20 YEARS OF SERVICE IN MEXICO

When I agreed to lead a team of volunteers to Queretaro, Mexico, I had already traveled extensively to more “exotic” sites south of the USA border, mostly in Central and South America, and I relied on memories of an earlier trip to Mexico - many years before…. This recent service program experience in Mexico gave me the opportunity to re-connect and fall in love with a country that is so close to us, yet so full of surprises and riches!

Queretaro: A fascinating city of contrasts whose quaint “heart” pulses with the memories of an illustrious past still lingering in the many gorgeous colonial buildings of its historic center. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (neighboring San Miguel de Allende is a Mexican national monument) and many defining moments of Mexico’s history come to life in Queretaro’s restored mansions, monuments, and public landmarks. One can discover them along the pedestrian walkways or around the several squares adorned with fountains, statues, and carpets of flowers.. .From our hotel, located right across the street from the City Museum, we were able to safely explore this compact historic center, visit many of the churches, several museums, markets, while mingling with friendly families as they enjoyed the beauty and liveliness of their public places. But Queretaro – which I found very few Americans have ever heard of! - is also a fast growing, dynamic, and sophisticated metropolis of 1.5 million habitants that boasts a new international airport and hundreds of U.S., Canadian, and European companies with modern facilities that stretch into the mountainous Heartland.

Since 1988, Global Volunteers has been teaching conversational English at UTEQ (Universidad Technologica de Queretaro), and our host there is well organized, appreciative of the volunteers’ contribution, and intent on facilitating better communications and understanding between our two cultures. English as a second language is an important subject at the University, and students who become bilingual speakers will find better jobs. Our students appreciated the opportunity, the only one they have during their time of study there, to practice the language with native speakers. Depending on their level we were able to engage in interesting conversations which turned out to be quite an eye-opener to us. Most of the recent polemic we have been exposed to at home about Mexican/US relations, has focused on poor Mexicans desperate to make it across our borders or hiding from the authorities, and how to deal with this problem. Yet, the students we interacted with (and we were told that the majority came from very poor families) were quite confident in the future of their own country and their own contribution to it. When asked where they would like to travel to, they spoke of exotic places such as Egypt… not Texas or Southern California… Most of them felt confident that they would find employment in this rapidly growing area.

In Queretaro, the contrast between the pride of the past and the pull of the future is everywhere present, yet the Mexicans we interacted with seemed to have found a comfortable balance. We definitively felt a strong sense of responsibility to the family and a commitment for the young to help their elders. Catholicism is a grounding religion for most, and the town’s beautiful churches are often filled with worshippers, yet there are many very progressive social initiatives that “push the envelope.” We saw plays and dance performances sponsored by the city or state that were quite “unorthodox” and experimental, and exhibits that would have been censored in a City Museum here.

We were impressed by the sophistication of Queretaro’s cultural scene, the variety of venues that offered high quality events – many free of charge! Our team took great advantage of this. On a typical day, after the afternoon rest following our teaching schedule, when not eating at our hotel, we enjoyed delicious Mexican cuisine at a new restaurant, then attended a show or a concert at a nearby venue. We also could choose to watch a group of young people working on a spontaneous mural or make music, as part of a preventive state-sponsored program for “youth at risk.” Or we could join local people in the main square (we especially loved the children in their pretty clothes) to enjoy Latin music, and watch elegant couples perform the traditional “Danzon.” Most of the time we were the only non-Mexicans in the crowd, but everyone was gracious and welcoming.

Now in our 20th year of service in Mexico, Global Volunteers will be sending its 100th team soon.. I encourage you join us! Hasta Luego!

Francoise Yohalem
Volunteer Team Leader

Adventure in Hainan

My husband, Roy and I began traveling through China for 6 weeks from Feb 24 - April 7, 2007. We flew from Ft Lauderdale/Newark/Hong Kong...... then depart for Xi\'an, and Hainan, where we will spend one month. We will be working with Global Volunteers (Globalvolunteers.org) for three weeks teaching conversational English. Last year we taught with this organization in Kunming, China.It is a terrific organization to work with and teaching the Chinese is a totally rewarding experience. I enjoy writing about our daily experiences and try to capture the beauty of the people, cities and culture with photos...come along and enjoy! Follow my blog here

- Marilyn Williams, China volunteer

Advice to volunteers: Stay open-minded

Volunteers are often asked what their goals are. That is a better question in our Western world than when we go overseas, because having high expectations may get in the way of the actuality. On a short-term project we may be tempted to think "Oh yes, if we work hard, we'll be able to finish that project in our two weeks." But that's a Western attitude that rarely applies when we're in an African or Asian or South American setting. Rather, I think a personal goal should be to become sensitive enough and adaptable enough to settle into the pace of the people with whom we're working. If you're disappointed in the lack of progress, you'll be disappointed in your entire experience. But if you can tune in to the people you're working with, you may have a different and richer experience than as if you finished your project in the allotted time.

WorldTeach says: "Expectations are not right or wrong. They just are. But unless we are aware of them, they more often hinder than help us. They can keep us from seeing possibilities that are challenging and different. They can even prevent us from enjoying the surprises of life."

Let's stay open and flexible and ready to enjoy surprises wherever we happen to be volunteering.

- China and Tanzania volunteer Dorothy Conlon
http://www.dorothyconlon.com/, Author of "At Home in the World: Memoirs of a Traveling Woman"

The Value of Volunteerism

A simple accident of birth has given me a life which has included all the opportunities available to male Caucasions in the U.S. to improve our station in life, to enjoy good health, obtain good education and acquire a satisfactory standard of living during our working years.

In my lifetime, I've witnessed the world progressing from a collection of cultures, each going along at its own pace, to a troubled world communtiy which will eventually have to accept the fact that we're one people sharing the abundance of this planet called Earth. Not in my lifetime, but surely a reality which can be achieved. It's because of these beliefs that I feel I should attempt to give back or share with others which was given to me by this simple accident of birth.

I've served in over 10 countries with Global Volunteers. Some of these were somewhat affluent, but most were considered disadvantaged when compared to the U.S. I've realized great personal satisfaction by serving others and seeing measurable progress toward the host country's goals. I sincerely hope that my small efforts will lend themselves to the realization of world peace and progress for the betterment of all.

- Bill Gibbs, frequent volunteer from Oregon