Personal reflection by Betty Sim
Published: 28 Jul 2023
On early 26 June, I left for my first ever mission trip to An Binh Elementary School, 190km land transfer from Ho Chi Min city together with a group of 9 others from ACTS. We were to teach English and conduct fun crafts and activities to about 200 children as young as 3 years old to Grade 6 in the summer camp.
I recalled in one of the spiritual preparation sessions conducted by Friar Mike, he said “No love is too big or too small”, “Open your eyes to see and feel”, “Go with Love above all else, respect them…” these words etched in my heart & laid the foundation for me.
The first thing that touched me were the genuine smiles of the children. The welcoming smiles, friendly outstretched arms, coming up to hold our elbows and hands without reservation warmed my heart immediately. They show sincerity and were not afraid of strangers even though this was the first time we met. We taught them simple English words, incorporate songs and fun activities in the classes. Each time we enter the class, you could see their eyes sparkled with joy and wearing big wide smiles on their faces. Every morning, I just looked forward to these smiles. They may be poor in material things, but they are so rich in their love!
Despite the sweltering heat, the children actively participated the chicken dance, and “London bridge is falling down”. We had such a fun time with both the playful children and volunteers as laughter filled the school yard. Next, we had hygiene lessons such as hand washing and brushing teeth which the kids enjoyed. They were so eager, excited and some of them even showed us their teeth after the practice!
I observed that the sisters are quiet and always serving the community, their gentle smiles have such a calming effect on me. They are patient and compassionate, showing their care for us by making sure we were comfortable and fed us well with local Vietnamese food. I admired their calm and collected demeanour. Somehow, I felt the strength and the love of Jesus through them.
Personally, this mission trip gave me much more than I thought I would be giving. The joy, the camaraderie was a very beautiful experience for me. Words cannot really describe the encounter in this short trip. It was truly a humanity experience that one can understand only if you go for the mission.
