Voluntary service encompasses a wide range of activities performed by people who want to experience the rewards of serving others, rewards that are so great they are probably best understood only by those who have volunteered. For starters, embarking on one of the volunteer programs will give you the satisfaction of enriching the lives of other human beings, contribute to your personal growth, and broaden your knowledge of the world.

It should come as no surprise that most volunteers learn a great deal from their overseas experiences. You do not have to be a doctor, a builder or an agronomist to be a capable volunteer. On the other hand, volunteering does require a special kind of person. You must be able to maintain a proper and positive attitude towards your work, which can often be the biggest challenge of all.

While people volunteer for many reasons, most volunteers share a certain idealism. They want to make a difference in the world, and they are willing to work without pay to do it. Instead, they expect to receive a sort of spiritual fulfillment from their labor, the kind of satisfaction that comes from helping others or from the successful completion of a difficult task. All this is perfectly reasonable, however it is important for volunteers to have realistic expectations of what they can accomplish through their service and what they will get in exchange.

Participants in volunteer programs must be easy going, flexible and able to get along with others. Also, if you want to have a good volunteer experience, you have to prepare yourself as thoroughly as you can. You must learn about the culture and the history of the people among whom you will be living.

Therefore advance preparation is a critical component of a successful volunteer assignment, but one not easy to accomplish since most volunteers are squeezing their trips into already busy schedules. Once you arrive in-country, briefings will usually be short because your host country organizers are busy.

First, you should become somewhat familiar with the history and culture of the country you will visit. Your hosts will appreciate any efforts you make to familiarize yourself with their country, culture, history and customs.

Secondly, understanding your own culture and its peculiarities goes a long way in preparing yourself for overseas duty. Americans have been described by foreigners as outgoing and friendly and, alternately, as informal and rude. Other qualities ascribed to Americans include: hard-working, extravagant, wasteful, too confident that they have all the answers, and always in a hurry.

You must avoid the overwhelming temptation to take on difficult cases in order to demonstrate a method of handling a problem that cannot be dealt with after you leave. Resisting this temptation may be a challenge at times, since short-term volunteers must realize that they are not going to change the whole world in the time that they are working overseas. The whole idea of the mission is to bring solution, not leave problems.

Finally, remember that how you are perceived by your hosts is critical to how effective you will be during your brief stay. The more empathy and sincerity you show for the culture and daily challenges of your hosts, the more respect you will command and a more effective volunteer you will become.

Successful short-term volunteers must share certain qualities. Here is the list:

• Flexible
• Relaxed
• Innovative
• Good-humored Culturally sensitive
• Willing to share knowledge
• Committed to having a good tim