Ever thought of spending a vacation on a construction site in a third-world country? How about helping to perform a corrective surgery? Or teaching children to read?
If so, you're not the only one.
Hundreds of people are beginning to take part in volunteer vacations, trips aimed not at buying expensive souvenirs but at service. The trend is growing, and families and individuals are getting involved.
Kimball Ungerman of Provo took his family to San Diego not only for some rest and relaxation, but primarily to participate in Fresh Start Surgical Gifts' "Surgery Weekend."
The non-profit organization Fresh Start performs plastic corrective surgeries on children from all over the world who have physical birth defects and deformities. Ungerman's family, which included several nieces and nephews, filled many roles. The younger nieces played with the children in the waiting room while Ungerman helped to coordinate other volunteers and check in patients.
Others in the family had more hands-on responsibilities, such as helping prepare patients for surgery. Two family members even participated with doctors in the operating room, documenting the surgical procedures as they were performed.
"The idea that we read in the scriptures and hear in church classes," Ungerman said, "is that service is good, and we are so blessed to live where we live. This trip reinforced that idea in a way that far superceded anything that we've read or heard."
The rest of the family agreed.
"This experience has really helped me feel the blessings of service," said Taelor Ungerman, a niece of Kimball Ungerman who also went on the trip.
Other organizations send "voluntourists" even farther, with volunteer vacations to countries in South America, Africa, Asia and other places.
Service opportunities include building community centers and schools, teaching English and computer skills and assisting in medical and dental procedures.
Globe Aware is an international organization, whose destinations include 14 different countries including Brazil, Ghana and Romania.
Families working through Globe Aware stay in the country they select for a week, where they help in humanitarian efforts such as building community centers and homes, providing medical assistance and teaching skills to help communities and individuals become more self-reliant.
"Globe Aware is not a foundation that focuses on giving out charity, but rather an organization which focuses on creating self reliance," said the organization's Web site.
Many individuals feel these service opportunities enrich their lives much more than the people they serve.
Jodee Baird of West Jordan works with Youth Making A Difference, an organization that takes teenagers to India every year to help orphans. She feels the opportunity is of great benefit to the teenagers who participate.
"The kids in India are happy with nothing, while most kids in America are unhappy with everything," she said. "It's such a blessing for our teens to serve and realize that happiness does not come from material things. You can be happy with what life gives you."
Web sites such as www.transitionsabroad.com serve as portals to the many organizations that provide volunteer service opportunities. The Web site offers visitors a list of countries or regions where service opportunities exist, and then points to the various organizations that participate in those countries.
The opportunities are many, Ungerman said, but he believes if people interested search hard enough, they can find the right opportunity for themselves.
It was a decision that Ungerman will never regret.
"Most vacations are a lot of 'see and watch,'" he said. "But we have learned that the best vacations are 'do and change.'"
Copyright Brigham Young University 11 Jul 2008
