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Frankie |
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Frennie |
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Jasmine |
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Kin |
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Natalie |
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Pakhin |
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Queenie |
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Sam |
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Being Thankful
Frennie Ip, Student Development Office
It seems that I have already gotten use to reading reflective narratives written by students
of the Nepal trip. The more I read the more I am positively persuaded that I made the right choice
to embark on the service trip to Nepal. I remember the time when I read the words “great challenge”
on the schedule. This was the blatant truth, because I remember struggling to overcome said
challenge with students who were not that much younger than me. I kept pondering and almost
wanted to give up. However, as I thought deeper, I became more ambitious and challenged the
students to not only participate in a service trip, but to find something beyond the service itself to
create some unforgettable memories in their youth. Finally, I decided to co-organize the overseas
service trip to Nepal with Light On.
‘Servant Leadership’, implying “to teach others by one’s own example” and
“accompaniment”, led me to experience various events along with the students. Due to
“accompaniment”, I stood in their shoes, understood their fears, and experienced their weaknesses
and struggle. This firsthand experience positioned me to better appreciate their perseverance and
courage. They persisted to live without Wi-Fi, without taking showers, without electricity, without
disturbing local villagers, and persisted to carry the 20kg huge backpack by themselves. I even
witnessed them picking every weed on the farm, removing every nail from the wood, and teaching
prepared topics to Nepalese children with all their hearts. In these exhausting yet fruitful eight
days, instead of complaining, they treated everything with upmost respect. It seems that from their
perspective, the experience was wonderful. In this era of resentment and hostility, I saw my own
shortcomings and realized that I should strive to be more grateful, but also be courageous and
persistent.
Back in Hong Kong, the memory of exhaustion may fade away with time, but I know the
students and I will always remember the lessons learned and feelings experienced. |
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