“Serving is Awesome”
There is nothing more rewarding than serving for a year, and I am not saying that with a, “been there done that,” tone, because Kevin and I are still here and still doing it in Albany. Albany is the greatest part of Southern Western Australia, and that is a scientific fact. As you read this you may think; “well… Ash, you are being very specific with that statement”, but considering the beauty of the area, it is indeed a great compliment, and one of which Albany is thoroughly deserving.
It is a land enriched with Baha’i education, as there are 4 primary schools with BSRE classes, which total to 12 classes with roughly 150 kids in total. Kevin and I assist with the majority of these, either assisting the teacher in charge or taking charge of the lesson if need be, (or if the teacher feels we need to start working more.)
We both work together facilitating a Junior Youth Group consisting of 8 regularly attending students. On top of that Kev and I have also starting a new Junior Youth Group with children from our older BSRE classes along with the children of the Baha’i’s in Albany, in an effort to keep these kids involved in Baha’i programs.
We also get to talk to heaps of people about religion here, as people here often open to new beliefs and heaps of them are into spirituality like nothing else. It seems like there’s something in the water, especially since we’ve been told not to drink it. We also keep ourselves busy coaching a soccer team here, and though we may consider ourselves as young Guus Hiddink’s, the fact that the team is a bunch of Year 6 boys may take our ego’s down one notch. Just one though.
We have stayed with a few families here, and the experience of living with such different, yet exceedingly awesome families has been tremendous. However, we’d have to say the Parker’s are the best, since we’re living with them now and they’ve threatened to cut off our food supply if we say different. Ask us in a few months, and maybe we’d tell you a different story. Or maybe not, I forget.
The amount of fun we’ve been having here really makes the phrase “Year Of Service” sound almost inappropriate to tell you the truth, because all things considered, it should be called a Year of Good Times, with a little service thrown in for good measure. We’ve been taken fishing countless times, with varying degrees of success. Also, Kevin has had some chances to attend a few local Jam sessions, and both of us managed to fit working as ‘Kebab Artists’ into our schedule.
Along with Kevin’s uncanny ability to entertain people with strings attached to a plank of wood and my humbly gifted talent with computers, we are kept busy by a community with a penchant for making YOS’s (as we’ve been christened) apply themselves fully to working for the community. Even this has been enjoyable for us, the community don’t seem to want work us too hard, possibly fearing a revolt. However, I can assure them that there isn’t one coming, as this has been, and continues to be, an incredible experience for us, and one for which we are eternally grateful. So as my mother would always tell me “Ash Stop Talking!” fulfilling her wishes and probably most of the readers I shall leave you with one last comment from a very wise yet cool man “Serving is Awesome!” – Myself. Over and Out.
