“My name is Larissa Preuss. I'm from Brazil. I'm a journalist and I worked for 10 years in television production. I was a researcher also, and the last job I had I was working as a press secretary for the South Brazilian Union.”

Where are you now?

“I'm working as a volunteer teacher for Syrian refugee kids.”

What is your favorite local dish?

“My favorite food from this place is from my student’s mom. They are a Syrian family that I got to know in Lebanon. They live at that balcony over there. Everything they make is delicious. From the falafel sandwiches they make to this soup with aged cheese, but everything is very good.”

How would you describe a hard day?

“Teaching children is not the romantic experience that you might think, like, Oh, they are so cute and adorable. They are indeed cute and adorable, but they're also full of energy and uncontrollable.”

“Miss, can I go to the bathroom? Miss, can I drink water? Miss, can I do this? Miss, can I do that? I don't like this! I don't like that! It drives me crazy. I want to find the button, Eject planet Earth right now.”

How would you describe a perfect day?

“It doesn't matter if you have a diploma. It doesn’t matter how many languages you speak. It doesn’t matter where you've been. To them you're here and you're teaching them and that makes it worth it. They thank God every day when you start to talk about things. They say, Miss, we thank God because you're here to help us and to teach us. This makes it perfect for me.”

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about volunteer teaching?

“There is no growth when you stay in your comfort zone. But when you step out of your comfort zone, it's an opportunity for you to develop and grow as a human being.”

If you want to serve as an Adventist volunteer, visit VividFaith.com to browse open calls from around the world.

Originally published in 2017