When I decided to be a Jesuit Volunteer it seems that it was an illogical decision. I had to give up a rewarding and fulfilling job in Singapore, I have to leave the comforts of having my family and friends around. Most people I love didn\u2019t understand my decision, and to be honest, I have doubts myself. It was a leap of faith, it was like jumping off a cliff in reckless abandon trusting God to catch me for He is the one who called me to it. And what seems like an irrational decision changed my life and taught me life\u2019s great lessons.<\/p>\n
I always take pride of strong and independent woman. I have good grip of my emotions that other people find me stoic. When I joined JVP I was whole, but my experiences of poverty and injustice broke me. I thought I was strong enough to handle a child crying because of hunger. I thought I can compose myself front of a mother trying to bring her child to hospital without a money in her pocket. I thought I won\u2019t be affected by the story of a wife who\u2019s husband is unjustly killed leaving their four children orphan. I\u00a0realize that strength doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t cry or be emotionally vulnerable. True strength doesn\u2019t come from being whole but from allowing yourself to be\u00a0broken yet still have the heart to fight.<\/p>\n
A reliable 3G connection, heater, toilet are luxuries. This list are endless. Leaving the comforts of your home you\u2019ll learn to appreciate every little things just like the sunrise, the wild flower, a smile, the rain. You\u2019ll realize that everything is a gift.<\/p>\n
Service is not just doing what you\u2019re suppose to do, but giving your heart to everything you do. It is the manifestation of love and not a duty to be fulfilled.<\/p>\n
Doing fund-raising works taught me a lot about humility. You\u2019ll be rejected over and over again. You will be stripe you off your pride. It takes a lot of humility to accept rejection. It takes a lot of humility to acknowledge that there are things you can\u2019t change and that you can only do so much.<\/p>\n
Saying sorry is one of the hardest thing to do. It\u2019s just hard to admit that we are wrong or we made mistake. But one of the noticeable ethos in my mission area is saying sorry. Everyone is humble enough to acknowledge their mistake and say sorry. And I\u2019ve learned that being ready to say sorry every time\u00a0heals wounds and strengthens relationships.<\/p>\n
Being a volunteer, I was challenged and pushed at the brink of my limits. But I learned that the space outside my comfort zone is where magic happens. You\u2019ll discover your potentials and do things you never imagine you could even in your wildest dreams.<\/p>\n
During the course of my volunteer year there were times when I wanted to quit. Sometimes everything doesn\u2019t make sense, but it is also when God taught me to trust Him. I learned faith just like a flashlight in a dungeon, it doesn\u2019t illuminate the whole place but just gives you enough light for the next step.<\/p>\n
Only in silence will you hear the voice of God. Away from the frantic world of digital age, I had the chance to relish the wonders of staying still and embracing the joys of silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cLove is willing the good of other as other\u201d according to St. Thomas. Being a volunteer. As a volunteer it allowed me to go out of my own ego and love and serve those people knowing that I won\u2019t be reciprocated. Love is give giving of one\u2019s self without reservation.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re in a place where you don\u2019t have anyone or anything you\u2019ll learn to pay more attention to God and His promptings.<\/p>\n
Being a Jesuit volunteer is not easy. There are lessons that you will only learn when you make yourself vulnerable. You\u2019ll get hurt and be disappointed but one thing is for sure, it\u2019s all worth it.<\/p>\n
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