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Once In A Lifetime

Posted in Auburn Abroad by Ashley B | Thursday, November 8th, 2007 | Trackback

Her summer was all planned out. She was going to Italy to experience art, culture and beauty. The deposit was paid, the tour books bought and the suitcase packed. Little did she know, in less than three months Mary Reading Overstreet would be teaching English to children half-way across the world in Vietnam.


Growing up, Overstreet was involved with some mission work through her church in Dallas, Texas. Her college mission work began after hearing her campus minister share his experiences from China. She says the Lord placed Asia on her heart and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. When March cam around, she signed up to go to Vietnam. 

Overstreet traveled to Vietnam with a team of 25 people from Grace Campus Ministries, partnering with the English Language Institute (ELI). The onset of the trip included four days of extensive training in teaching, planning and culture. Upon the team’s arrival, each Auburn student was given a classroom of 20-25 Vietnamese children. Overstreet described the atmosphere as “more like a summer camp.� In a culture where education is invaluable, the children apply to a “school� for four weeks during the summer. Daily activities include three hours of teaching in the morning, followed by “cultural activities� at night. Overstreet and her fellow team members often found challenges in their classrooms.

“The first day, all 23 of my kids wouldn’t be quiet,� Overstreet said. “They were all yelling, screaming and throwing things at each other. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get them under control.�

Overstreet’s people-pleasing nature made it difficult for her to be assertive. Finally, she reached a point where she didn’t care whether or not the students liked her; having their respect was most important. Overstreet said that the incredible support she received from her team, along with constant prayer, gave her energy to get through each day.

Overstreet says her time in Vietnam was “life changing.� Among the many unique experiences was getting to see the global church. “I really saw the true freedom and healing that comes in the body of Christ,� Overstreet says. “My biggest personal change was realizing that my identity is in Christ. All things are available to me, through him.�

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