Two things that out: Our first day in the community

  Ghana June 9, 2026

After our first day visiting the school community where we will be working, the boys were given 20 minutes to reflect in their journals. The prompt: identify two things that have stood out since our arrival. Below are some of their reflections.

What can I do?

bring money, clothes, prosperity? 

Maybe no now,

but surely a smile. 

There are no malls, or dazzling jewelry,

but there is history. 

I can bring faith, culture, and respect,

that is all He requires.

• Eli Loudenslager ’28

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“Friendliness of the locals. Throughout  the trip, I have gotten warm welcomes  by many different people. Many of the kids waved and laughed with us. The village leaders welcomed us with open arms during the presentation. Also, our tour guides have treated us well and helped us have fun.”

“Freedom of the animals. The animals are not really pets, but there is a mutual relationship: the animals roam free, the locals provide food and animals come back. We have seen goats, dogs, cats, and chickens uncaged and unleashed  throughout the towns. The animals come and go as they please, but in turn they make pick up many diseases.  (Which is why we cannot pet them).”

                                                

“The classroom, play area. In the classroom there were activity stations to promote real life scenario learning. Unlike in the US where the kitchenettes are plastic toys, the toys in the classroom were real items.  For example  in the “kitchen” play area, there was an old pot and rice cooker and empty boxes of food items. In the pharmacy play area, there empty medicine cases and boxes.”

                                         

 One of the kindergarten classrooms

“The importance of community and respect for others. Community is very important here. We have seen this in many different ways.  Getting the approval to work in the school from the community leader and elders. The friendships and bonds that MBA has formed with the Squads Ghana crew over the years, and the mutual excitement to see familiar faces and checking in about old friends.  When an elder in the community asked a child to help set up the chairs for our arrival, the kid did so, no questions asked. The inclusion of and participation in prayer from different religions.”

The presentation of our intentions to the community leaders:

 

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Our Ghana 2026 Story Begins: Mission and Vision

 Greetings from Ghana!

We are excited you have found your way to our blog! Throughout the trip the boys will share parts of our  journey here with you. We may have a variety of entries from poems, and letters, to artwork and compositions, just to name a few.

Prior to our departure, our group met with Ms. Williams to create a mission statement to help us set the tone of the trip. Below is a copy of what was created.

We are eager to begin our work in the community and to share our experiences with you. We hope you enjoy!

- Ms. Hackney

Panama, March 15 - A Full Day 1, by Marshall Wagner

 Today we went to a boat tour of islands, which were off the main stream of the Panama Canal.  We saw a variety of wildlife.  First we went under the “Oh My God” Bridge, which is now only a railroad.  It is called “Oh My God” bridge because the bridge was skinny and made from wood and when the Panamanians drove on it, the wood would rattle, making them think they would fall off.  We also observed many cargo ships passing through the canal.  Near the section of our tour, the canal was at its most slender point, so a watch boat would have to follow behind the large cargo boat to ensure safe transportation of the goods.  

After going under the bridge there was a large crane like machine said to be used in WW2 that the United States gifted to the Panamanians.  The machine helped carry the cargo containers from barges to the shore.  Our guide explained that today that a large strip near the machine provides sanitation for the canal, ensuring no trash remains in the water.

The guide also talked about how the canal was built and how the French failed to complete the project because they did not account for changes in elevation.  After they quit, the U.S. came in and used a lock system to make a sort of elevator system to carry the ships through the mountains.  Without the canal it would take ships about as long as it took Magellan to go around the continent.

The first type of monkey we saw was the howler monkey. The monkey was a darker pitch black and made a deep groan when predators were nearby or just when they heard an unfamiliar sound such as a boat engine.  The howler monkey’s main predators are the crocodile and the national bird of Panama, the harpy eagle.  The tour guide explained to us that a female howler has some lighter skin while a male is all black. The monkeys, like cats, prefer not to swim but know how to from natural survival instinct.  

As we circled the islands, we also observed many bats, small birds, and even a small turtle.  We also saw a white face monkey and a smaller monkey that honestly looks more like a fat scary lemur.  The “fat scary lemur” was actually one of the friendliest animals in all of Panama.  There were about five of them, and they were very friendly.  They crawled in the boat, and Jackson, with the help of a snack, was able to dab the creature up.

As we headed back to the bay which we left from, Roan told the guide that he could survive four days on the island.  The instructor sadly denied Roan’s statement and said he would perish in one night due to how many mosquitos would bite him.  

Overall the tour was very informational and interesting to see the history of the Panama Canal and the wildlife which is in it.

Greece, Day 3 - Jagger, Liam and Sammy

 The morning started off early. We hit the road running at 6:30 AM sharp, waking up around 6:00 AM and eating a nutritious on-the-go breakfast. We hopped on the bus and went straight to the dock, where we boarded a cruise. As we waited for departure, the cold began to strike. The wind was strong and had many of us regretting our choices of clothing. First, we travelled to Hydra. It was a long yet beautiful journey. While sailing on the awe inspiring Aegean Sea, and taking in the different shades of blue on the water, the crew slowly began to migrate inside of the boat due to the cold weather. We continued to enjoy ourselves inside the warm boat with each other for the rest of the journey to Hydra. Upon arrival, the crew split into two groups: one that went on the walking tour and one that went to explore on their own. We, Room 303, decided to take the road less traveled. We went to a peak above the city, where there was a flagpole. Viewing the city from above, we were once again taken aback by the beauty of the Greek Isles. After Hydra and a wonderful lunch atop the boat, the crew dropped their cortisol, picked up their vibes, and headed to Poros. There, we took a quick touristy pitstop, scanning the shops, taking in the views, and laying the seed for our future Instagram posts. Then, we embarked on another stunning boat ride, this time to the land of pistachios, otherwise known as Aegina. On Aegina, we took a bus tour across the island to The Cathedral of Aegina, the first cathedral of free Greece, and then to the Temple of Aphaia, which was built in the 6th century B.C. and impressively still remains today. After this, we took a long journey on the Aegean Sea, accompanied by the vibrant sunset. We then ate dinner at the London Hotel and promptly went to bed after an enlightening culture bomb of a day.

Saturday, 3/14, by Chad, Cole, and Crosby

Saturday was a full and meaningful day. A group of twelve guys started the morning the right way by running a couple of miles before breakfast. After we watched a presentation about the work we’ll be doing with refugees who have fled here to Greece because of war and about the upsurge in refugee populations to Greece over the last 12 years. We talked about ways we can serve them and what our role will be during the trip. Later in the morning we went to the beach together to look out at the Aegean Sea. We took some photos and played around by the rocks. The view of the water was beautiful and we then walked across the street to a Greek Orthodox Church then to a coffee shop. It was a great way to spend our free time before lunch. In the afternoon we traveled into Athens and visited the Hellenic Parliament building and spent time exploring the Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology with a few of the teenage refugees whom we will be working with in the coming days. It was really interesting to see how advanced some of the inventions were such as a house alarm and a pulley lever system and to learn about how music was created and used in ancient Greece. It gave us a cool glimpse into the creativity and intelligence of people from thousands of years ago. We then watched the sunset on the bus and headed for dinner. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out, talking, getting snacks, and enjoying each other’s company before getting ready for the next day.

Day 1 in Greece - Friday, March 13, 2026

 Friday, 3/13

Already, on day one we experienced Greek culture, religion, food, and architecture.  After arriving at the Athens Airport on an overnight flight and some frustrating time waiting on the tarmac, we met our Squads guides Yana and who escorted us by a nice coach to the Hotel London in the beautiful Glyfada area of Athens. After a delicious traditional Greek lunch at the hotel and a little rest, about half of the group headed out. Our friendly tour guide Yama took us to a nearby park adjacent to a beach on the Aegean. The beach not only was an ocular masterpiece, but also gave us a chance to bond as brothers of MBA. We also visited the Greek Orthodox Church in the neighborhood. The Church’s circular structure and beautifully ornate interior conveyed to us the Greeks’ pride in their beautiful religion and culture. To end our tour, we stopped to get delicious Greek espresso at Cafe Vesti. At the end of the night, we finished off by getting a quick smattering of some Greek concepts, geography, history, and phrases and participating in a  team review game directed by Stella and Yama, our two lovely tour guides. Most importantly, we learned to say efcharisto!  Consistent with ancient times and a recent pattern with Nashville’s team, the Titans fell to the Olympians 10 to 5. 

We are off and running and can’t wait to explore the Greek world further 

Ms. Williams is working on adding photos, but it’s not working from the Panamanian forest!

“Walking atop the towering trees’ canopies in Kakum National Park, ” by John Christopher Wooten