on the cyclical nature of things

By Ai Vuong

As I brush off the cobwebs of my Sunflower Mission Workcamp Adventure Book and carefully etch “2011” on another page, I can’t help but feel a mélange of emotions. At once, this gushing sense of familiarity that both warms and comforts the soul rushes in, as this is my 3^rd consecutive workcamp.

Then, a grand sense of anticipation takes over because…of course, each year is different. However, this year, it’s not about my own experience with the workcamp, but it’s about the workcamp through the eyes of my kids.

This year wraps up my 2^nd year volunteering/working for a children’s shelter in Hue, Vietnam. I had utilized last year’s SM workcamp as an experimental service learning trip for four of my children, all of whom had metamorphosed beautifully right in front of my eyes throughout the duration of the workcamp, so this year I thought…why not do it again? As an integral piece to my Service-Learning program within the shelter to identify kids with leadership potential and instill in them a sense of community service and turn them into active agents in their communities, the SM workcamp serves as their “hands-on training.” The idea is for these kids to engage themselves in an entirely new experience and see the value of giving, then return to the shelter and lead a volunteer club with the other kids at the shelter. What could happen when these kids, who previously have been provided so many opportunities, are the ones to give back to their community?

As the fourth day winds down, under a breezy shady tree, on the pile of sand dunes in front of the newly built school, I took a seat and watched as my kids were stepping out of their comfort zones to mold their own experiences within the workcamp. One, whom I had taken last year, is the most comfortable, so he dived right in, being the charismatic boy that he is. Another, while naturally reticent, has put himself out there and made so much effort that the older sister in me is choking back the pride. My two girls have had more difficulty, as they’re both working through their personal timidity, but today they were playing and laughing right along with everyone. I love witnessing their experiences, as their eyes widen with new sights, new friends, and new ideas. Their curiosity is peaked, and each day brings more things to explore and understand.

Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the school, and I hope they understand the value of their hard work, why they volunteered their time and energy to lend a helping hand in building this school. I hope the value of the past 4 days of hard work isn’t lost on my kids, as they become part of the hands who will pave a path, carve an opportunity for others.

I took a hands-off (observational) approach to this year’s workcamp because I truly just enjoy watching the other workcamp-ers’ first experiences. Their joy in working under a hot Vietnam summer sun and their energy in entertaining local village kids put a smile on my face, as it reminded me of my summer in 2008, which ultimately lead me to return to Vietnam in 2009 and volunteer in Hue…so that I can now watch my kids experiencing the same workcamp. This Vietnam adventure book of mine has gone full circle…and the pages keep multiplying.