«I believe that when you're given all the tools to help, you have to be willing to use them.»
Águeda Collantes
GAES IAI Salamanca – India, in collaboration with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation
Traveling to India 12 years ago changed my life, and being able to return after all these years has been the most enriching experience of my life—the best thing I’ve done after having my children.
It’s been a daily lesson, a necessary reality check that helped me grow and reevaluate certain aspects of my life. You have to be open to exploring things that make you uncomfortable, willing to step out of your comfort zone, out of the first-world bubble, and live and share the daily reality of thousands of people who fight for their families in a situation where everything is against them.
I’ve had the chance to meet extraordinary people. That’s what India does—it leaves no one indifferent. You meet individuals with passionate, brave, resilient, and generous lives who welcome you and teach you the value of compassion and helping others. I believe that when you're given all the tools to help, you have to be willing to use them—not doing so means there’s something inside you that’s not working.
I’m coming home with much more than I left behind—a life-changing experience—and I give thanks every day to all the people who made it possible for me to fulfill a dream.
As Vicente Ferrer said: “You have to train your mind and spirit to know how to live in peace amid the storms of the world.”
Sat Nam...