If anyone in Seoul, Korea is reading this: I encourage you to become a member of BEAN. It is not an impossible commitment, since you get to choose which event you'd like to attend. You'll get a chance to serve the Seoul community, as well as meet fantastic and caring people from all over the world, as our volunteers are foreigners as well as Koreans. Click here to be directed to their website
Bean - Seoul Chapter
Upon arrival to Seoul, one of the first (of many) researches that I did was to find a volunteer group for community service. As fate would have it, I found and became actively engaged with Bean. I posted earlier on this blog my experiences with the first volunteer session, and I went into detail about how fulfilling and enjoyable it was to do service in Korea. Since then, I have become an active member in the organization, as well as being a regular volunteer for the Orphanage visits around Seoul. Last week, after just two months, I was invited by the executive members of the group to attend a "Leadership dinner" where all members looking to become more involved with the organization could obtain more information about the structure of the group. During the dinner they mentioned the opportunity to become a site leader for one of the orphanages, and being my typical overachiever self, I decided to take on the responsibility. Little did I know, I would be in charge of my first event by the next weekend! I must admit, I was a bit nervous about the language barriers, and what would have happened if the coordinators at the Orphanage would try to communicate with me? What could I have possibly said? ~ But, they reassured me that there would be at least one English speaking volunteer attend and that it had been done in the past, therefore I did not need much communication with the Orphanage office.... So I put my nerves aside and said YES, I'd do it! Leadership is the same in any language.
So I am thrilled to share that this Saturday, I led my own Orphanage visit! The announcement to the group members was sent on Wednesday (with my name and number on the website) and by Thursday I began receiving random text messages of volunteers asking how to sign up to attend. I had been to this Orphanage three times before, but only as a volunteer, not as the leading-in-charge-person! Throughout the week I kept in constant communication with the group's volunteer coordinator and she was phenomenal! She sent me worksheets and activity ideas that we could play with the children during the visit, as well as sent me the list of all the Children's ages, names, and level in school. She also sent me the list of volunteers that had signed up and by Friday the number was finalized to 7 volunteers. When the day arrived, I woke up at 7am (since the orphanage is exactly one hour and fifteen minutes from my house (in the city of Incheon) and when I arrived to the station, I went to purchase the snacks and drinks for the Children.The visit ran very smoothly. I met the volunteers at the subway station, and we walked together to the Orphanage. After the volunteers chose their age group, they all got to work! The children were tons of fun and participated throughout the activities. We had worksheets, games and snack for the students and overall it was a simple event, but I could tell the students had a fantastic time. I am so thankful that my first time leading a visit was a great success. After the visit was over and the children left back to their rooms, I sat down with the volunteers and took notes on their input about what worked, what didn't, what needs to improve or should be changed. I took all of the constructive criticism and now I am looking forward to becoming a better leader and making these visits to orphanages the best they could possibly be!
Even though it is only for a few hours a week, I am thrilled to be completing one of the many goals I had set up for myself during this year, to engage in International Service. I am happy I found this group and look forward to helping the organization grow in anyway that I can ❤
This picture is post the Leadership Dinner (with a few missing). BEAN -Seoul Chapter executive members, and new leaders, 
Lunch with some of the volunteers.
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