Light rain continued to fall as I arrived at the mountain village. With a heavy bag on my back, I was excited to teach at a small school here, but a little 1 . What would these students be like?
The school had only 18 students. Most were quiet, 2 they ran and laughed at break. One girl, Wen, always sat alone in the corner, seldom saying anything. On my first day in the classroom, I shared with them a 3 with the words “You are seen” on it and put it up on the wall. Some smiled shyly and some spoke quietly. “That’s why I’m here,” I said. However, Wen didn’t 4 . She was just drawing circles on the desk with her finger.
Days passed quickly. The lessons were 5 planned. The children were kind. But my effort seemed to make little difference. I was not sure if I was doing anything 6 .
One night, a heavy storm caused a power cut, leaving the classroom in darkness. As everyone was frozen, a soft light appeared. It was Wen who was holding a 7 in her hand. “We can still read.” she whispered. That was the first time I heard her voice.
The next day, she sat 8 . In the following days, she began to talk more. In my last class, she came up and gave me the lantern. “So you will always have some 9 ,” she smiled gently.
I came to give light, but found it was quietly 10 . Volunteering isn’t always loud or big. Sometimes, it’s a quiet lantern—shared between the two, and shining in both directions.