doesn't happen. I will have some incredibly long days that week :)

Keep checking back! I would love to hear from you all and if you have any questions about anything I am doing or how things are going or anything at all feel free to leave a comment!!