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

 

Emotional, Joyful, Crocs, by Cam Davis and Cole Tomichek

 

The day started off with a simple breakfast consisting toast, rice porridge, and hard boiled eggs. As the tired students boarded the bus after their hearty breakfast, we began to get ready for the emotional and life-changing experience ahead of us at the Cape Coast Castle. 

We entered the castle not realizing all of the rich history. The tour started at the Male Slave Dungeon. The dungeon had several parts and chambers. There was a little trench that runs through each chamber draining male body excretion. Our guide told us we were standing on compounded human excretion and sand that was typically cleaned up by domestic slaves. 

We ventured to other parts of the castle. We saw a jail cell for rebellious slaves that were warriors and fought back against the guards. The cell was airtight and was very hot. The cell was lacking of any and all sunlight. We exited the claustrophobic cell to the nice beach breeze. 

After, we saw other atrocities like the Female Slave Dungeon and the Gate of No Return. The Gate of No Return historically was where the Africans exited the castle to become enslaved in other parts of the world. This place was also where some enslaved people would jump into the water to commit suicide before getting on to the tight and cramped boats that would eventually take them to Europe and the Americas. We also learned about how Sweden participated in the slave trade. During this part of the tour many of us felt emotional realizing that people in the past would never get the chance to return to the castle’s walls, whereas we did get to return. After the tour ended we learned the term Akwaaba meaning welcome in Fante. 

The students then went to the market and got things like a guitar, soccer jerseys, and other hand crafted items. When the gentleman left the castle they reflected what horrific things happened in the castle such as rape, beatings, death, and human trafficking and how some of these horrific events still happen today. For Cam, he felt mournful for his ancestors since some came from Ghana and could’ve experienced the same terrible fate. For Cole, he felt the seriousness and heft of what had happened and where he was. Even though it was hard for Cole to connect to the atrocities in the castle, he understood that terrible things had happened there.

Though we went through an emotional journey in the morning, good things were to come in the afternoon. We got to go to a store where, from long distance, Ms. Williams treated each student to three treats. Now to the more joyful part of the day at Hans Botel with the scary crocodiles, we fed fish and some of us even fed a crocodile. To conclude the crocodile sight seeing everyone went on a slow paced paddle boat and later finished off the day with a game of cards.