A Perfect Blend of Service Trip and Spiritual Retreat
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Within days of returning from this astounding, 3-week retreat experience with the Loving Work Foundation, it became clear I had to come up with a succinct description of the experience to satisfy the intense curiosity of close friends and family.
“Imagine an almost unimaginably perfect blend between a service trip and spiritual retreat,” I said. All these months later, these words continue to serve as an ideal conversation starter -- an accurate headline for those I see in passing, a compelling first line with those who want to know more.
The ability to fully, simultaneously immerse within and enjoy these two (often distinct) types of travel experiences was an immense gift, one of the many ways the Loving Work team creates such lovely, unique experiences for global members of the Plum Village community.
With most organizations, doing such highly personal, hands-on international service work directly with those in need requires sacrificing one’s personal comfort in terms of accommodations, food, and transportation. This is not the case with Loving Work. The places we stayed, the food we ate, the methods of getting from point A to point Z were exceptional, well-organized, nourishing, and restorative. The beauty of our surroundings, the beauty of our community and shared spiritual experiences touched me in ways I simply had not expected. As much as I got to know Vietnam – the people and places that formed our beloved Thay and gave rise to our global Plum Village community – I got to know myself even better. Please forgive the rather cheesy nature of that sentence, but I know of no other way to describe it.
I am so grateful for Trish, Linh, Trang, and all at Loving Work who, thanks to their diligent work, helped make this trip one of the most profound experiences of my life.
David Levin
Serene Transformation of the Source
