Introduction
In 2009, I had an opportunity to hear Betty Chou talk about the work of Go & Love Foundation in China; these goals resonated within me:

◆ Help poor children obtain education
◆ Improve the lives of minority people
◆ Channel the service of overseas Chinese professionals and other personnel

The fact that much of the work is based in the Province of Yunnan attracted me even more, for I was born in Yunnan. My husband, Jay, and I signed up as volunteers to go in the fall of 2010. We allocated our annual vacation budget for the trip, and we were in Kunming for two and a half weeks in November of 2010.

About Us
Jay is a retired scientist; I am semi-retired and still working part-time doing consulting work. Jay came to the U.S. from Taiwan in his twenties. I was born in Yunnan in 1943 (during WWII). My father was part of the team responsible for migrating Nankai University from Tienjin to Kunming, to become part of the wartime National Southwest Associated University (at the site of the current Yunnan Normal University). We left Kunming when I was two. My family later migrated to the U.S. when I was 13.

With a heart for suffering people, both of us are active in the care ministry at our church – in single parent family ministry as well as Stephen Ministry (a one-on-one care long term support ministry). We had no preconceived notion of how we can be of help. The only thing we told Betty was that “We are willing to do anything; use us in whatever way you see fit”. We were told that there are needs in many areas - such as education and community service, and one such need is a leprosy rehabilitation village – we will see how the Lord leads.

Encounters
The following are some of the activities and encounters that took place. Each encounter spawned many others, either with groups or individuals. We were kept very busy; many meetings were extended to evening hours.

Students
While we were there, we attended a dinner for the scholarship recipients. About 20 students came. As we mingled with the students, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of their family situations. All came from rural background; some are from minority tribes. Many parents are farmers; others are ex-farmers now working as day laborers in the city.

We heard about their aspirations and fears. Their biggest concern is the ability to land a job when they graduate. They are also concerned about the financial and health well-being of their parents. They are very grateful not only for their scholarships, but also the care and visitations made by Go and Love mentors. Jay and I wish that we could have the opportunity to visit their parents.

We were able to relate to them about the challenges we faced as students. We were immigrants facing language difficulties and, like them, with very little financial means. We had no “connections” to help us land a job, but had to compete based on our own competencies. We told them that by working hard, with an upbeat attitude, they can also succeed.

Several students wanted to spend more time with us, but only one could come to our hotel a week later to have a more intimate conversation. We found out that his father had a heart attack earlier in the year; he himself was injured in a car accident. He came to us, not to look for charity, but for grandparent-like warmth, listening ears and encouragement.

Parents and Staff
The Agapao Montessori School in Kunming was established by the Go & Love Foundation. Jay and I had opportunities to observe, mingle with staff, and met with parents. We gave talks to the parents about our “lessons learned in parenting”. We recounted our boys’ experience in Montessori school; role of Jay’s mother as our boys’ care giver during the day while I worked, principles that we held dear, and we also shared instances of our failures. All of these spawned much dialogue. Both staff and parents approached us after the session and requested follow-on discussions; a member of the staff asked us if she and her fiancé can meet with us for pre-marital advice.

Guest Speaker at Kunming Amway
Amway Company in Kunming regularly invites outside speakers to their staff training sessions. Jay and I had the honor of being their guest speaker on the topic of self improvement: career and marriage matters. We shared how the two of us, coming from such diverse backgrounds, with some effort, were able to make our marriage work. We talked about the struggles of balancing work and family, and the principles that we hold dear. After our talk, several people requested individual time with us to talk about their own situations.

Other Activities
To our disappointment, we were unable to visit the people at the leprosy rehabilitation village in Lincang because the roads were in repair after heavy rain and not passable. We were busy each day, but we managed to set aside a few days to do some sightseeing. We visited Stone Forest and Li-Jiang, and saw a magnificent show presenting the culture of the minority tribes.

Reflection
While we did enjoy the natural beauty of Stone Forest and Li-Jiang, but the most memorable and valuable part of our trip is having the chance to gain a deeper understanding and experience of humanity. Speaking imperfect Chinese, Jay and I opened ourselves, and the people we met found that we have so much in common. They opened themselves to us, shared their struggles and their yearnings, and accepted our encouragement. Now I see that you must experience it first hand to know what “Go and Love” truly means.