I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed. With most of our local service hours done and payments complete, team Vietnam is nearly ready for their last few meetings before take-off!
I can’t speak for the whole team on what their experience has been, but for me this has been a life-changing few months. I spent the last six months volunteering with Real Life, a refugee mentoring program led by Youthlinc. It was an absolutely amazing experience for me. I adore all the kids I met there. The days I went were filled with laughter, teasing, and fun. I learned to appreciate and admire other cultures and people in a very unique way. I don’t think there are many people who have as much pride and passion about who they are, their culture, and life in general than those Real Life teens. They constantly reminded me to not take life so seriously and to enjoy the present. I always left feeling happier and more energized than when I came.
Another experience I have enjoyed is seeking out support for fundraising projects. I have reached out to schools, stores, and individuals to donate supplies needed for our trip and have had an overwhelmingly positive response. My basement will be filled to capacity by the time the month is over! Seeing the generous response by both adults and children is so inspiring to me.
As most of you who will read this already know, team Vietnam has the best team leader. Britnie has been such a great role model and example to all of us, continually inspiring us to do a little bit more and put a little more heart into our experience, reminding us that “whatever effort we put in now is returned exponentially to us in the form of meaningful experiences and the knowledge that our efforts are what made an impact.”
As we finish out the last few weeks before our adventure, just a reminder to the team that everyone needs to email Jim a copy of their lesson plan and help with team and committee fundraising.
See you all June 8th!
Until next time,
A