Changing lives through service

A student’s account of a mission trip to Vanuatu

“Only ten metres to the top, just keep going.” This is something I had to regularly tell myself when visiting Vanuatu on a One Mission trip with a crew from Avondale. Actually, I led the trip. We were staying on the top of a mountain, with a 180-degree view of the ocean 80 metres below. Each afternoon after helping build two cyclone-proof classrooms, we would hike down the tiny path to the boulder beach below to cool off and shower only to hike back up to the top where we lived.

The trip is one of the best things I did at Avondale. It taught me the importance of service and the difference it makes to others. It taught me the importance of working hard and challenging myself to grow and be a part of something bigger.

We stood in silence on the large concrete stage, broken chairs and tables strewn across the cracked platform, the ocean air clearing our clouded minds. This is where the school stood before Cyclone Pam’s devastation in early 2015. Large chunks of concrete had pulled away from their foundations. Water damaged textbooks were unreadable. Overturned filing cabinets had become destructive weapons under the force of the wind. Thankfully, most of the people from this village had prepared and run down the mountain to their hideaway cave at the bottom of the large cliff edges that were just metres away from where we stood. Those from other villages weren’t as prepared, leaving huge devastation.

What we were there to do, eight months on, was bigger than just building two classrooms. These buildings would not only become a haven in the time of storms but also a place of celebration, learning and community. We worked hard with the people from the village to create this space. Upon completion, we had an opening celebration with lots of flower lays and a gratitude that made it hard to leave a village we had come to call home.

When we left the village, we visited Tanna Island to see Mount Yasur, Vanuatu’s live volcano, and swim in the Blue Cave. We tried deep-sea trawling with one large tuna catch and sent an underwater post at Hideaway Island. An amazing overseas adventure.

From trips to Cambodia, East Timor and Vanuatu, I chose to make the most of these opportunities. Not only do they offer an exciting trip of a lifetime, they pose challenges to grow us (including getting organised before the trip with fundraising and promotion). These trips look good on your CV and can help set you apart from the crowd.

If you have the opportunity to go on a mission trip, go! Work hard to achieve your fundraising goals, make new friend, and enjoy the experience.