Friends for Asia: Volunteer Programs in Thailand

I became somewhat close with one of the monk professors that I worked with, a man by the name of Joelee. Joelee was in his early 30's, and though he was the same age as many of his students, he was wise beyond his years. He would often share words of wisdom with both myself and the monks, and it was a pleasure to learn from him.

As part of my volunteer service, I worked as a Teaching Assistant in his class, which was Morphology and Syntax in English. Coming from a background in business, rather than education, I found instruction rather daunting, but Joelee placed a lot of faith in me.

My very first day in his class, he did a short inspirational thought, brought up a PowerPoint presentation on the board, explained that the lesson was going to be on various forms of word construction, and then called on me to come teach the class. I had never seen the material, nor studied the lesson, but he had me give an hour long instruction on various principles in English. This type of treatment was common in Joelee's class, and I grew in both confidence and ability as a result.

This may sound like a cop-out, but I don't know that I would do anything differently. I came to love the students that I was working with, and genuinely made the most of my project. I also took full advantage of the adventures near Chiang Mai, and was blessed to have the opportunity to travel to a few places when school would be cancelled.

I had great, lifelong friendships that were kindled not only with the natives, but with the other volunteers. I'm from the United States, but was very much in the minority with the people I was serving with. They hailed from all age groups, though mostly 18-25, and from all over Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

It was fascinating to mingle with people from so many backgrounds who were all eager to experience a new culture, and willing to volunteer their time to help the people around them.

Firstly, I would strongly recommend doing it. I loved working with Friends For Asia. The staff was incredible, the country was beautiful, the food was magnificent, the culture is wonderful, and the people you serve will be enriched by your efforts.

You will make the world a better place by giving your time, but you will inevitably receive the better end of the deal with the experiences and friendships you will take home with you.

Secondly, I would recommend coming in with an open mind. While the experience is incredible, it is also authentic, which means that not everything will go exactly as planned. Thai school systems are very loose, and you will often have classes cancelled or things fall through.

If you want a real taste of Thai culture, you're going to get it, so embrace it. Don't have any rigid preconceived notions about what you must do and have to do with your project, simply come, give what you have to offer, and make the most of your time there.