Suzanna K. FSC 05
From: San Diego, CA
From: San Diego, CA
Service: Translating documents from Italian to English
Suzanna with schoolchildren
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My time at the VIDES International office was primarily
translating valuable documents for their website and for
volunteers. The translation work never ends, everything
in the office needs translating. I am learning so much;
every page I translated taught me about the situations of
women and children in countries around the world. I was
also able to go to Geneva with VIDES International and
see how VIDES collaborates with other NGOs at the UN to
work on behalf of women, children, and development.
Teaching the kids at the Salesian school was great!
Balancing the office work with teaching English to the
"bambini vivaci" (vivacious kids) has been more rewarding
than I could have imagined. I came up with the idea of
throwing an end-of-the-year "party" as the last lesson for
the 5-year-olds. The kids were divided into teams and
played games at a variety of stations where they utilized
their new English vocabulary. When the school year
ended there was a summer camp held for 4 weeks.
Re-entry was a vital time to reflect on the experiences I
had this year, to hear others' experiences, and to integrate
them into my life: to integrate them in such a way that this
mission never ends, that the things I have experienced this
year continue to influence me, the decisions I make, and
the path I will take in my future. My mission feels in many
ways like a beautiful preparation for the rest of my life.
Quotes from Journal Entries:
1. "…this time is for God. i am giving everything.
God, please take this offering, of separation from family
and friends, from comfort and security, from everything I
know… use it according to Your will.
please give me the gifts to be strong in faith, hope, and
love.
help me to serve you with everything. help me to serve
you well.
help me to serve you with joy, peace, and wisdom…"
God sent me a wonderful gift… another volunteer who
ended up becoming a great friend… one who helped me
understand the culture, and one who was willing to share
our faith journeys…
2. "…i don't think that the challenges of a community
are very different from a family. the same issues that
occur within a family also occur in a convent…
the vocation to religious life or married and family life
doesn't exempt any one of us from being human at the
root of it all…"
3. "my absolute favorite experience was teaching the
5 year olds english once a week…
the fourth graders were fun as well…it was the most
rewarding experience and one where I could put the ideals
of accompaniment and the preventive system into
practice… "
4. "…la vita e' bella… e strana. life is beautiful… and
strange.
the ways things play out are rarely how you imagined it.
my reflection lately has been: that is a good thing.
i can't dull down this reflection, i can't say that it is karma,
fate, a positive spin, experience, age, or a way i choose to
view things. it's not.
plain and simple, it's God."
translating valuable documents for their website and for
volunteers. The translation work never ends, everything
in the office needs translating. I am learning so much;
every page I translated taught me about the situations of
women and children in countries around the world. I was
also able to go to Geneva with VIDES International and
see how VIDES collaborates with other NGOs at the UN to
work on behalf of women, children, and development.
Teaching the kids at the Salesian school was great!
Balancing the office work with teaching English to the
"bambini vivaci" (vivacious kids) has been more rewarding
than I could have imagined. I came up with the idea of
throwing an end-of-the-year "party" as the last lesson for
the 5-year-olds. The kids were divided into teams and
played games at a variety of stations where they utilized
their new English vocabulary. When the school year
ended there was a summer camp held for 4 weeks.
Re-entry was a vital time to reflect on the experiences I
had this year, to hear others' experiences, and to integrate
them into my life: to integrate them in such a way that this
mission never ends, that the things I have experienced this
year continue to influence me, the decisions I make, and
the path I will take in my future. My mission feels in many
ways like a beautiful preparation for the rest of my life.
Quotes from Journal Entries:
1. "…this time is for God. i am giving everything.
God, please take this offering, of separation from family
and friends, from comfort and security, from everything I
know… use it according to Your will.
please give me the gifts to be strong in faith, hope, and
love.
help me to serve you with everything. help me to serve
you well.
help me to serve you with joy, peace, and wisdom…"
God sent me a wonderful gift… another volunteer who
ended up becoming a great friend… one who helped me
understand the culture, and one who was willing to share
our faith journeys…
2. "…i don't think that the challenges of a community
are very different from a family. the same issues that
occur within a family also occur in a convent…
the vocation to religious life or married and family life
doesn't exempt any one of us from being human at the
root of it all…"
3. "my absolute favorite experience was teaching the
5 year olds english once a week…
the fourth graders were fun as well…it was the most
rewarding experience and one where I could put the ideals
of accompaniment and the preventive system into
practice… "
4. "…la vita e' bella… e strana. life is beautiful… and
strange.
the ways things play out are rarely how you imagined it.
my reflection lately has been: that is a good thing.
i can't dull down this reflection, i can't say that it is karma,
fate, a positive spin, experience, age, or a way i choose to
view things. it's not.
plain and simple, it's God."
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Volunteers International for Development Education Solidarity
| "Experiencing, Sharing Life in Christ" |
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