Changing My Life

I heard of Manos Sin Fronteras (Hands Without Borders) in 2017, and despite trying the treatments for some time, I stopped because of the rush of the last semester at university. A little less than a year ago, and in another city, I decided to look again for MSF to get the treatment called “Nervous System Equilibrium” and after two months of going every week I realised that it would change my life forever.

In mid-January I heard about the special course in Jerusalem, and although it seemed like a dream to me, I wanted to go. I had the pleasure to meet a wonderful person who told me that for a journey to begin, the first step is simply to decide to go. At that time I simply agreed, but I didn't take it very seriously, today I understand the power that this decision has. The months went by, and I was already planning to go the following year, and I was happy with that.

This year, unlike the others, there were two groups, one at the end of June and the other at the beginning of July. Almost two weeks before the first date, there was a twist of fate, and instead I ended up going to Jerusalem in early July. It was a wonderful journey, to have the opportunity to visit another country, another culture, to make new friendships, and above all, to learn, I cannot begin to describe it. I went to Jerusalem expecting something from the special course, and in the end, it was TOTALLY different. Don’t get me wrong, it was an extremely good thing.

Friends from MSF told me that the special courses have no comparison, either one course with another, or the experiences that each one has during the course. At the time I hadn’t quite understood what they were trying to say, but after the trip, I knew exactly what they were trying to tell me.

In October, I attended another special course, this time to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, more specifically the country of Buddha. This time I was completely sure I wouldn't go because I couldn't do another special course in such a short space of time. And again I was ok with it. But when you have to go through something, and it's time for it to happen, it’s all about making it happen for you.

You see, I’ve never been a person who shared his feelings or what I thought most of the time, I kept a lot to myself, rarely asking for help. And until then I didn't understand why everyone was always talking about how they felt, and I just said I was fine, which I wasn't, but I ended up wearing a mask, hiding how I really felt and what I wanted to say. The good feelings as well as the bad ones. And it was slowly suffocating me, and turning me into something I don’t even want to think about.

I went to that second course believing it would be similar to the Jerusalem one. I couldn’t be more wrong. I can say it was such a unique experience. The mask I insisted on wearing was ripped off and I had to face the reality of how I was leading my life until then, and in the end, I had to choose between changing and continuing as I was. I decided to change. As my friend Hilda, whom I had the great pleasure to meet on this journey, would say, we must take one step at a time, so that our balance remains.

As I said before, the opportunity to get to know a new country, a new culture, make new friends and learn, that’s something more than wonderful. I learned there that we must face reality the way it is. I learned that we should be grateful for what we have, when there are so many people with much less, and in some cases with nothing. I have also learned that change is not an easy or quick thing, but it is something that we should work on everyday. I found out what I already knew, helping others is one of the best things we can do. And above all, I realised that being humble is very important in our life.

I know that for many, I think for most people, special courses are transformative, they literally change the way of looking at life. But I also know that although we are all together on that trip, each one of us has his own experience, we all go through what we need to go through, and we get to the crossroads where we have to make a life-changing decision.

Special courses, as well as all MSF courses, are FANTASTIC, and none of them are the same. Each one has its own meaning, both for the group and for each one. I really hope everyone can do at least one of them at some point. Because the course does not end after we get home, this is where the hardest part begins, putting into practice what we have learned.