Peka is a 17-year-old working class Samoan from Via Dolorosa Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Modesto, CA.

Three weeks after R2W, Peka shared a testimony about her experience at R2W with her church. She reported back: "We started out singing Open The Eyes Of My Heart Lord and then we said the Accords. After that, we each got a chance to say our testimonies about the most important thing we got out of R2W.

"I talked about my Faith and how one of the main reasons of me applying to R2W was because my Faith in God was weakening. I was confused because I basically grew up in church with the mentality that "Things happen because God intends them to." And I was wondering if God is the reason why things happen why out of all people would he make my family struggle? My family basically devoted their lives to God -- our family has been going to church for as long as I can remember, we pray every day, and we even donate money to the church!

"Going to R2W helped me realize that there is more to our struggles than God. I learned that there is a Spiritual, Economic, Historical, Political, and Spiritual reason why we struggle. At R2W I was given the chance to share my struggles and my family's struggles and to learn about the many other people in the world with struggles.

"P.S: Thanks R2W soo much for all the experiences once again -- from all the worship services we had, meditations, pilgrimages, and especially the LGBT church [City of Refuge] experience. It helped me have a better understanding of things like MY FAITH! and now I can proudly say that my Faith in God has strengthened and I've become a happier person."

Peka's reflection after R2W:

From Peka's R2W application:
"I believe that my questioning God has helped me to have a more open mind about why things happen, which has also made me a stronger believer than I was before.

"One of the main social issues I am concerned about is animal abuse... I have become a vegetarian because I am disgusted with the way that these poor animals are being treated."

Eizen is a 19-year-old Filipino from FIlipino United Church of Christ in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. He is currently a student at University of Hawaii at Manoa. A few weeks after coming to R2W, Eizen sent this reflection:

From Eizen's application: "I like to talk about things that may seem odd or weird. Some of these weird things include social issues, what is our purpose on Earth, and are our lives predetermined or not. I am the type of person who roots for the underdog and loves to be imaginative... This past year, I found that spirituality and religion are two different things. I have tried to mix a lot of religions together and see what happens."

"My daily wardrobe consists of sweats with a hoody. I'm tan, tall, and thick, with nappy black hair always pulled up into a 'messy' bun. According to the stereotype, Samoans are 'loud, mean, and stupid.' I'm none of those things. Matter of fact, no Samoan is... A couple of years ago, my high school had the highest dropout rate in the state... Students get so bored and frustrated with school that they think it's a waste of time..."

Aunofo is a 17-year-old Samoan from First Samoan Congregational Church in Tacoma, WA.

"I love to play the piano. Playing the piano helps me relax - sometimes I even fall asleep at the piano! And it's not cuz the songs are boring...

"The social issue I am most concerned about is the price of gasoline and its sudden increase... My family has been majorly affected because my father drives 90 miles everyday to work... it's getting to the point where going to work is too expensive. My father basically needs 100 bucks to just get to work and back."

Brandon is an 18-year-old Samoan from Via Dolorosa Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Modesto, CA. Brandon graduated from high school this spring.

"I'm half Samoan and half Filipino. This is gonna be my second time back for R2W. I never used to talk because I didn't feel right opening up to a group of people that I didn't even know, but toward the end of the program, it finally clicked to me that it was okay to open up and share my story with the people that were in R2W. This program really helped me open up and see things in a different way. So this year I'm back and ready to step my 'A' game up and try to be a better and stronger leader."

Carolyne is a 20-year-old Pilipina Samoan from Second Samoan Congregational Church in Long Beach, CA. Carolyne participated in R2W in 2007.

"Going to R2W [in 2004] awakened me to the dire situations occurring in our country. I've always learned about these things in school or in the news, but it was an entirely different experience being able to step into the action and experience life from a different perspective.

"I play the piano and I love to paint. I cannot live without art... I love the feeling of being inspired by something and then driven by passion to complete a work."

Crystal is a 17-year-old from Taiwanese American from Seattle Christian Alliance Church in Seattle, WA. She will be attending the University of Washington in the fall. Crystal participated in R2W in 2004 and will be returning for her second summer in R2W.

"Being a person of color where I live is hard because people look at you and judge you before they meet you... walking down the streets, people are just staring at me and it pises me off... police officers harass people just because of the way they dress and the way they walk down the street."

David is a 17-year-old Samoan from Second Samoan Congregational Church in Long Beach, CA.

"If I could change anything in my community, I'll tell you, I'd get rid of all the violence in the community... so we can walk down the street without worring about watching our back every moment and feeling unsafe in our own homes.

"The negative part of my culture is that my family settled for what we got... some may see it as a normal thing in life, but I strongly believe that life has more to offer... reach for the moon because the worst thing you gonna hit is the stars. True story, I'd tell you."

Fabiola is an 18-year-old Mexican American from East Oakland, CA. She is currently a student at San Francisco State University.

"Wrestling and judo are some of my hobbies.

"The social issue I am most concerned about is the fact that America has many obese people. For some people their only escape from this crazy world is to binge eat... to comfort the soul... What the heck do we do about this? Obesity puts a big strain on the health of the person and might run in the family... that is the issue I am really concerned about."

Grillena is a 17-year-old Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, MIcronesian from Church of the Holy Cross in Hilo, Hawaii.

"I am the annoying person in the back of the class that always has something to say... I grew up in East Los Angeles. East Los Angeles is 95% immigrant families of Mexican descent. Although this is a large population of people of color, there are still the typical threats to our safety by the police department, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), schools, and social services that do not understand our modes of survival as immigrant and working class families.

"The most important aspect of my culture is its ability to give hope for a better day and its ability to heal my community's hate and despair. Living one more day as brown, black, queer, women, men carries in it power as manifestation of our resistance. "

Hugo is a 19-year-old Xicano from Lynwood - East Los Angeles, CA. He is currently a student at UC Santa Cruz.

Joelle is a 16-year-old Filipina from United Church of Christ in New Brighton, Minnesota.

John is an 18-year-old Cambodian from Central United Methodist Church in Stockton, CA. He recently graduated from high school and will be attending Delta Valley College in the Fall.

"The biggest social issue that I'm struggling with is gang violence. Being raised around a lot of gang violence, I myself got into some shit but... Now-a-days, people don't use their hands and legs, it's all about cars and guns, which affects everybody - innocent-ass people, people's loved ones... I mean come on now, God put us out in this world for a purpose..."

Julius is a 17-year-old Samoan from Second Samoan Congregational Church in Long Beach, CA.

Linda is a 19-year-old Cambodian from Central United Methodist Church in Stockton, CA. She participated in R2W in 2007 and will be returning to R2W for her second year.

"Many people disagree with the way I express myself and eighty percent of the time they look down on me and say that, 'Marika's another one of those gangster Asians that causes trouble and all that.' You know what I say to them? I tell them, 'I'm exactly what you think I am. I'm exactly the way you think I look, and that's how I'm always going to be until you get past your assumptions."

Marika is a 17-year-old Thai Cambodian from Ceres, California.

"People remember me as the girl who loved purple... The parts of my culture that I feel are negative are how young women are treated like they are in a jail cell sometimes and how they have to do all the cooking and cleaning... Serving others is important to me along with my faith, but how far can I take it? How do I know when it's too much or too little?...

"I have a purpose in life and R2W is going to help me find it."

Martha is an 18-year-old Cambodian American from Central United Methodist Church in Stockton, CA. She recently graduated from high school (Congratulations, Martha!) and is returning to R2W for her second year.

"I have been raised in Hawaii and have never left the Polynesian triangle... To me, colors are the best way to express what kind of person you are. The colors I chose to represent me are orange, green, and pink. Orange is loud, yet soft... I'm interested in music, dance, art, and sociology. I love to dance, and art symbolizes life to me in its ever-changing and unexpected turns. Sociology is the only class at which I can be myself. It helped me better understand why I am the way I am today."

Melenaite Fusi is an 18-year-old Tongan from Kilohana United Methodist Church in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"I'm interested in Astronomy, Psychology, Political Science, and Ethnic Womyn's Studies... I'm applying to R2W because I'd like to develop my leadership skills more -- to try to make things happen... leadership at my school has become a social scene and not one that really initiates the kind of change that I'm looking for. I want to surround myself with people who actually care, but take the next step in stepping out of their comfort zone to make effective change."

Michelle is a 19-year-old Filipina from Filipino American United Church of Christ in Fremont, CA. She graduated from high school this spring.

"I love mentoring and counseling the younger kids... I want to be part of R2W because it's like what I'm doing, but more. It makes me feel like I'm not the only person doing it alone. I want to learn things from the program that I can take back to my community. The [outreach activity] we had in Oak Park gave me some knowledge that I can use, so I want to go and learn more."

Ravy is a 21-year-old Cambodian Buddhist from Oak Park-East Oakland, CA. She is currently a student at San Francisco State University.

"The current social issue my community is facing is our education system. The state has issued a [high school] exit exam. No one can graduate without passing this exam. Most of the students are not test takers..."

Richard is an 18-year-old Samoan from Congregational Christian Church in Hacienda Heights, CA.

"I like to get involved in community projects. I am passionate about youth and my goal is to work with the youth in EPA [East Palo Alto]. There are many homeless people who live under the bridge... I go every Tuesday and feed them. I am also working on a documentary about Tongans in the Bay."

Sunia is a 16-year-old Tongan from First United Methodist Church in East Palo Alto, CA.

"As a Pacific Islander living in Ceres, it feels kind of disappointing because people stereotype me to be this big fat Samoan. I have this t-shirt that I wear that says, 'Sorry, I don't speak Spanish. I am Samoan.' I like to wear it because it makes people take a second look at me..."

Taulau is a 15-year-old Samoan from Via Dolorosa Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Modesto, CA.

"Life as a young kid in the Fillmore wasn't the prettiest pciture and I saw drugs, violence, lost friends, did dirt, your usual ghetto story, but none of that was me.

"I am a writer... I hope to one day write a book. I also love kids. I work as a peer-mentor/counselor and tutor for a program called College Trak in Oakland, CA which is designed to aid minority, under-resourced kids who are motivated to attend four-year universities."

Tibebe "Tupi" is a 21-year-old Tongan Ethiopian from Siasi Uesiliana Tau'ataina O' Tonga Vaiola and the FIllmore District in San Francisco, CA. He is currently a student majoring in English and minoring in Ethnic Studies at City College of San Francisco.

"One of these days, I am going to go to Africa on a volunteer mission... I want to be so many things and I wish to have so many personalities, but I feel that being a preacher's kid limits me."

Ungatea "Taya" is a 20-year-old Tongan from First Tongan United Methodist Church in Millbrae, CA.

"I live in Compton... these days, gang violence is getting out of control. Every day someone is shot..."

Vera is a 17-year-old Samoan from Second Samoan Congregational Church in Long Beach, CA.

"Between last year and this year, I have gone through a dramatic change... I've learned to take things more seriously when it comes to things such as the budget cuts in America and even the 20-year-long war in Northern Uganda.

"Modesto High School is a great school... Along with that comes the I.B. program in which more than half of the students are white... there aren't a lot of people of color getting accepted into this program... I love the color of my skin, but sometimes I wonder what program I would be in if my skin was a little lighter."

Viodolorosa "Vio" is a 16-year-old Samoan from Via Dolorosa Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Modesto, CA. She participated in R2W 2007 and will be returning for her second summer with R2W.

"I like reading books and writing poetry... I also like watching films that take a critical look at the world... For the past year, I've lived in Santa Cruz. It's very hard being a student of color in a white campus. I feel so mad and uncomfortable most of the time... it is also very difficult because of the class differences that exist in the school... In Oxnard, I am surrounded by other people of color and I feel more at home, but I live in the middle of a gang injunction. I have seen friends, neighbors, young people being brutally targeted by the police and by the school system.

"I wish patriarchy could be ridden of so men don't have to feel the pressure to comply with machismo and become like their fathers and their fathers' fathers... "

Yesenia is a 19-year-old Mexicana/Chicana from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Oxnard, CA. She is currently a student at UC Santa Cruz.

"My name is Daniel, I'm a son of immigrant parents. That means, just like many other families, I grew up in what you would call 'The Hood', where the struggles of day to day life blind you from the world. In this bubble I lived for 18 years of my life, now a free thinker, with the universe at my disposal, the life I live is more or less in my control. However, to this day, others are bound by these background forces that try to keep them there. It's time to liberate yourself from these chains and find the real you hidden inside."

Danny is a Mexican American from South Central Los Angeles. He participated in the R2W Summer Institute in 2007 and has been a Congregational Leadership Intern since 2007. He is currently a student at Pasadena City College. Danny will be a Residential Assistant at R2W this summer.

"I was born in the Philippines then moved to Hawai'i when I was five years old.  I grew up in Kalihi, an impoverished neighborhood in central Honolulu on the island of Oahu.  Because Hawai'i is so racially diverse (I was a
minority among minorities) thinking about my racial identity (am I Filipino or American or Hawaiian or all?) was not an issue.  Instead, I thought about my working class status, 'Why do my parents work 2-3 full time jobs?', 'Why am I the first one to graduate from a university?', 'Why are the Filipinos in Hawai'i mostly in the service-sector?' It was all due to economic injustice.  Consequently, with the issue of economic justice arose my desire for activism.

"One thing about me... I  have to shower and change clothes at least twice a day... It's hot in Hawai'i."

Jeffrey is currently a Master's in Theological Studies candidate at Pacific School of Religion.

"Hey y'all!!! My name is Ose. I am Samoan, born and raised in South San Francisco. I lived in Modesto for a couple of years along with my extended family and church. I am currently 20 years of age, just living out on my own with very good friends of mine and taking courses at City College of San Francisco. Music is my major, specifically vocals because I find it as a creative way of teaching and just telling a story as it is - the way a word is sung, the way it empowers people to engage, and even getting the crowd's attention. As amazing as it sounds, I am trying to get back on my feet with song writing and being productive. Being a part of the R2W program not only helped my improve my ways of thinking, but also opened doors with what I wanna do in life. This year, I see a lot of musically inclined participants and talent, so I'm looking to be a part of that!

"One thing that you might not know about me by looking at me is that I don't like coffee, but I work at Starbucks."

Ose is from Via Dolorosa Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Modesto, CA. He participated in the R2W Summer Institute in 2006 and was a Congregational Leadership Intern from 2006 to 2008. He will be a Residential Assistant at R2W this summer.

"Peggy to you and the world, mommy to my son…baby T.I., wifeeh to my husband, daddy’s lil girl to my siblings, headache to my mommy.  Yeah, well nothing to really know, I live life to the max, thank God everyday and night for everything, but yeah, R2W has really impacted me in ways even you wouldn’t undertand.  20 years young, got a good family, great church, and I LOVE MY LIFE AND MY SON!"

Peggy is a 20-year-old Samoan from Second Samoan Congregational Church in Long Beach, CA. She participated in the R2W Summer Institute in 2004 and 2007 and has been a Congregational Leadership Intern since 2007. She will be a Residential Assistant this summer.

"I was born and raised in Norwalk.  I am 22.  I come from a working class family.  I am passionate about the sovereignty of my people.  My generation of Tongan women will be different from my mom’s generation.  I am valued as a woman but it doesn’t’ mean I get to do what I want whenever I want.  However, I am learning how to move to my own rhythm and resisting the contradictions I face because I know there is something bigger than me.  I choose to step out of the traditional roles I am confined to." 

Sina is a 21-year-old Tongan from Long Beach, CA. She participated in R2W Summer Institute in 2004 and was a Congregational Leadership Intern from 2004-2006. She is currently a Polititcal Science major at San Francisco State University. Sina will be a Residential Assistant at R2W this summer.

"My name is Victor. I am of African American, Native American, and Irish decent. I was raised by my grandmother in south central Los Angeles after my parents split up when I was four.

"I received a sub-par education from LAUSD [Los Angeles Unified School District] because all the public schools I attended received poor funding. My neighborhood was no stranger to gang activity, police discrimination and brutality, low property values, lack of economic opportunities in the form of jobs, and a long history racial discrimination in other forms.

"My father being an ex-con/gang leader, he stressed the importance of education as the key to escaping the trap society places to hold young men of color in an unequal position. Currently, I am finishing up my final year of community college and am preparing to transfer to a University. 

"I am a Deacon at New Testament Church of Christ Holiness as well as the Sunday school Co-superintendent. I enjoy hanging out with friends, a good movie, book, or videogame, listening to music, talking with my younger sisters on the phone, and participating in things that edify my spirit." 

Victor is a 20-year-old African American from New Testament Church of Christ Holiness in Los Angeles. He participated in R2W Summer Institute in 2006 and was a Congregational Leadership Intern from 2006 to 2008. He will be a Residential Assistant at R2W this summer.

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