In the past 7 days, we transported 14 suitcases of donations,
built 21 eco-stoves for local families and interacted with many little children
at the Mayan Families pre-schools. These figures are good to note, but to
summarize our trip only as such would be missing the point of service. In fact,
numbers can scarcely capture the intrinsic value of our collective experiences
that has shaped each of us in deep and personal ways. What endure in our
hearts, however, are the sights and sounds, the stories we share and the
thoughts that we put down each night in our little journals. These are the
valuable gems that encapsulate our experiences and allow us to gain a better
understanding of our own sense of being. At the close of this chapter of our
transformative journey, I would like to reflect upon two thoughts to share with
everyone in the Rotaract family.
Before the Guatemala trip, I stumbled across a TED talk
delivered by Daniel Wong, a senior of mine who is now working as a consultant and
motivational speaker. In his presentation, Daniel urges young individuals like
us, who are passionate about the humanitarian cause, to pursue our aspirations
with an empathetic spirit and not regard voluntary work as simply a problem
solving enterprise. Having that measure of empathy requires us to first
recognize that the people we are trying to assist share the same humanity as we
do. Regardless of life circumstances, we as givers share the same basic needs,
emotions, bonds and problems as the receivers of our aid. Our privileged
background does not entitle us to the right of offering our resources on top of
a self-righteous pedestal. It only reflects our impoverished attitudes and
lamentable superiority complex if we approach service with a clear demarcation
of social category lines in mind. It will serve us well to remind ourselves
that at the most fundamental level, we all want to be valued as persons worthy of
dignity and respect. As Daniel mentions in his TED talk, people desire to be
understood first before being helped. This is a universally true principle that
should guide our approach to service for any voluntary activities we may take
part in the future.
On a more poignant note, I would like to share a metaphor
that came to me as we were riding the bus on the way to the airport on our
final day in Guatemala. Winding through the hills at 6 am in the morning, I was
struck by the gorgeous sunrise that was slowly creeping over the horizon. As
the nascent morning light gradually painted the sky a fiery orange, everything
that were visible against the sky were cast in silhouettes of all shapes and
forms. That everything around were ink black compared to the sunrise unfolding
in the distance emphasized the beauty of the colors streaked across the skies
even more.
In my thoughts, our international trip to Guatemala was just
like the sunrise that I admired. The experience over the past 7 days immersed
us in a world where our life’s embellishments were temporarily cast in
silhouettes. Accolades and achievements, exams and grades – these monuments of
student life were promptly reduced to shadows at the onset of our journey. In
its place, we discovered a lovely sunrise that is the people and environment of
the Lake Atitlan region. Our time in Guatemala gave us a glimpse of the beautifully
simple things that the bustle of student life has detracted our attention from.
We saw the bond of family ties in the homes that we built stoves in; we shared
the joy of little children who enjoyed our company; we were captivated by the
enchanting beauty of Lake Atitlan and the surrounding volcanoes. When we were
having breakfast one morning, I remarked that this was the first time in a long
while that I had the time to sit down properly and eat breakfast with people.
It was a sentiment shared by many of us around the table.
Even as we manage to accomplish the mission of service that
we set out to do, I am glad that the trip also illuminated many parts of our
personal lives that are precious and significant in many ways. For me at least,
this trip will always remain in my heart. A mesmerizing time that painted the
skies of my life a beautiful riot of colors.
And boy, was it a gorgeous sunrise!
- Rui Zhang
