About Me
- merrill
- Lesotho
phone number
In addition to email, you can now reach me at the following number: country code 00266. Phone number 59798168. If you email me your cell phone, I'll be happy to sms you! (talking for me to the states is pricey, but texting is reasonable)
Wish list, updated 1/31/10
Several people asked me to update this. Thanks for asking!! Just know that I know that shipping is expensive and I don’t need anything, this stuff is just “wants” I’m always thrilled when I hear from people on email, get letters, receive phone calls.... Sometimes hearing a voice from home can put everything in perspective in such a great way. With that, here it is:
WISH LIST:
Communication:
-phone calls... calling cards available on callingcards.com...10$ for 60 minutes.
-email... how are you doing? how's the family?
-letters... .94 for airmail stamp
-external hard drive
-double A batteries
-external speakers for my ipod. I had one set, but they died in about 2 weeks. They were great while they lasted!!
-Powdered milk (I can buy regular milk here, but it wont keep past a couple of days)
-crystal light. (or any brand) The individual sugar free packs... love raspberrty, fruit punch, any non tea flavors
-packages of just add water soup mixes.
-Pictures. I love to get pictures of people, kids, places… anything. They all go up on my wall and besides just enjoying looking at them, they are great conversation starters with the Basotho.
-tuna, chicken packets
- DVDs. All Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, TV series like Heroes, House, Star Trek, Will and Grace...anything that’s not terror. I will soon have access to electricity at the school during the week which would mean laptop charged and more movies.
-cinnamon
-garlic powder
-Im good with Zip locks for now
- CD’s… music (not country or acid rock) sermons would be awesome... I dont even care whose they are:)Please dont put them in mp3 format... I cant play em, and don't have enough battery power on my computer to figure em out.
- protein bars. Preferably high protein, lower carbs… nothing keeps here, so most of my protein comes from beans and sometimes eggs if the village shop has em. Sometimes, I crave protein.
Beef Jerkey, pepperoni sticks... did I mention protein?
-sugar free hot chocolate/chai tea
-Lorraine Rothenberg is storing my guitar and all my music… maybe get the music from her and throw in a few songs here and there as I may pick up a used guitar in S. Africa in the next 3 or 4 months.
- books. Magazines. I really love Time. Anything.
- sugar free hard candy.
-mix packages for salad dressing.. preferably ones made with vinegar as mayo doesn’t keep long (unless its during the cold months… feb-august)
-choc chips
- glue. My bible is falling apart…its small and a soft cover, so glue for the spine.
-extra set of guitar strings
-But it really is the thought that counts... anything is always welcome
-chai tea
-Barack Obama tshirt :)
- solar powered refrigerator and freezer. (just kidding)
WISH LIST:
Communication:
-phone calls... calling cards available on callingcards.com...10$ for 60 minutes.
-email... how are you doing? how's the family?
-letters... .94 for airmail stamp
-external hard drive
-double A batteries
-external speakers for my ipod. I had one set, but they died in about 2 weeks. They were great while they lasted!!
-Powdered milk (I can buy regular milk here, but it wont keep past a couple of days)
-crystal light. (or any brand) The individual sugar free packs... love raspberrty, fruit punch, any non tea flavors
-packages of just add water soup mixes.
-Pictures. I love to get pictures of people, kids, places… anything. They all go up on my wall and besides just enjoying looking at them, they are great conversation starters with the Basotho.
-tuna, chicken packets
- DVDs. All Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, TV series like Heroes, House, Star Trek, Will and Grace...anything that’s not terror. I will soon have access to electricity at the school during the week which would mean laptop charged and more movies.
-cinnamon
-garlic powder
-Im good with Zip locks for now
- CD’s… music (not country or acid rock) sermons would be awesome... I dont even care whose they are:)Please dont put them in mp3 format... I cant play em, and don't have enough battery power on my computer to figure em out.
- protein bars. Preferably high protein, lower carbs… nothing keeps here, so most of my protein comes from beans and sometimes eggs if the village shop has em. Sometimes, I crave protein.
Beef Jerkey, pepperoni sticks... did I mention protein?
-sugar free hot chocolate/chai tea
-Lorraine Rothenberg is storing my guitar and all my music… maybe get the music from her and throw in a few songs here and there as I may pick up a used guitar in S. Africa in the next 3 or 4 months.
- books. Magazines. I really love Time. Anything.
- sugar free hard candy.
-mix packages for salad dressing.. preferably ones made with vinegar as mayo doesn’t keep long (unless its during the cold months… feb-august)
-choc chips
- glue. My bible is falling apart…its small and a soft cover, so glue for the spine.
-extra set of guitar strings
-But it really is the thought that counts... anything is always welcome
-chai tea
-Barack Obama tshirt :)
- solar powered refrigerator and freezer. (just kidding)
oscar, lesotho
Megan, Lesotho
Blog Archive
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous.? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel secure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; its in eveyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, presence automatically liberated others."
Nelson Mandella, 1994 Inaugural speech.
Nelson Mandella, 1994 Inaugural speech.
The flag of Lesotho
"Khotso, Pula, Nala" (Sesotho)"Peace, Rain, Prosperity"
Lesotho, Africa
Lesotho is a country about the size of Maryland and is surrounded by the country of South Africa. And no Kent, I didn't make up the name of this country.
How to stay in touch.
There are 3 ways to stay in touch with me. The first is through this blog. The second is by email at cubbiesrock2010@gmail.com. The third is by old fashion post. My address is:
Merrill Nosler, PCV
c/o Peace Corps/Lesotho
PO Box 554
Maseru, 100 LESOTHO.
Use the above address for packages. Use the following address for any letters:
Merrill Nosler %
Lesotho Durham Link
P.O. Box 895
TY 200 Lesotho
Of course if you send letters to the Maseru address they will eventually reach me. Thanks
Merrill Nosler, PCV
c/o Peace Corps/Lesotho
PO Box 554
Maseru, 100 LESOTHO.
Use the above address for packages. Use the following address for any letters:
Merrill Nosler %
Lesotho Durham Link
P.O. Box 895
TY 200 Lesotho
Of course if you send letters to the Maseru address they will eventually reach me. Thanks
"HIV/AIDS is a devastating pandemic in many villages in Africa, moving silently and rapidly through homesteads and leaving a trail of death and misery. This is partly because it predisposes infected persons to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis. As a result, HIV/AIDS continues to undermine development efforts of both the present and future Africa. It is a new, silent, powerful, misunderstood and overwhelming threat to peace and security on the continent. Walking around the villages burying the dead beside the graves of their relatives, the reality of losing tens of thousands to AIDS-related illnesses leaves me and fellow Africans with tremendous pain and fear for the future."
Wangari Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her “contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”
December 12, 2004
Wangari Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her “contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”
December 12, 2004
"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."
Thomas Merton, "Thoughts In Solitude."
Thomas Merton, "Thoughts In Solitude."
13 comments:
Hello, the photos you posted were very interesting. I liked the picture of everyone sitting in a circle. It really had a sence of togetherness. I hope that someday I can travel the world, and help people. I hope that i can make an impact on someone's life in the way you have.
From your photos, it looks like you are enjoying yourself very much. Looking at the pictures made me feel sorry for all of the children and citizens there that you are helping. You must be very brave and have good character since you were willing to leave everything you know and love in order to help others. When I am older, I am going to try to help another part of the world just like you are doing.
Hello! I enjoyed looking at your pictures very much. The one thing that I noticed was that the surroundings that the children and adults are living in are much different than our own. I saw that it was very flat, dry, and not many buildings or trees were there. I think that it is extremely kind of you to help these people, because as can be seen, they need the help. One other thing that I noticed is that even though these kids have much less than we do, they still look very happy. This shows that they appreciate the little things that we take for granted here in the United States.
Hello, I enjoyed looking at the photos that you posted. All of the people that you are helping had big smiles on their faces and looked happy to participate in the events that they played. This shows that what you are doing is changing other people's lives in a positive way. Also, everybody was involved in the activities and no one was sitting out just watching the others play. It proved that even through the toughest times, if one cooperates with others, that person can still be happy. How you have helped unfortunate people has inspired me to want to travel and help people who are less fortunate than myself.
Hello! I loved seeing your pictures! I think you are doing an amazing and brave thing, and I have a lot of respect for you and those on similar missions.
I loved how everyone at least acts like they like each other for pictures! I am assuming that it is not just an act however, and I think it is great that everyone is friendly with each other and there are not cliques like there would be in the States. Also, I loved how they just looked like normal kids, experiencing normal life like any other, despite the many hardships they endure.
Keep posting pictures; I would love to see more soon!
Hello! You look like you bring so much joy to the people living there. I loved looking at the pctures with everyone playing field games. I almost wanted to go play outside! It's so compassionate of you to spend your life in this way. You are definitely living life to the fullest. I hope someday I can travel and make people half as happy as you seem to make the people in Lesotho. They look like they have a ton of fun with you. I hope you are having a good time in Losotho too.
Hello Ms. Nosler, the pictures you have posted are absolutely wonderful! It is so delightful to see how much of a positive effect your work has on the people of Lesotho.
You are such a brave person to sacrifice everything to make a difference in this world. The pictures you have taken portray true togetherness and happiness. It is so spectacular to see this, even in such a dire situation that the citizens of Lesotho and other African nations face everyday.
When I grow older, I can only dream that I could help the world in such a positive manner to the likes you have done. For that, Ms. Nosler, I applaud you! I would love to see more pictures!
Hey Ms. Nosler! These pictures so so inspirational and they truly reflect the compassion in your heart. I cannot imagine what amount of courage it must have taken to get out there and leave behind all that you've known. I hope that you are having a great time in Lesotho as you help make an impact on the world. Know that not only have you touched the hearts of the people around you, but those of the people who read your blog and are touched by the story of your transformational journey.
My favorite picture is the one where all of the kids are playing find the ball. It really shows that their just like us where they play games and have fun. If you have ever read The Alchemist, its just like the universal language that they talk about, where if we went there we would be able to play that game with them and have fun because its something that we all know how to do and have all experienced in common. This inspires me to go to these foreign places and find kids just like me and help them to have as good a life as I do because really they are no different.
Wow these are great pictures, they show sheer and pure human happiness and glee. The finding the ball pictures I thought were interesting. Very cool.
Hi, the pictures you posted are fantastic. It must be interesting working with childern from a different culture. From the pictures, it seems that they get so much joy from doing simple things like playing a ball game. You are doing a great thing by leaving the U.S. and helping people less fortunate than us.
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