I knew that Thailand would be a powerful experience, but it also turned out to be a life-changing one that challenged and shaped me. I went to Thailand in November 2016 for a weeklong volunteer trip instead of the usual Australian end of school tradition- Schoolies.
My experience of growth began at the hotel we were staying in. Being in a new culture for the first time was strange, but also exciting at the same time. I spent a few minutes in the fresh cool morning air smelling the flowers and trees before I went to breakfast. After breakfast, my team went to the New Light CDC School in Baan Nam Kem together. When we arrived in the now morning heat, we went and performed a couple of Colin Buchanan songs with the children, with the happy sound of the children echoing us. In the muggy heat of the Thailand air we began to paint the computer room so that the students could have a new computer room with up-to-date technology. After a couple of hours, sweating in the thick humid air, we were split up into groups to help teach the children. I chose to help out in kindergarten.
While in kindergarten, I assisted by reading to the kids the English words for animals and acted out the sounds they make with them, which combined with the other helpers and students filled the room with a cheerful melody. I also aided the children with making simple craft and colouring activities. I found this highly enjoyable despite the hot sticky Thailand air, and it began to change to something in me. I felt like I was beginning to discover something new, and I felt I had an inkling of a calling.
The next day we were allocated different fun activities with the children. I was allotted a simple game of catch with the students. With the dust kicking up in the schoolyard as I played catch with the kids, I found something as simple as that was enjoyable and the kids enjoyed themselves too. The whole time I was there at the school, the children were just so joyful. I was amazed by the joy and laughter of the kids while I was there, and the contentment they had was astounding. The love of learning also hit home and made me realise that I shouldn’t take my own opportunities for granted. This was only highlighted even more on the Saturday as my group drove to a saw mill for an outreach program. Over the noise of the mill and with the smell and taste of dust in our mouths, we put on a puppet show and sang a few songs with the children adding to the harmony of the music. We gave out packs filled with craft and school supplies to the kids who lived there. The experiences in Thailand were amazing, and what I 
experienced in the sawmill and school opened my eyes to the wider world and inspired me on a career path to take.
After these experiences in the classroom, I felt a nudging to go into primary teaching, something I had previously not considered for myself. From this experience, I also grew as a person and became more aware of the world, and I found myself changing, being bolder and more focussed. I really found myself while I volunteered in Thailand, and I would certainly recommend volunteering. It doesn’t really matter where you volunteer, and for how long, but if you do volunteer, it very well might change your life. I can tell you now it changed mine, and I am now pursuing Primary Teaching, something I would not have done otherwise. So, go on and volunteer, and you might find your heart and calling when you do.
Gareth Elston is a student at Avondale College. He spends his spare time writing stories and hopes to publish one day. He loves God and helping out. (Photos in this article are courtesy of Sue Fryer and Lynette Elston and are used with permission).