International

Thank You for You

Upon committing to volunteering in Thailand, I knew the language barrier would be a significant challenge I’d face during the year....

Introducing the 2018-2019 Good Shepherd Volunteers!

We are elated to ring in our 26th year with 11 volunteers placed in California, New Jersey, New York, and Thailand! The Good Shepherd...

One Month Down, 11 More to Go...

With only one month under our belts, I have anxiously been counting down the days. Bolivia has already become an experience to remember,...

An Ode to Good Shepherd Volunteers

Simply Living does not come easily. However, For us it seems to come naturally. Searching for our Spirituality and discovering this...

New Year's Resolution

New Year’s Resolutions… right! Happy New Year, folks. 2018 (2561 here in Thailand) is a “decisive year”, or so a good friend of mine...

Give All or Else Don't Give Anything

Each Good Shepherd Volunteer is asked to write a "Member Story" to reflect on their year of service. At the conclusion of her 2 years of...

Simplicity: Time, Space, and Presence

Last spring, I felt myself yearning for a few things: writing, reading, yoga, prayer, music, nature — essentially, space and time for...

Unexpected Care

Self-care. It is a buzz word that you hear very often, but it is so much easier said than done. During my first few years of teaching,...

Coming to Terms with the Label "International Volunteer"

I never imagined myself as an international volunteer. Even to this day, as I write to you from Nongkhai, Thailand, the label seems just...

Forever Touched by Non Khai: A Mother's Reflection

I am a worrier who hates to fly, so pretty much the only thing that would motivate me to travel halfway around the world, is seeing one...

What Does It Mean.

I find it a challenge to define my experience with Good Shepherd Volunteers in Thailand. As I have proceeded through life, I have found...

A Chilean Christmas

This year will be my first year celebrating Christmas without my family, as well as my first Christmas outside of the United States. So...

In Memoriam

As I have struggled in writing this blog, I realized that I hadn’t shared enough about one aspect of my volunteer experience in Thailand....