Xidatan, the journey that change life

WANG NaiWen

There is a travel method, which is very poor, but can change a person’s life. This kind of travel started in the Western from the 16^th century to the present; however, in China it already lost for hundreds of years. That is the Grand tour—Grand tour. Only train the “break” ability alone can create individual and national competitiveness.

At first when reading the study tour service group’s message on volunteer edition, I believed that it would be the most important journey in my life. As expected, the 14 days trip did not let me down, what we gained is much more than what we had given.

I am a slow-warm person. Still remember that before starting up, I worried about that I cannot get well with the other co-workers and once thought of giving up the long planed journey. But as soon as we got to Xidatan middle school and started to have class, I knew my worry was excess. Because of course mobilization, I used to prepare to teach geography became a physics assistant. Though physics is a strange subject to them, they did not show any fear or rejection, they always race to answer questions loudly. They played games with teachers after class, at evening self-study time, they reviewed and asked questions carefully. They inspired me who was shy in front of stranger and quickly cheered me up. An important part in physics is hope that the children can use what they learnt to make water rocket in groups. I still remember when we declared to experiment in that class, all students shinning their bright eyes surrounded the water rocket demonstration and cheered up. At that moment, I think parents in Xidatan were happier than that in Taiwan. For me who previously served in the cram school as a teacher, I had ever seen students come to class drunk, also seen students run away from school to play electric games. Even in my own growing process, I also made my parents feel headache. However, Xidatan’s students are quite different. Though they have a difficult environment and live hard, they are still very innocence and sensible. It is hard not to like them. I think it is the best payback for parents.

The fourth day in Xidatan, I just had a chance to participate in a home visit. We went to four children’s family where the family status was not good. Sitting in their earthen house, except recording their stories with pen, we really had nothing to do to actual help them. But the whole interviewing process is just as happy and close as chatting. Mothers in the family insisted that even they had no food for next meal; they also wanted us to taste the fresh steamed bread and sautéed mushrooms. When chatting about their child, no one complaint about their child. Before we left, they even held our hand thank us continuously and ask us to stay for a night. In these families with yearly average revenue between 10 to 20 thousands, we cannot see the depression brings by the so-called poor. They still welcome guests happily and work hard to live their life; they put all their hope on the children. On the way back, sitting on the motorcycle’s backseat, I thought the view of the teachers’ back were handsome. Though the almost 10 hours’ interview made our leader worried about us, but as if I can understand the intention why the teachers insisted to bring us here and there. Teachers were telling us, people in Xidatan, only if they have some money, they may try to move to Xingjiang. The families that forced to remain living here, their only hope is that the children can study hard and walk out the mountain; someday in the future they can come back with their success and stop the poor life in Xidatan. 

Still remember a juicy peach grandma’s story reported by Shangzhou Week in several periods before. In the story, it mentioned that the material shortage children gave their treasured gifts before the end of the interview to the journalists and social workers for the short coexistence. The children willing to share really make our adults feel ashamed. Just when I came back to Taiwan, I showed the letter and gifts received from the children in Xidatan to my family, the feeling become stronger. I once received a paper flower with a pencil as the stem, I also received shoe pad a mother made for her child. To children in Xidatan, these are all very precious treasures. Then to us who grow up in a good environment, what is our treasure? And whether we want to give these treasures to others？ No matter from the sharing of ideas inside or sharing things we valued most, after coming from Xidatan , I found I am mean in this aspect. After this journey, what I saw and heard to us are all every great shock. From the powerlessness at the beginning to co-workers’ support and share with each other at last, the feeling was really good. I believe what Brother Yongxiang said: we are all seeds and burden the mission to let this experience and belief in germination. I also see God’s lead in the journey, he let us the group of capable people to use our power to help others. When love heart like this spreads out little by little, I believe the world is becoming more beautiful.