Points of View

The thing about these IMPACT trips that I truly love is that they not only impact those we are serving, but I see the major impact they have on our students who participate.

I had the fortune of going on an IMPACT trip with 12 of our students and another teacher over the mid-semester break. If you are not familiar with our IMPACT program, it is an opportunity for our high school students to serve others in three areas: Impact Here, which is serving on the Dalat campus; Impact Near, which is serving on the island of Penang; and Impact Far, which allows students to serve off the island and internationally.

Our group went to serve at an orphanage in Indonesia. It is a place where Dalat students have been helping for a few years now called Yayasan Boaz. Our students meet on Saturdays with the Boaz students over Zoom, and they help them develop their English language skills. So, many of our students already had a relationship with the Boaz students through those lessons. The Boaz children were also able to come to Dalat this past fall for a brief visit.

Because of those previous encounters, the trip differed from any I have had. As soon as we arrived, many of the students knew each other’s names and ran to each other, excited to meet face to face. Seeing how much our students had poured into these friendships across Zoom was great. It was like old friends meeting after years of being apart. It was not long before it felt like we had always been there with them. The Dalat students fell right into the routine and the daily life of the Boaz students. It was amazing to watch. It was like one big family. (I do mean big because there are 32 Boaz children.)

The thing about these IMPACT trips that I truly love is that they not only impact those we are serving, but I see the major impact they have on our students who participate. They are changed; they are different. Spending a week living with others in conditions that are out of our comfort zones has an effect on our students that no classroom could ever teach. This trip, our students did this with so much grace and joy that it was mesmerizing. They represented Dalat and Christ very well, as I am sure our IMPACT trips do.

I am very thankful for Mrs. Chan and the work she pours into our IMPACT program. My hope is that every Dalat student will be able to be involved in it, as it has been life-changing for so many.