Be the Change

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandi

So after five trips our service finally comes to a close. All of our trips and hard work has finally finished. We have had many things that happened throughout our visits. Each time we worked on vocabulary and then tried to do something to make our visit fun. We made cookies with them and they gave us some soda, as we exchanged items it was as if this was symbolism for exchanging friendships. When we finished our last visit it was hard to say goodbye. All the things that we worked on we saw come to fruition as we began to talk about their life in Malaysia, and as they began to understand our life here in the U.S. Our family was so kind, always ready to learn new things, and even as we are younger then them, they respected us, and we them. Our family did have a difficult time speaking and understanding English, which just gave us a chance to learn and be more observant. We began to watch they gestures and facial expressions for cues of confusion and angst, as well as cues for happiness and joy. The little boy even looked at us with less fear as time went on. He would look at us and smile and observe how we would interact with his parents. He even felt comfortable enough with us that he took a nap near by us.

I would like to say that overall this was a success. At first I wasn't so sure, but my last visit reminded me why it was a success: friendships were built and smiles were obtained, jokes were exchanged, and people said nothing in vain. Understanding was known, as opposed to the misunderstanding, and peace rested in the hearts of those present. Going forward and using these interactions for further learning curves as we shall encounter other interactions, it is best to know that patience and observations are key. Knowing what they expressed as confusion on their face is more universal than having someone say, "I don't know" in a thousand languages. We must not look at how we cannot communicate, but upon how we can, and what this means for the nature of our relationships with others.

As I conclude, I realize that Grace in Service was accomplished, not because I was present, but because of the gifts we were given in our attempts to communicate through our service. Change starts with one, and is obtainable for many, but first one must recognize the potential from within.