A reflection on the final week - the end of an unforgettable experience

I am writing this from my favorite hostel in Ho Chi Minh City, Madam Cuc, as I reflect on an emotional day and the program comes to an end.

First, I would like to mention that my morning and afternoon teams came in second place overall. The kids were never the favorites to win, and seemed to struggle quite a bit even during the last sports competitions. The last weekend of competitions consisted of basketball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball games organized in a round robin style. My Orange Team (Doi cam) kids played fair and were good sports when they lost a game, although I could tell they were distraught. They would help opposing team players up when they fell and would always cheer on the other teams as they competed. They were bruised up by the other teams, but fought through it to secure a 2nd or 3rd place finish in as many sports as possible. Although rarely placing 1st in sports, the kids stayed consistent in the classroom. Both final exams were given this week, in life skills and academics. So with a combination of solid sports and academics we managed to gain 2nd place overall honors for the camp. The kids were ecstatic when we told them this morning. They were surprised for sure, mainly because many of the other teams boasted about their wins, and we therefore saw ourselves as underdogs. Congratulations Doi Cam Sang (morning) and Doi Cam Chieu (afternoon)!

So before I talk about the today and our ultimate departure, I would like to tell you guys about our going away party last night. When we returned to the center from the school after final competitions we were all exhausted. Many of us had to finish putting together our gifts for the kids. I also was putting together a Mr Coach For College calendar for Khang, for winning the contest that consisted of a photo shoot, talent show, and interview. I came in third behind Graham, who put together a respectable performance, and of course Khang. We enjoyed it very much. The night started out with a game of pass the peanut with chopsticks relay between the 6 Americans and the 12 Vietnamese. They almost doubled our number of peanuts in the 5 minute race to accumulate as many peanuts as possible. We managed to get in some spectacular games of flip cup before beginning our go to game from toga party at the beach, Thumper. With about 20 people we began slow but finished up in a Thumper dance off in the dark - it was unforgettable. We wrapped up the night by learning the electric slide, some swing dancing, and the soulja boy with the whole group.

Our final minutes together as a team were emotional. We signed shirts and hats, exchanged gifts, and many of the student broke into tears. The boys as well as the girls were old enough to realize that we were not coming back the following week, and that the 3 weeks had final come to an end. It is amazing the relationships one can form with students despite not having one conversation with them without a translator. Maybe it was the few Vietnamese phrases that I would say to them every day, good morning/afternoon, how are you?, I am hungry, I like to eat rice and drink coffee, you are a handsome boy/beautiful girl, have a nice day, I love volleyball. From tears of joy for coming in 2nd to tears of sadness for saying goodbye, I would like to mention some of my friends that I will always remember.

Khoi- One of the Vietnamese coaches that worked with me with the orange teams and in sports and health. She was awesome at every aspect of our work with the kids, from helping me with classes, to being a caring friend to the young kids and their fickle emotions. Her openness and honesty struck me as very similar to myself, and the relationship we had, while slightly hindered by the language barrier, was created by daily interactions, mannerisms, and emotions. Thank you Khoi for an incredible experience.

Khanh- Khanh was my other Vietnamese coaching companions, and although we were not able to converse much I admired his passion for teaching the kids, and his courage for entering into a position that was demanding and stressful for many more reasons than I can mention. Thank you Khanh.

Khoa- Khoa helped me with sports and health. I can't say enough about his integrity and character. He was such a crucial component for our teaching, he is very smart, and knows how to work with kids well. Thank you Khoa.

Nam- Nam was the captain of my morning Orange Team. As the days passed I felt closer and closer to Nam even though we never could say much to each other. He began as just a student, but developed into a leader. On the last day of teaching, I encouraged the kids from the morning session to come in the afternoon to hang out and practice volleyball for the games the following day. Nam came and hung out with me for the entire day. I could see his maturity, I could sense his value of relationships, and I could feel his presence as a friend. It could have been the fact he just loved being near me, watching me, and letting me know he cared about what we were doing in his life. On the last day of competitions he emptied his tank, and was frustrated when we struggled. He was joyous when he found out we placed 2nd, and finally, he was in tears when he realized his coaches were leaving for good. I will miss you Nam, thanks for everything.

Van- Van is a Vietnamese high school student who was assigned to help me with volleyball. She did not speak English, but helped me in every other way possible. She was a true friend, she worked harder than anyone at the camp, and is one awesome volleyball player. Thank you for all your help and the very thoughtful gift.

Finally I would like to thank Nghi, our Vietnam Director, Nam, our Vietnam coordinator, and Khang, Den, Nhan, Vien, Hai, and An, the rest of the Vietnamese coaches, who made my experience special.

It was a 6 hour drive to Ho Chi Minh City, and we arrived around 5pm today. My flight leaves Tuesday at 6am and I will return to the U.S., and will end an incredible journey around the world. It was one filled with emotion, experience, uncertainty, and joy. I thank God for being with me on my journey, for watching over me, and for providing me with such an incredible opportunity - Amen.