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S areflection

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A trip to South Africa opened the narrator's eyes to the meaning of "give and you shall receive." The narrator, from a small town in Oregon, never imagined visiting Africa but went with the thought it would check something off a bucket list. However, the trip proved far more impactful. Visits to a game reserve and orphanage shaped the narrator, as caring for the children there revealed why the trip was really about - showing love and compassion. Though there was an initial language barrier, the children soon warmed up to the group and it was clear they just wanted to be loved. The narrator realized this trip was about much more than a checklist item and was the most eye-opening experience of their

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Give and you shall receive. I had never fully understood the true meaning behind those words until our adventure to South Africa. To be honest,I amnot sure if even those who preach those words unto others fully understand. Coming froma small town in Oregon,neverin a million years would I ever think I had even the slightest opportunity to step foot on the continent of Africa in my life. Frankly,at the time, I casually thought that this trip would just help me cross off one more thing frommy bucket list. Little did I know,I was in forfar more than that. Immediately after getting off the plane in Johannesburg, I got the sense that this would be one of the best trips of my life. That feeling even remained when the 20+ of us were thrown into a van. A very cozy van. While riding to KShani Game Reserve,I couldnt stop peering out the windows. Whetherit was because it was impossible to sleep with Valentines elbow digging into my side or if my natural curiosity was just taking over, I could not stop looking at the faceswe were passing by.In a way, what I saw in those unfamiliar faces could be seen in every single one of ours. At the moment, I wasnt sure what specifically it was that drew me in, but I knew they were facesthat I wouldnt forget. After driving for5 hours (and then some),we arrived at our dormitories. Its not everyday that you see buffalo drinking out of your swimming pool. But to those who lived in the area, I suppose it is. This put into perspective howclose to the wildlife we really were. This wasnt some 5-star Marriot hotel 10 miles away fromthe safari. It was far better than that; we WERE part of the safari. Arriving to the Siyakhula Orphanage forourvisit, I had mainly prepared my self for at the most, some paint stains on my t-shirt. I ended up leaving with more than just prints on my clothes, I left with imagesof Elizabeth and the childrens faces imprinted to my memory. When at the orphanage, I remember usspotting children who were at first seen sitting on straw mats in the shade,seeming emotionless. Naturally,we all wanted to play with the children.But we had assigned work to do,which we all then started. While waiting for the first coat of paint to dry,Sherrie, Taylor B, and I stepped outside. Being the teenage girls we were, we couldnt help but go up and approach the little ones. We fell in love with themwithin the first few seconds, and needless to say, we never did end up returning to the painting job until quite a while after. It was impossible not to love these children,though they initially had no smiles on their faces,and showed no soundsof laughter, and despite that the language barrier kept usfromspeaking with them, every single one uson the trip knew that these kids just wanted to be loved.And that was exactly what we did.
It didnt take long forthe children to warmup to us.By the end of the day,they were grinning fromear to earand laughing theirinnocent laughs, and looking up at us with bright eyes. Looking into their eyesyou could just not only see, but also feel howthey felt. We all felt the love and compassion, and warmth fromthe children. It was as if they were relieved that finally, someone is making an effort, and that someone out there cared.That wasthe moment that I, and probably many others,realized why we were really here. Our trip continued with many more unforgettable visits to the orphanage and the primary school. Ourexperiences with the kids at the primary school could to say the least, be described as hectic. I have never been swarmed or trampled by children in my life, up until the visit to the primary school. In a strange way,it was flattering to see their reactionsto ourgroup. It really showed the hospitality and theirwillingness to welcome outsiders,and theiracceptance of others. Throughout the rest of the trip, we experienced a handful of more safaris, van troubles, uniquely secured snack shops, Kudu stew, plenty of birthdays, marshmallow roasting bonfires, African dances, sweeping endlessamounts of sand, wild segumas, frogsin the dorm, baking ideas fromCosmo magazine, and so much more. This trip, I realized; hasbeen farmore than something to check off my list. It has without a doubt been the most eye-opening experiences of my life, and every aspect of this trip has come to show that with all that you give, you will receive in return. We have all given time and effort to all the wonderful people weve met on this trip, even if it was just a mere week of ourlives,and in return, have all received an indescribable learning experience that we will all take with us from now on.

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S areflection

  • 1. Give and you shall receive. I had never fully understood the true meaning behind those words until our adventure to South Africa. To be honest,I amnot sure if even those who preach those words unto others fully understand. Coming froma small town in Oregon,neverin a million years would I ever think I had even the slightest opportunity to step foot on the continent of Africa in my life. Frankly,at the time, I casually thought that this trip would just help me cross off one more thing frommy bucket list. Little did I know,I was in forfar more than that. Immediately after getting off the plane in Johannesburg, I got the sense that this would be one of the best trips of my life. That feeling even remained when the 20+ of us were thrown into a van. A very cozy van. While riding to KShani Game Reserve,I couldnt stop peering out the windows. Whetherit was because it was impossible to sleep with Valentines elbow digging into my side or if my natural curiosity was just taking over, I could not stop looking at the faceswe were passing by.In a way, what I saw in those unfamiliar faces could be seen in every single one of ours. At the moment, I wasnt sure what specifically it was that drew me in, but I knew they were facesthat I wouldnt forget. After driving for5 hours (and then some),we arrived at our dormitories. Its not everyday that you see buffalo drinking out of your swimming pool. But to those who lived in the area, I suppose it is. This put into perspective howclose to the wildlife we really were. This wasnt some 5-star Marriot hotel 10 miles away fromthe safari. It was far better than that; we WERE part of the safari. Arriving to the Siyakhula Orphanage forourvisit, I had mainly prepared my self for at the most, some paint stains on my t-shirt. I ended up leaving with more than just prints on my clothes, I left with imagesof Elizabeth and the childrens faces imprinted to my memory. When at the orphanage, I remember usspotting children who were at first seen sitting on straw mats in the shade,seeming emotionless. Naturally,we all wanted to play with the children.But we had assigned work to do,which we all then started. While waiting for the first coat of paint to dry,Sherrie, Taylor B, and I stepped outside. Being the teenage girls we were, we couldnt help but go up and approach the little ones. We fell in love with themwithin the first few seconds, and needless to say, we never did end up returning to the painting job until quite a while after. It was impossible not to love these children,though they initially had no smiles on their faces,and showed no soundsof laughter, and despite that the language barrier kept usfromspeaking with them, every single one uson the trip knew that these kids just wanted to be loved.And that was exactly what we did.
  • 2. It didnt take long forthe children to warmup to us.By the end of the day,they were grinning fromear to earand laughing theirinnocent laughs, and looking up at us with bright eyes. Looking into their eyesyou could just not only see, but also feel howthey felt. We all felt the love and compassion, and warmth fromthe children. It was as if they were relieved that finally, someone is making an effort, and that someone out there cared.That wasthe moment that I, and probably many others,realized why we were really here. Our trip continued with many more unforgettable visits to the orphanage and the primary school. Ourexperiences with the kids at the primary school could to say the least, be described as hectic. I have never been swarmed or trampled by children in my life, up until the visit to the primary school. In a strange way,it was flattering to see their reactionsto ourgroup. It really showed the hospitality and theirwillingness to welcome outsiders,and theiracceptance of others. Throughout the rest of the trip, we experienced a handful of more safaris, van troubles, uniquely secured snack shops, Kudu stew, plenty of birthdays, marshmallow roasting bonfires, African dances, sweeping endlessamounts of sand, wild segumas, frogsin the dorm, baking ideas fromCosmo magazine, and so much more. This trip, I realized; hasbeen farmore than something to check off my list. It has without a doubt been the most eye-opening experiences of my life, and every aspect of this trip has come to show that with all that you give, you will receive in return. We have all given time and effort to all the wonderful people weve met on this trip, even if it was just a mere week of ourlives,and in return, have all received an indescribable learning experience that we will all take with us from now on.
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