Two Wolves Abroad

Transforming lives through service experiences

Jane Brennan

Family, Friends and Alumni Immersions

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Family and Friends

Over the years we have had countless families and friends of our volunteers express a desire to have their own volunteer experience with The Two Wolves Abroad. That’s why we are so excited to offer our  first parents/friends immersions to Zambia and Sri Lanka in June/July 2019. If you click on the hyperlink for each country you will find more information including dates, itinerary and pricing.
These immersions, which will be led by Fr David Braithwaite SJ, offer the opportunity to see first hand the incredible work our volunteers have completed since 2010 and engage in service of your own.

 

Alumni Immersion 

The Cardoner Project is inviting our Alumni to join Fr David Braithwaite SJ on an immersion to our original destination, Vietnam. The immersion runs from May 11 to 19 2019, and will spend several days volunteering at St Vincent Diem Home For Children Living with Disabilities.

If you would like more information, or details on pricing, please contact twowolvesabroad@thecardonerproject.org

Volunteer profile: Tom Conaghan

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Age:19

Graduate of St Ignatius College, Riverivew

Graduate year: 2016

Future Degree: Bachelor of Communications (Social and Digital Media) – University of Technology, Sydney.

Future Ambitions: Visit every continent in the world, to travel and experience as many cultures and to meet as many people as possible, making meaningful and reciprocal relationships with people all around the world.

Volunteer Location: Huay Tong Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

School: Maewinsamakkee school, Mae Win, Chiang Mai. Tom rides his motorbike to and from school everyday. His school is about 30 mins down the mountain from Huay Tong Village.

Greatest Challenge this year: Independence, your mum isn’t there to pull you out of bed in the morning, to write lesson plans, to do your laundry or to drive you to school. At the beginning of the year it was extremely difficult for me to discipline myself to do these things. What drives me to do these things now is the people that I’ve met here, and how their lives have impacted mine. Most days we’re up at as early as possible, trying to squeeze as much as we can into the day, doing as much as we can. Learning to drive myself through this year was the greatest challenge this year, but it will help me throughout the rest of my life.

My experience:

This year had a rocky start for me, with sickness and the language barrier. Some days the efforts just seemed hopeless, especially within the first month or so. This ends as soon as you get into the swing of things, begin to get a handle on the language and start making friends. I began at Khun Wang school, where I taught primary school. I taught there for six months, before I was asked to move to Mae Win. Leaving Khun Wang was so heartwrenching, which is nothing compared to what we’re all going to experience when leaving at the end of this year. It’s so weird to think that we’ve been here for 8 months already, but its great to see how close we’ve gotten with this community in this time, with a huge chunk of time left to come. I’ve grown close with a lot of people, and I hope when we go home in December, that it won’t be a ‘goodbye’, but rather a ‘see you again’

My experience in Mexico by Gerard Hughes and Alex Robinson

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Some places seem to hold lingering stereotypes, unable to shrug off their poor reputation. Tijuana is a case study of such injustice. Its physical separation from the adjacent San Diego, a vibrant and eclectic city typical of many in the USA, is symbolic of the division between the nations, with Mexico a perennial victim to their domineering neighbour. Our ultimate purpose was to work with the wonderful Esperanza International in helping with the construction of a home in Rosarito, as well as offering service for many different organisations scattered across Tijuana and its neighbouring areas. The spirit of altruism that shines through a city all too infamous for its history of crime owes gratitude to the vibrant individuals which inspire such organisations.

 

Before the Immersion, we had doubts over whether visiting Tijuana was a true reflection of Mexico as a whole, due to its close proximity to the United States. These were immediately shattered as we stepped foot onto Mexican soil – the contrast between the wide, ambivalent streets of San Diego and the bustling, meat-scented scene of Tijuana was clear.

 

Becoming acquainted with a broad collection of passionate individuals was an enduring highlight. Eduardo, working for Esperanza International, was our group leader for the entirety of the Immersion. Eduardo announced himself as a generous, eloquent and knowledgeable individual who constantly inspired us to offer our best service. Despite a troubled past, Eduardo’s commitment to improving his “home” and the lives of his fellow Mexican citizens is truly inspirational. He is the embodiment of a Man for Others – a man utterly devoted to the enhancement of his community in the face of adversity. Yet Eduardo is simply a reflection of the many amazing people who strive to inject goodwill into the veins of Tijuana. Padre Jaime, Sister Ulga and the Sisters of St Theresa were tangible examples of individuals catalysing local yet boundlessly impactful change.

 Perched on a hill overlooking the mesmerising landscape of Rosarito, before the awe-inspiring abyss of the Pacific Ocean morphed into an endless blue horizon, lay the fertile ground upon which we would construct the foundations of a home. Although Rosarito teased us with periods of torrential downfall, these only served to illuminate the blessing of sunshine for our construction endeavours. The manner in which rainfall paralysed not only our worksite but Tijuana as a whole is demonstrative of the added complications of daily life in Tijuana, absent from our privileged lifestyle. Yet even in poor weather, the spirit of the community shone brightly. We were privileged to witness the sheer dedication of the community on the worksite, whether it be assisting with construction or serving up the most magnificent carne asada – tantalisingly succulent home-cooked barbecued beef. The efficiency and camaraderie of our group’s efforts on the worksite exemplified a common dedication to our cause in positively impacting the life of the family for whom we were building.

 Our nightly reflections provided us with the tools to digest our formative experiences, through the exemplary leadership of Sue Walsh, Brother Ian Cribb and student leader Matthew Tarlinton. By listening to each others’ emotional responses to the daily events, we came to a shared understanding of how our Mexican experience impacted different people in unique ways. Furthermore, it was incredible to witness and partake in the formation of enduring friendships through our shared experiences.

 Fittingly, Eduardo’s parting advice sparked within us the necessity to transform our fresh understandings into future action. For us, this is the true power of the Cardoner experience. To not only be exposed to a starkly different culture, but to engage with it and carry what we have learnt into our lives beyond the Immersion.

Gerard & Alex

Service year in Thailand by Pat Doyle

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My year has been so varied that starting this reflection had to be one of the hardest things I had done all year. It has been like some of the things I thought it would be, but it has also been a lot of things I would never have imagined it being. The beauty of this year has been the spontaneity of it, the moments when something pops up and the idea of what it could be is too tantalising to refuse. If this year has taught me something that I would have not expected, it is this; take every opportunity you can because even the things that seem mundane or repetitive can open you up to things you would never have imagined. Now I am not saying that everyday you will wake up and there will be someone telling you they are going to the shops when instead they end up going to skydiving, it is simply never that outrageous. On the other hand I have found that you will find things as simple as getting a lift in a car, for example, can be an opportunity to make a new friend using a language you just learnt. I’m still marvelled by the generosity of this friend now, his willingness to first give us a lift from the side of a dirt road, to then sharing some beers with us and then finally introducing us to his family and children. Every minute of that afternoon turned out to be so much more than I imagined when I woke up that morning to teach.

Teaching is also something I’ve learnt so much more about, that is not surprising but it has been one of the more enjoyable parts of the year. As my confidence and my knowledge of the students’ ability grew I was able to plan and construct my lessons so much better. Teaching is so much more enjoyable when you make the effort to do it well; by planning and pre-empting the class I was able to be more relaxed with the students, something I noticed the students definitely appreciated. The students had to be engaged and inspired to really want to learn, when they saw their language skills developing or at least becoming useful, it contextualised everything that had previously seemed useless or unnecessary.

An interesting parallel to be a part of has been between my own language skills and those of the students I teach. Already most of them are bilingual and learning their third and fourth languages so the comparison is somewhat different. However, it is wonderful to see some of my students’ English ability develop so much whilst my own Thai ability develops similarly. As we are forced to speak Thai everyday through necessity, the students become more confident in speaking English in everyday encounters. This has been wonderful to watch as previously many students were fearful of foreigners or simply embarrassing themselves. Similarly, I have thoroughly enjoyed expanding my Thai from the most basic of responses to conversational levels. It’s constantly engaging to navigate through different situations using both Thai and English, a never-ending opportunity for learning.

It’s worth noting the difference between Thai and Australian attitudes towards learning foreign languages. In Australia it seems as though having the command of multiple languages is a handy skill or hobby that is useful but not essential. While Thailand appears to have a completely different attitude where foreign languages are seen as not just a skill but also a necessary part of both the education system and life in general. Foreign writing is littered throughout the country and it is expected that you speak a major language such as English or Chinese if you are to succeed professionally. Yet rarely would you ever see large amounts of foreign scripts outside of local immigrant communities. The Thai and Karen attitude towards being multi-lingual is an example that is humbling and inspiring, one that I hope will motivate my friends and myself in the future.

One of the biggest motivators of this drive to educate is the tight-knit families and communities that I have been surrounded by throughout my time here. It’s awe-inspiring seeing a mother or father’s face light up upon realising that their child can properly communicate in an entirely new language with a person from a far-away country. This universal familial love which I’ve been fortunate to witness at countless weddings and family gatherings has been a touching reminder of what I actually valued so much when back at home.

It might seem strange but what I’ve missed the most while here has been the people from home. Occasionally I may miss certain foods or things from Australia but seldom does it last. In reality I haven’t been homesick frequently since initially leaving Australia but I have become more appreciative of the things which I may have once overlooked or undervalued such as the most simple of family occurrences. In saying this, never have I missed home enough for it to overshadow the wonderful things that I am able to experience daily here.

Before leaving Australia I thought that my faith would develop and I credit this to the nature of the Service Year being similar to things I had done in school and the fact that I had been sent by a Jesuit organisation. In truth, my faith has developed, but not through the things that I thought would once promote such a change. The weekly masses that we are able to experience in Huay Tong village are occasions that seem both uncomfortable and amazing at the same time. Week upon week the whole village turns out in traditional Karen clothing, everybody from the smallest of babies to old men and women who need help just to sit down. The masses are spoken entirely in Karen, a language none of us can understand, and they last much longer than the average mass in Australia. Yet the sheer spectacle and the community’s love that so obviously emanates from the building encourages a wider understanding of the beauty of faith and the Church, in inspiring a loving and caring culture whilst also promoting the traditional Karen traditions. This sense of community I believe has been somewhat lost in Australia, but is definitely something that I will miss the most once returned.

The pace of life, especially in contrast to my previous HSC year, is a welcome change. Without the pressures of school and a much simpler routine it has been easier to slow down and appreciate the things that would normally fly by. I don’t think I will have a year like this for quite a while and so it has been a wonderful opportunity that will never fade in its value or memory. The places, faces and occasions that so defined every amazing moment will be etched in me for many years to come.

Pat Doyle

Service year in Micronesia

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Experiences like these defy simple explanations, people so often ask me “So how’s Micronesia?” A question I still haven’t found an adequate response to. It eclipses most adjectives our language posses and even with a novels worth of prose I would struggle to do it justice.

Teaching, the primary focus of this experience, has been an adventure that has created several of my life’s most awkward moments, it has terrified me and it has almost broken me. Twice. But it has also given me a sense of purpose that I can never imagine will be overshadowed, it has spawned moments of fairytale joy and Olympian triumph

I have loved few things more than I do my little students. Arriving every day to a seething mass of children ecstatically screaming “good morning teacher Josh!” is a magical thing that unfailingly plasters a smile on my face for hours. Days spent working towards the breakthrough ‘ah hah’ moment with a struggling student, playing games that have every student laughing and smiling, or the unique moments like having to collect machetes and knives from sheepish students as they walk in. My best days and my worst are memories that time could never steal. Moments more powerful than any in my living memory, just for those this whole thing has been worth it.

But then I’ve also met people here from every continent, I’ve met American teachers seeking a change of scenery, I’ve met college graduates fleeing adulthood at all costs, I’ve met Asian Jesuit Scholastics with two months training in English giving everything to a class they know very little about, and I’ve met people who seemingly exist on a different plane of existence to the rest of humanity. They are almost to a man the best people I have ever met. Something about being as close to marooned as you can get in modern times forms friendships and bonds stronger than I’ve found before.

This community has gotten me through the toughest of days – the days where you fall on the walk to work and wear a mud stain for the day, then the lessons fall flat and you’re scrambling for an activity that’ll work, then it’s fish heads for dinner, and you go back to your room and find ants have colonised your bed. Those are the days everyone has here, and they’re the days where someone would run you down a new shirt, or slide you a piece of paper with a lesson idea, or make you some ramen noodles their parents just sent in a package, or lend you their spare sheet. Everyone’s problems become yours here, selfishness is rare and stunning acts of kindness are standard practice. You become a better human just by existing in their company. Leaving them all will be one of the hardest things I might ever have to do.

And never forget the Chuukese people, this mind boggling society who’s identity is evolving so quickly that it changes completely if you walk 5 k’s down the road. Their culture is a root cause of my frustrations and their behaviour does little to engender comfort. Their many imperfections are laid out for the world to see. But you would have to search for an awful long time to find a more generous, kind and enthusiastic people. I have been embraced by their hospitality even though they have nothing, I have been welcomed into homes, feasted for and been profoundly thanked for doing them the honour of letting them do it. I adore this little community, faults be damned.

Halfway through I might have professed to having not changed markedly, I still felt much the same, I thought for sure any change would be like some grand epiphany. But Chuuk, true to its nature, changes those who serve here gradually. And the fallacy of that previous mindset is becoming ever apparent to me. My transformation has been profound. A month back home in Australia served to highlight just how profound a change it had already been, and that was four months ago…

I will leave this island a very different man than I was when I arrived. I see the world differently, I act differently and I think differently. From an entirely different perspective. Small changes like a totally new definition of a pothole(just look at a photo and you’ll understand), or a new, far more flexible definition of the word late where it couldn’t even be used till you’ve been waiting at least 40min. But there have been big shifts too; Learning the value of the simplicities of life, changing how I measure and evaluate a person, learning how to live life in the moment, and the amazing benefit of doing so, and even as much as re-evaluating my idea of the path to happiness.

In short, this has been the most unexpectedly beneficial experience of my life, it has transcended any possible expectation or imagining I held prior to leaving. The feeling of genuine value and appreciation in the community you feel from everyone here is a rarity scarcely found in today’s self-absorbed world, and you in turn begin to measure your worth by your students success and your students attitude. The personal fulfilment and personal transformation that are also assured make it an experience who’s likeness couldn’t exist almost anywhere else.

For me I turn to one far more eloquent than myself to summate my feelings on Chuuk and my year here; Twain says; “the events of life can be split into two simple categories, the ones that matter and ones that don’t.”

This feels like it matters, this matters an awful lot.

Josh Conlon – Micronesia 2016

My experience at St Vincent Diem Orphanage

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Hi friends,

16730211_10155034326841810_4933464004026722855_nIn December 2013, I had been living by myself at the St. Vincent Diem Orphanage for a couple of weeks, when I was told in the little Vietnamese and sign language I understood, that a storm was coming. It wasn’t until a couple of days before the storm that about 150 local villagers rocked up to stay at the orphanage until the storm had passed. It took about 2 days of preparation for the storm which involved barricading windows, sandbagging the roofs and relocating everything the orphanage owned to the central and most secure rooms.

The storm passed overnight without too much damage to the orphanage and thankfully nobody was hurt. It wasn’t until the next day that I learned the storm was actually the biggest and deadliest Typhoon that had ever hit the Philippines but luckily did not have the same impact on Vietnam.

Many of the villagers would have lost their homes in the storm and came to the orphanage because it was on high ground. If it wasn’t for the work of the Cardoner project and tireless work of Fr. Dave in not only funding but building the orphanage, many of those villagers would have lost their lives that night.

The work we do at the Two Wolves and abroad, has such a great impact on not only the small clusters of people we help feed, teach and provide shelter for, but also a massive effect on huge communities all over the world.

Thank you to everyone who volunteers here and I implore you to get on an immersion if you haven’t yet. The work you do has a much greater impact than you could ever realise and let’s keep building towards a better future for those who desperately need it.

Cameron Gray