By: Estelle Cai
I’m the only international student in our Asheville group, and I feel very lucky and to be here to go through these amazing things we have done together. My program supervisor at MSU strongly suggested our Chinese group to take part in this, which is so good to have him.
For me, this trip means a lot different compared to my teammates. It’s not only about delivering service and doing good things to local people who are in need, but also about cultural things what has just happened in front of me. My teammates are so good and every time I find something new or something I haven’t been through before, they were very patient to explain it to me and shared their knowledge and information with me. To be honest,I was also a little bit nervous before I came to this trip because it’s my first time to be involved in a US students group. I’m not sure whether I can get good along with them in a comfortable way. I hope to be a part of them but I know there are some difficulties like my language, which sometimes can be a problem. But it turns out they are so nice and take care of me a lot. Thanks them a lot for their kindness which makes me feel at home and leaves a lifelong precious memory.
Time moves so fast. It already wrapped up our third service delivery day here in Asheville. We went to Haywood Street Church. It is a place providing free service to homeless people. They have many programs like helping hair cutting, Haywood Street Respite, which offers a safe place for homeless people to stay on a short term basis after being discharged from a hospital, and Downtown Welcome Table which is what we have helped with today. It’s a free lunch meal which is open to everyone who feels in need, and we were there to help them managing and handling those around four rounds of people who came here for lunch. Today is a different day for all of us. We just finished reflection and each of us was just so moved and impressed and there were a lot impacts on all of us.
I want to share some stories about today. When we were there helping those people with there lunch meal, I think they felt being cared and the love from the society. Most of them are very gentle. They were very appreciated to us to be there. I remembered a man who finished his meal and he was going to leave. He stayed around for a while and collected lots of flowers from tables and gave it to us and said thanks. He has a little bit accent and some of his words that I can’t catch well, but I got his words that”I remembered you, China girl.” It was so touching and I felt proud of what I have done. They may feel that not only our people care about them, but the world is also caring for them. I felt we were very close at that time. It’s just one or two days for us to be there, but it may give them a lot courage and positive attitudes to them to live a better life.
I’m also very impressed by many of workers there are volunteers. They donated their time to be there to help them out. People here are so kind to help each other. They have the concept about that and they actually take actions to do so, which is really precious. There is also one thing I felt very moved that when we went to mobile market the other day with YMCA, another social work organization we worked with. They go on different sites to give away free food to people who are in need. I met a couple who is originally from China. I talked with them a little bit, and asked them whether they are good here. They said they were not in very good situation but they likes to be there. I was so moved that they were treated well in this place.Thinking about the reason why I’m here, I also want to do something to help people out here. I like to see a world like this. People care about each other a lot no matter who you are or where you are from. One world, one dream. Let us do something good together for humankind.
I want to say I’m so proud of our team. We did a really good job together. We began to do something to change the world already. I’m so proud of them. They chose to spend their spare time of Spring Breaks on these meaningful things. I admire their sense of responsibility at such a young age, and every time we do reflection, they are talking about what we can do to help the situation back in Springfield. I saw a lot on them which I am lack of and should learn from. I’m also so proud of myself. I left some part of me here and I’m going to take a lot back home. Those good memories and thoughts will keep in my inner part all along my life. Go Bears!!!