ACS Service Day

Another day gone, another story. But this wasn’t a story of jungle adventure and of thrill, for this was a story of the best kind, a story of giving. Today, memories were made, not to be carved in stone and preserved but rather to be remade into allegories to be retold for years to come. Today, the A.C.S. students changed lives, and it was done through service.

 

We visited a local school that was in need of supplies, resources, and mainly: help. We had gone to this school with the best of intentions, with open hearts ready to provide as much service as they could possibly offer, and honestly, the result was just as rewarding. The people we bonded with were local Sri Lankan kids, kids whose parents worked day and night to be able to fund their education and to give them a good life, but no matter how much darkness was in their lives, they took it out of ours. These kids showed us how to be optimistic, to be hopeful in the direst of times, and not to let anything stop you. Even though there was a language barrier, that had stopped neither of the two parties, for in the end, we merged into one. We learned just so much today, from how to play cricket to Sri Lankan food customs, and I hope the kids could learn just as much from us.

Today provided the opportunity of a lifetime, an opportunity to give rather than take, for service to others is service to one’s self. It is moments like this that bring out true compassion, the virtue that separates man from animal. To all the parents waiting eagerly in Lebanon, I want you to know that all is well, and to all the kids of today, we want you to know what a good time you had given us.

By: Anas Adam

ACS Full-Day 3

Today was a really adventurous day. We split into two groups, each assigned to an activity.  The activities were abseiling and hiking. We were warned about the leaches and the bugs. We were ambushed by the leaches, as if they had it all planned out. As soon as we reached the center of the forest, the leaches were waiting to steal our precious blood from us. At first we overreacted, then we got used to them. 

This leads us to abseiling. As soon as we started our walk to the top of the waterfall we started to complain about the track and the distance. We finally arrived to the top, most of us were terrified. The first group that went before my group wasn’t scared and told us what to do and what not to do.   

The group that came back to camp riding in the truck had a bumpy ride as the road wasn’t paved. All in all, we really enjoyed today’s activities and learned a lot from it.

By Andrew Fouladfard

ACS Day 2

By: Liana Safa and Celine El Hert

After an exhilarating ten hour flight we had finally landed in Sri Lanka; a beautiful and tropical wonderland. In Borderlands, we learn to work as a team, remain open minded, and to embrace the obstacles as they come. When we first arrived to Sri Lanka we were definitely struck by the heat wave that we did not exactly anticipate upon our arrival. Once we finally reached the camp site, after long lasting hours in the bus, we were extremely thankful that we were able to swim in the freezing cold river and to be able to spend some quality time with each other. As we felt the cold rush of water flowing between us, we finally realized that the true adventure had begun.

After finally regaining our energy, we were excited for what was to come. After a delicious and filling meal we participated in some ice breakers in order to really connect with each other. After spending around half an hour trying to figure out how to place a stick on the ground, we were given our room assignments. With only a few hours of sleep due to multiple insects (Editor’s Note: All insect were harmless) we had encountered our activities began. At exactly seven in the morning we were up and ready on our morning hike and stretches. With such humid weather a cool swim in the river was essential, and after basking in the sun for half an hour we had a healthy breakfast. 

Canyoning was the next activity on our agenda, and it was an unforgettable experience. Canyoning was the best experience we have ever had as a class and it created a special bond between us; we learnt to support each other, we learnt to trust our fellow classmates and peers, and we learnt to overcome our obstacles. All 46 of us went down the canyon, and all 46 of us put aside our fears and worked together. 

After an unbelievable few hours on the canyon, rafting was our next stop. This was not your typical rafting trip, the challenge here was to actually build our very own rafts that would take us across the river. With only 30 minutes to build a raft using inner tubes, wooden planks, and rope we began building. Once every single raft was in the river the racing wars began. As each team struggled to reach the finish line we were able to arrive to the riverbank safely. 

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” (Amelia Earhart). This quote hung on the wall in the lounge area at Borderlands. Here at Borderlands, respect, responsibility, and adventure are embraced. We are encouraged to try to things and to embrace nature as a whole.  The general principal here at Borderlands is to take the test first then learn from our experiences. With approximately three and a half days left Sri Lanka has truly began to altering the way we think and the way we perceive life for the better.   

ACS Arrives!

All the ACS students arrived safely to Borderlands today! The students will be writing the blog posts and discussing their progress in their own words from tomorrow onwards. Follow the blog to stay updated on their adventures!!