“The volunteer work in Israel was beyond my expectations. To be honest, I was actually a bit worried at first; worried about the cultural difference, worried about not being accepted by the kids, and most of all, worried about not being able to communicate well with the staff members.
However, to my relief, not only were the kids full of life, they were also willing to have a conversation with us despite the fact that some of them only know a little bit of English. It warmed my heart to see how easily children at camp accepted us, no matter how old we are, no matter what skin color we have, and no matter what language we speak.
Furthermore, one big difference I see between the kids at camp and in Taiwan is their simplicity and their willingness to participate in any activity with no complaints. From my experience, it takes a lot of effort to make children listen to you, especially those who are only 11; however, while I was teaching a game to them, not only did they pay full attention to me, but also did their best follow the directions.
To me, nothing in the world can delight me as much as the bright and innocent smiles they give me when I praised them for their work.
Volunteering in Israel has certainly opened my eyes to a whole new perspective, and filled my heart with love and compassion for this country. If I ever get another chance to volunteer in Israel again, I’ll hop on a plane without any doubts.”