With everyone now back at home and wrapped up in their winter woolies, these are some final reflections on our time away that were not included in the earlier blogs. I am so grateful to the whole team for their co-operation and care throughout the trip. We are now looking forward to planning for our 2015 Service Trip.
Alex: The most valuable part of the trip has definitely been talking to people (students) that I would have never have thought to speak to, such as those in younger grades.
Sarah: The best thing about this service trip is being able to talk to and meet new people from different grades and different ages that we see everyday at school but never think twice about talking to.
Stuart: The most significant thing that has happened to me was after the service we did. I went and spoke with Able (a Crossroads volunteer) and when he told me his story it was inspiring and told me so much about God and why service is good.
Lachlan (Mac): The service trip has been a great success in the sense that everyone has participated in all the activities and has done so with excitement and enthusiasm. The participation from the students has been phenomenal and is a product of the teachers great encouragement to get involved. All up, the service trip has exceeded my expectations in the amount of fun that has been had and the impact we have made on the lives of the less fortunate.
Daniel E and Nick W: So far in the service trip we have had a lot of fun meeting the Crossroads people and having the chance to help them out with different things. It has been a good experience to learn more about the challenges that people in this world face day to day, especially through the simulations run by Crossroads such as the blind experience. It has also been exciting visiting the markets and trying to bargain with the stall owners for random souvenirs.
Zoe: Looking back on our time at Crossroads I have found that the simulations we did had the most affect on me. Through them we experienced blindness, aids, poverty and explored Fair Trade. The reason these had such an effect on me is because the stories and issues became real through them, I got to see what the people we are helping go through on a day to day basis. I also realised how glad I was to live in Australia and not to experience any of these situations.
Lachlan Mo: On the service trip, one of the important activities we did was the poverty experience at Crossroads. In the activity we had a full on simulation of what it's like to be in the poverty cycle. It meant a lot to me as I tend to not realise what I have and am often ungrateful for the things I am able to do because of my parents hard work. It was a great experience.
Josh: During my time in China and Hong Kong so far I have found it really exciting to be embraced in the culture. I have really enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone to try new foods and new experiences while I've been here. It's not every day you get to go on a trip like this so for me, it's really exciting to be in a place like this. To be more specific, I really enjoy the food because it's not just individual meals for each person but there is a variety of foods that we all share. It's really new to me and is an amazing experience.
Steph: I found that the experience at Crossroads, Hong Kong, impacted me in a number of ways. Personally, I found the real sense of community at Crossroads so encouraging and inviting and I loved the fact that I felt a part of the community, even after only being there for a couple of hours. The other aspect of Crossroads that has been particularly important to me was the service that I was able to partake in. I had the opportunity (with the rest of the team) to pack containers full of furniture and clothes which would then be sent of to third-world countries, such as Zambia, and benefit those in need. It is so humbling and brings such joy to know that what I am doing is going to help so many people that are less-fortunate than myself.
Anonymous: The reason I came to crossroads was to help people who have less than me and, while that's not a bad reason, I didn't fully understand what they needed. It's not money or sympathy, it's education, empathy and understanding. After this trip I have a deeper desire to help anyone who is in need, no matter the problem or how long it might take to fix, I have seen the effect that I can have and the effect that many people can have on such a complicated issue as poverty. Before this trip I didn't think that I believed in God, but after seeing the compassion, empathy and willingness of the volunteers at Crossroads, to give anything and everything for people who they don't know, it's hard not to think that there is someone working through these people to make the world balanced and fair.
Ben: Visiting the Xian International Boarding School in China, we listened to an interpreter talk about the history of the school and how it developed over time. Mr Fowler took part in a traditional Chinese gift exchange with the principal of the school which was a very exciting experience for me as it shows how nice the people are to their guests and how much respect everyone has for each other seeing as they treasure what they do have and how they are willing to share their personal items with others.
Lachlan Mat: I was shocked in Hong Kong while I was testing electronics for Crossroads, because even though we were in the trade and technology capital of Asia, there was still very primitive technology there for us to be testing for local use. It really made me realise how lucky we are in Australia, as we can easily and cheaply get the latest gadgets, without the help of others.
Sam: The Terracotta Warriors were the most interesting for me because of my love for Ancient History and for the fact that the warriors were made by real people centuries ago and most of them are still intact today.
Nick B: Throughout this trip there have been ups and downs but what stood out most for me was the care and compassion that each of my fellow trip members had to the people who cared for us, the people we worked with and the people around the world we were helping. The blind experience at Crossroads really changed how I feel about people in need and how we should help them and I would urge anyone who wants to help others around the world to come on the service trip 2015.
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