We were able to be part of the groundbreaking ceremony and the moving of rocks for laying the foundation of the water system. We were welcomed into the village with ceremonial musical instruments, singing and dancing. It was an ecstatic celebration. We got to know the villagers and were invited into their homes. I got to connect with the elder midwife of the village, and she was warm and amazing. She brought me into her home, and I was able to massage her hard-working hands with oils. Little boys from the village flocked around my business partner, Nicky. Jenny brought her sparkle of fun and her gift of empathy to the journey. We worked hard, played games daily, danced a lot and it was a gift to build community with a village across the world. 

Along the winding and bumpy road to the village, we were able to visit one of our Wintergreen distilleries. We were blessed to have Jared Moon, a Co-Impact Sourcing expert with doTERRA along with us for the journey. He showed us how the oil is distilled. We got a little dram of the oil to take with us. My little boy still treasures that pink Wintergreen oil. We met the three young women, who harvested the raw material. It was weighed and they were paid on the spot. They were glowing and so proud! We learned from Jared that they teach the harvesters how to do this sustainably. One of my biggest takeaways was learning that we are one of the only companies in the world, who puts resources into maintaining these relationships with our harvesters and distillers. It creates clear communication; one example is the pitcher that receives the oil was plastic because that’s all that was available. Since Jared visits the distillation sites, he is able to see when a process needs up-leveling, such as providing the site with a glass pitcher. It is a deep honor to be part of such a high integrity company. I will always carry this journey in my heart. I treasure my team reaching for the stars and look forward to experiencing more adventures with them.