Sunday, May 29, 2016

What to Expect the Second Time Around - Julia

My first time travelling to Jamaica and participating in the global service experience was so rewarding that I decided to come back again. The main reason was because the trip opened my eyes to the poor living conditions here, the economic causes for this, and the appreciative attitude of the Jamaican people despite it. I wasn't educated about these things prior to my first trip and learning more about it and how priveledged I truly am, I recognized my responsibility to serve other people. Serve, not help. We stress the difference between these two terms throughout this trip because serving is done among equals. I do not feel better, higher, more rightcheous, etc. than the people here. The term help infers that I am better than the person I would be helping and that there is something broken to fix. On the contrary, we are all human beings and we all have strengths to exchange with each other. I am here to interact with these people, connect with them, give to them what I have to offer, and take from them what I may need. Service is a give and take process among equals.  One of the things I am really looking forward to this time around is focusing more on the connections that I can make with people while I am here. The first time I was here I took every little thing in, from what the buildings looked like to the beautiful views. This time, I notice that I am a bit more comfortable with the surroundings and what we see when we're driving through the towns because I already knew what to expect. My hope is that this will allow me to shift my focus more onto what is new: the people I will meet, the tasks I will learn to complete, and the issues I can make a dent in solving. Additionally, since I've been through a week of absorbing the culture and service process already, I am hoping to shift my focus to learning more about what I can do when I get back home. True service is never ending. It becomes a part of you that constantly takes effort to keep alive. I want to pay special attention this week to how I can better implement service back in my own community, and how it may also have a global impact.  You would think that being on the same trip twice would produce basically the same results and experiences. I can already tell this time around will be different, though. Think about when you see a movie for the second time. You notice things that you didn't the first time you watched it, I'm sure. You remember the story line better, or certain quotes that made you laugh again. In a sense, you get to know the movie better and take more away from it then you did the first time. I am so excited to have that experience with my service in Jamaica this time. Some of it is familiar, and some is still unknown, but I am keeping myself open to the hard work and personal growth opportunities that lie ahead this week. I am also excited to learn what strengths I will give to the people here and what they will give back to me.     Julia Stika

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