My Observations from my journey to Vietnam with Team4Tech and the Pure Good Foundation.
Written by Eugene McGrath
As I stare into the eyes of a group of children ready to learn I wondered “Why did I do this to myself?”, I am in a foreign country half a world away, in a setting that is completely unfamiliar and don’t even speak the language. I take a deep breath and begin the lesson about how each of these children have the potential to improve the world around them and become the solution to many of the challenges around them today. One by one each child’s face lights up with hope, excitement and the desire to learn but even more so you can see the impact it has made on them that a stranger from half a world away cared enough to spend a few precious hours with them. It is in that moment I realized that this experience was as much about changing my life as it was changing theirs.
All too often I have avoided challenges that make me feel uncomfortable and inadequate but its these moments that have the greatest potential for self-improvement and personal growth. Vulnerability is rarely pleasant but how can we hope to strive for higher goals without being in situations that test every fiber of our being?
Some months ago I made the decision to seize an journey of self-discovery by working with Team4Tech to educate children in one of Vietnam’s Orphanages in the mei kong delta. On paper it includes many of the things that scare me: Far from home, a Language I don’t understand, Culture (and food) I am unfamiliar with and expectations that I can teach a subject that is not my expertise. Little else could put me out of my comfort zone as this situation does.
A few days into this experience I started to realize that this experience is exactly what I needed. What started as an opportunity to give back has become one of the most educational experiences of my life. It seems almost comical that I came to teach these children but in turn feel like I am learning the biggest lesson, Step outside your comfort zone and be vulnerable so you can let the experience talk to you and change you in ways you never thought possible.
So why did I do this to myself? Because stepping out of your comfort zone could change the life of a child forever and perhaps your own in the process.
#PureStorage, #PureGood, #Kidspire, #Team4Tech, #Vietnam