Dear Friends, Supporters, and Newcomers,

I went back and read some of the previous interns blogs and realized that I didn't formally introduce myself. There was the long entry a few posts prior detailing my professional life. I figure it's just as important for you to know my personal side as well, so that you can understand a bit better my stay here in Taiwan (TW).

First and foremost, I care deeply about the basic human rights of others, the rights that allow us to live with peace in our minds, souls and bodies. Though suffering and loneliness are an intrinsic part of being human, I also believe that it is as core a human need to develop relationships with others to address this pain, to build community, to socialize, to partner with others and experience joy. A lifetime whizzes by in a flash. Before we know it, we become the very people we used to look up to. We grow up. We age.

So I ask the question: In the short time that I am here on earth, what meaning do I want to make of this life? At 25 years old I don't have the answers, but a wise friend once told me, it's not about the answers; it's about the question itself. The importance lies in the question. And so I ask you: In the short time that you are here on earth, what meaning do you want to make of this life?

Fast-forward to the present in Taoyuan, TW, to a shelter full of Vietnamese migrant workers who have been trafficked to work in factories, offer sex to brutal men, sometimes to be the sex plaything of all the men in one family, or be caregivers in people's homes. Many of these workers enter TW with a debt of around $7000. The conditions in VN are so deplorable, so dire that people would sell themselves, their daughters and their sons in the hopes that they can make money overseas as a migrant worker and have a better life. $7000 for a better life, a life that is a fairytale and hardly ever attained.

Do I think that my being in TW is going to stop human trafficking? Honestly, no. Where there is a demand for cheap labor and sex trade, a supply will be offered to meet the need. It's economics 101. But I'm not going to stay idle because I don't have a magic wand to solve this global problem. I'm here in TW because the mistreatment of other people is a local problem. Over here, it's the human rights of Vietnamese getting trampled on, but who is to say whether those rights might be yours or mine at some not-so-distant future.

Yes, I'm a therapist. I have a degree that says I spent a lot of time and money to learn about how people heal and fumble through relationships. Here at the shelter, it's not about my degree or my work experience. It's about me simply being with the folks here. Please understand, education and experience matter to an extent, but the biggest impact I have here is with my presence and the fact that I offer my time and share myself with others who are have been dealt a rough hand in life. I let them know that I choose to be here with them. I want to be here with them. I value developing a relationship with them. These facts allow me to be part of their community to where I can offer some healing through my presence.

They have an chance to experience a positive interaction with another human. That doesn't take a fancy degree or lots of money. It takes intentionality. Intentionality can propel a feeling of empathy and humanity into a place of action however big or small. Whoever you are, wherever you are, I wish you the best in your choice-making as you, much like folks here, struggle to make meaning of your life. I hope you join me in my journey through the next 5 months. May you find this blog informative...tangible...inspiring.

~ Calix

P.S. The people here call me Xuan, a word related to the season of Spring. I will be using both.