“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

This was my second year doing VGM, and it was a very different experience from last year because I actually knew what I was doing this time around. Thank the Lord. Especially since I was lucky enough to go to Suantou again this year, I knew what to expect and I saw many familiar faces. I also was blessed to travel and serve at VGM with my family, which helped me feel more at home. All these factors contributed to a newfound self-confidence and trust in God that I struggled with last year. I went through a learning stage during last year’s VGM. During this year’s VGM, I really feel that God helped me to build on what I’d learned, step out of my comfort zone, and grow.
The eight days of VGM went by in a blur. A tiring but happy blur. Still, there are plenty of special moments that I remember. On the first day of school, I was excited to meet the kids in my class. Although I was teaching first grade again, this year I had 9 girls and 3 boys, the opposite of last year. I was looking forward to some sweet and tame girls to bond with, but little did I know they’d explode with craziness by the end of the camp. What surprised me on the first day was how quickly the kids latched onto me and my teammates. I could already see and love each child’s beautiful personality and cuteness. A highlight of the first day was playing with the kids during recess. They were obsessed with the swings, and found it hilarious when I started pushing Melchi on the tiny swings.

The second day of camp was slightly more demanding, because Catherine and I were leading the science workshop station. I was worried with how to manage the time and how the kids would react. But thanks to God, the activities just about fit into the time we had, and the kids begged to take home the oobleck slime and fake snow that we made. We ended up taping folded bowls with fake snow in them, and the kids happily called them “shui jiao” (dumplings). A funny coincidence that happened was that I got asked the same question from last year: Why are you so tan if you’re from America? This time I was ready with a response: The sun’s also in America! Even though the kids realized I was a foreigner, they connected with me and their almost instant love touched my heart. On that day, I made my first home visit to this girl named Jasmine’s house. At first I was a little nervous, but then found out that her family was already Christian. My teammate Apple and I basically had the nicest conversation with a sister in Christ. Though we didn’t lead someone new to the Gospel, we had an uplifting first home visit.

I was apprehensive for the third day of VGM, since we had to run the scavenger hunt station game. There seemed to be a lot of possible setbacks based on the practice run. I prayed for everything to run smoothly, and God once again took care of my worries. We also had to teach the Peace Like a River song and motions to the kids, and we worried it would be too hard for them. But they seemed to love the song and sang it enthusiastically, along with other sing and play songs. I took it as a sign that we had planted some seeds of the Gospel. One day I hope these children truly experience peace like a river, love like an ocean, and joy like a fountain that comes from God. On the third day, I made my second home visit to a girl named Sandy’s house. Sandy’s dad made delicious popcorn chicken and basically gave us a great lecture on how he raises his kids. Although we saw a shrine at Sandy’s house, we were glad to hear that her father didn’t object to his kids going to church, and said he sometimes reads the Bible. God opened the hearts of many Taiwanese parents we met.

On the last day of VGM, my patience was tested the most. Almost every kid in my class became loud and hard to control. One girl named Jamie was especially hard to deal with, because she would wrap herself around teachers’ legs, refuse to participate, and scream. One time after recess she hid from us because she was sad we didn’t give her attention by playing with her. Melchi and I tried everything, before finally carrying her by her hands and legs to the classroom! Despite being frustrated, my teammates and I patiently kept our mouths shut and worked even better together. We managed to teach “Jesus Loves the Little Children” as a performance song to the kids, and talked to them about Jesus. On that day, I took on a challenge when I led a review game all in Chinese without translation help. Many times, I had to stall to slowly read the Chinese questions out loud, which resulted in me saying “umm” at least five times. The kids mimicked me, but God helped me to stay calm and confident. At the end of the school day I visited two houses. First, I visited my previous student Josh’s house because I taught his little sister Jane this year. The next house was Leo’s, and it was impossible to find on Google Maps. We wouldn’t have been able to go, but God provided someone to lead us to the house.
Overall, despite the heat and getting sixty mosquito bites, this second VGM trip was so worthwhile. This time I have learned to take more initiative and responsibility. I’ve thrived in the amazing fellowship of hardworking, Christ-loving people and the sweet interactions with my kids. I know I will forever treasure the connections I’ve made and the experience I’ve gained from this camp. The two most important things I’ve learned this year are:
1. Be confident—God will always provide and make a way. When you have confidence, you also show faith in what God can do through you.
2. We can make an impact in children’s lives—5 days may seem too short, but with God anything is possible. I was reminded of this when seven of the children that I taught last year came back to the VGM camp this year and remembered me.
I am so thankful I got to experience VGM again this year. It is an honor to serve God and others. Remember, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9