I honestly enjoyed serving at the 2017 VGM mission trip, it was very interesting to meet and serve with the Taiwan team.

The VGM trip was important in developing relationships with members that had to be worked with. Some of the memories that had stuck out were walks to get to the school we were volunteering at, mainly getting to know the various college students. A lot of the comments on majors and courses allowed me to gain insight on future careers. Being someone who was going to enter sophomore year this fall, it would be important for me to determine the best way to spend my time.

My time at VGM was an interesting one as I dealt with being sick, and as a result it was hard for me to focus on the purpose, as often felt just like collapsing. What’s funny was that I got sick not due to anything unique to Taiwan, but simply not getting enough sleep. The air conditioning unit had a certain light that shone directly into my eye, and so by the end of the week, I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow one from Michael, and as simple as that, I was able to go to sleep. A lesson learned from that would be to be prepared, but at the same time a piece of advice would be to bring a small backpack to carry things for the day, while using a separate container for clothes and bathroom supplies.

Overall, I would just try to enjoy what you have, try to talk to Taiwan coworkers, try to be nice to your kids. I found myself irritated by the kids at times, but by the middle of the week they were alright to be around. Dealing with annoying kids who don’t speak your main language isn’t that bad, especially if you have a good partner like I did with Katherine. Try to be focused, don’t be let down by the heat or how tired you may get, just remember that you are there for a purpose and that you should stand your ground even when the world beats you down.