My High Tribe is Here!  We are all preparing, and are so excited, busy, nervous, scared, laughing, eating,  moving tables, hanging visuals, sorting makeup, talking about the girls, networking computers, napping, exercising, organizing schedules, hydrating, nesting, filming, admiring the grounds, appreciating each other and the atmosphere.    We’ll do our best to Blog daily.   The girls are arriving in the am – must run now and do more of the above…until then…Lesia

I began the morning as we do all our mornings here–dragging myself out of bed to the lawn for yoga, exhausted from staying up too late talking with my new “sisters,” the women who have all given this week to volunteer at Angel Faces. After yoga’s downward dog, though, we are amazingly refreshed and ready for the day. Tuesday morning began with the girls working with our psychologist, Anke, to explore grief, anger, fears, and frustrations. Later that evening we role played awkward, embarrassing, and uncomfortable situations: deflecting stares by taking control of the conversation, disarming rude people with love, and using patience and understanding when small children may say unintentionally hurtful things. I played 4-year old Tony who couldn’t stop staring at Liz. It was difficult to put her in that situation, but better that she practice with me than get flustered in public.

In-between the insights and new intentions was an afternoon of luxury. From the hard work of the morning’s session to the evening’s role plays it takes energy to face your fears, learn new skills, and display them. Even when you are surrounded by people who love and respect you. An amazing army of dedicated women provide an afternoon of massages, facials, and corrective make-up lessons; there was time for catnaps, card writing, and journalling. Of course, all that is for the girls. All the women were envious; those downward dogs have us aching in places we aren’t used to aching in; our hearts are aching from some of the stories we’ve heard. On the other hand, our spirits are lifted everytime we interact with these amazing young women. Personally speaking, my energy is renewed in countless ways that even a marvelous massage couldn’t touch.

The evening closes as all evenings here–with a relaxing guided visualization, hugs, debriefs of the day’s events and what we can do better tomorrow, and more love than can be contained in this small room. I hope you felt some of it coming your way.

Susan Fowler
Grateful Volunteer and Board Member

The girls arrived safely yesterday.    Always tender moments on arrival day to see growth in the returning girls and social armour encasing the new girls.    This year most of our new girls are the younger ones.   I don’t know who struggled more in separating at the gate - parents or the child — or us watching – peeking into their private world of letting go.   

It’s Monday morning.  They are all doing yoga right now outside in perfect weather.  I left my mat empty to spend a few moments sharing my gratitude for your support, encouragement and of course donations in making all this happen.   Souls opening up, wounds wanting to heal.   Wow – these girls are so precious.  

 Before bed; after a long day of travel and excitement (with popcorn involved) we watched the movie “Penelope”, staring Reece Witherspoon, about the girl born with a nose of a pig.    ”"We need to accept and love ourselves” one little girl told me as we shuffled off to bed.   She’s 15.   Angels  amongst us.  

Today the girls will share their stories.    It’s my duty to keep them safe.    

In light and love,
Lesia and my extraordinary team of volunteers!

Share if you wish.

We are home.   Well, most of us who live local anyways, others are still traveling.   Internet access at the retreat site was a bit challenging, thus the delay in blogs.  However, that was our only challenge.   Yes, another successful retreat.  So you ask,  ”how can we tell?”  Well, ”How can we not?”   In just a few days the girl’s shoulders shifted from inches folded in front (upon arrival) – to chest high, thier eyes in locked contact with others, shared smiles, laughter, and the proof:  they all showed up for yoga at 6:30 am each morning on the beautiful lawn surrounded by the cypress trees.  YES!  Adolescent girls, Yoga at 6:30 in the morning!  Now, that alone is hunger for healing. 

The corrective cosmetics room was popular and full of hope and tears.  Many a girl for the first time seeing themselves with thier scars miminalized, or often vanished, under the skilled hand of Corrective Cosmetic professional’s Nancy Ogden West and Brenda Lavoie.   Check out our website in a few days when we can share the visuals with you.    

Transformation happens on many levels and produces many outcomes.   Like flowers delaying and resisting thier push through the surface, hiding from the winter’s cold – the girls grow exhausted from the general public’s stares and unwanted questions in thier real world.  Intense Role Playing taught them how to handle intrusive questions and staring in a positive way while finding and displaying their courage.   We were in awe.  Everyday.  However, sometimes it took a few trys to feel comfortable with their response – yet they now know  what it is like to feel the power in a conversation. 

The Spa Experience was amazing.   Massages, facials, new hair styles.   Many of the girls have never been touched in a non-clinical setting.   Words can’t describe the peace on their face, as they exited the massage room, “spa hair” et al.

The mosaic project was beautiful.  The girls created an individual mosaic piece then wrote a poem connecting their facial difference with placement of the tiles.   Making broken pieces, beautiful again.   Does it get any better?   It does.  The girls (and volunteers) surprised me in the closing ceremony with a mosaic piece they made especially for me with every girl and volunteer placing their special tile of design and color reflecting thier gratitude for me.   OK, did we purchase enough tissues in our supply cache?   My Logistics and Operations volunteers, Pat and Piper grouting each side.  Appropriate.   See, it continues to get better.    

If you were not lucky enough to be volunteering at the retreat and did not see the transition blossom – I assure you we sent home 20 girls today, all knowing that this was their TRUE Birth! day.   A new hope,  a new life. 

Hmmm, thinking about Retreat number SIXTH.    Best get much needed rest first.  As for my volounteers? You know they are inspired; as we are packing up today, after tearful goodbyes with the girls they requested the program to be one more day longer.   I am humbled for thier dedication, commitment and heartfelt love for this program, the girls and me.   The team is rooted.   The girls are ready to grow.    

Time to exhale, but only for a moment.     

Lesia Cartelli (Founder and Director)

We opened the day under brilliant blue skies and a less-than-100 degree day expected.  All were excited to continue the Angel Faces journey.  Yoga mats were spread out on the rolling, wide lawn in front of the retreat’s gazebo and experiencing the energy and stretch of morning yoga.  Piper and Jill led the group as well as explained the use of yoga technigues for physical and spiritual regeneration.

Breakfast was a simple and a delicious combination of eggs and granola.  One of the girls was heard to say that she had never eaten anything “organic” before, but that everything tasted suprisingly well.  The new experiences at Angel Faces just keep on coming.

I told “my story” not only as a tool for connection with the girls but to let them know the lessons and pitfalls I experienced.   When my photo, one year after the burn injury, came up on the screen I could see the girls identify with the reality of the scars.  But to leave the lesson at that… would have been nothing more than what they experience at a burn camp.  The real lesson is the recovery, the choice to push past the pain and victim role and to become the person that all of these girls can choose to become.  The lessons continue.  The girls will be fed upon more skills and techniques for a success journey.  I am assured that change is not only witnessed but inevitable for the girls (and I’ll admit, maybe us).  Thier openess is astonishing.  One that leaves us….well….one can only imagine.

After lunch the process had continued.   The mosiac project comes with a message of taking broken shards from treasured plates, creating something new.    Kathryn and Tania (a flight nurse from Children’s Hospital in San Diego and reknown Art Therapist) assisted the girls in working through not only an art project but also the therapy of the creative process. 

There are lessons to be learned in everything we do here; the time frame is intense and the work to be done with these girls is too important to fill the time with anything that does not further their healing journey.  The jewelry table was also a setting for good conversation and valuable creative energy.  Meanwhile lots of the girls took great joy in lounging in the retreat’s pool.  Jill (our lifeguard) took gentle care of the girls, not only with water safety but also caring to make sure that a joyful moment was in abundance.    

I can’t even begin to explain the transitions that took place witht he corrective cosmetics.   It’s beyond words.  That will need to wait till later…

So many lessons this evening; too much to explain.  But I assure you no time is wasted up here; rapid and solid growth is our goal.  We will continue to provide the seeds of growth;  a bountiful harvest rests in these girls’ futures.    

Again, I am exhausted, yet inspired….tomorow, another door, another light, another miracle.   Good night and God, God Bless.

Lesia    

Waiting for the girls to arrive we were full of anticipation and concern–how was their flight; did they get their luggage–like a mother hen waiting for her chicks to come home.  Nothing was complete until the last girl arrived.

In all the heart work we did yesterday as a group of volunteers–the synergy, teamwork, and sweat equity–I am reminded of the compassion of the human spirit as I see the dedication of these women.  (Not to mention unloading and hauling supplies in 100 degree heat.)  I am blessed to be surrounded with such support.

We have 20 girls here from throughout the U.S., Vietnam, and Mexico.  We are in awe of the magnitude and severity of their burn injury, but even more in awe of their strength, courage, and hunger for healing and thirst for wisdom.

The theme of the introduction was acknowledging and using their personal power to make choices and create change.  Then we tried something new.   Each of the  girls who had attended in the past, were asked to prepare a presentation for the new girls, reflecting on how their life has changed because of the choices they have made based on what they learned at Angel Faces.  The team sat stunned.  We we astonished, tearful, and proud of their accomplishments–far above our expectations.  Not only did they present well, but they spoke from their heart.  Hearing these messages from their peers was a profound way to start off the week.  The girls shuffled off to bed with a peaceful energy and a grateful smile.  They are inspired about tomorrow … hopefully all of their tomorrows.

I’m crawling into bed inspired, too.  Yes, I’m exhausted, but I know that Day Two will bring even more miracles.

Good night and God bless.

Lesia

Greetings everyone:  I know we are getting close to heading up to the retreat because my email inbox is filling up with messages from the girls who are attending….”Who is my roomie”?  ”I’m so excited: I can’t sleep”!   So eagar the girls are to be inspired, to be loved and to be heard.  Hey, arent we all?   I’m moving away from all the details (which my awesome volunteers have acomplished) to focusing how we can best serve the girls for our highest good.   I’ll start by reminding them to pack light.   Bet they don’t know about the extra luggage fee the airlines are charging!