Leadership

Peter Ha van Hau

I joined English Camp after a month-long vacation spent enjoying and relaxing in my hometown.
Although leaving my family and country was a little sad, I accepted it because it was my choice.
The Camp started more than a day after I arrived back in the Philippines from Vietnam. I
remember it was midnight and I was already asleep when Sid arrived at Claret Seminary from
Macau. He entered my room on the second floor and woke me up, holding his cell phone with a
flashlight. I cannot remember exactly what he said, as I was very sleepy, then only knew his
name and followed him to the car on the path before the FS chapel without my slippers. I
realized I had forgotten them when I reached the first floor, so I walked with bare feet. I guided
and helped him carry something from the car to his room.
After that incident, it was already the next day, and I returned to my room, spending
several hours sleeping to recharge my energy for the upcoming day. The English Camp almost
started that day, and it taught me a valuable lesson to be ready for anything unexpected. I do not
know when the master will come and call me. It is a surprising call that I cannot forget.
Now, English Camp 2023 has ended, except for the unforgettable, surprising calling from
our master, Sid and then if someone asks me a question about what was the most important thing
that I have learned from English Camp 2023, I will answer what I learned and experienced to
become a leader. To be honest, in my mind, I was not excited about leadership. However,
English Camp 2023 allowed me to do and practice it. Moreover, I thought that it was a valuable
experience for me, and it is what I need if I want to be a successful person or, especially, to
become a good missionary in the future.
I was born into a farming family with my parents and six siblings, including me. I am the
fifth. Even though I am not the youngest, because of my health and physicality, I am the smallest
in my family, I could see that everything in my family, my parents, brothers, and sisters arranged
and helped me to do that. I just contributed a little and did some lighter things. However, it was
also a chance for me to find out how to listen, observe, and contribute. It was a little about my
background so that I could know a little bit about why I was not excited about working as a
leader. Despite that, I know that I need to be trained and learn many new things every day, so I
can fit in with what I want to be in the future. As Mahatma Gandhi once said: "Live as if you
were to die tomorrow and learn as if you were to live forever."
Leadership has been quite challenging for me in the seminary community, especially
considering my little prior experience of leading outside the seminary. In regular places, people
usually work for money or promotions, but I have found a stark contrast within the seminary.
Here, we come together willingly, driven by a shared purpose and commitment to our mission.
I was chosen as a leader by lot. I accepted the result as the character of a missionary in
the future. I tried my best to do good for my team. The name of our team was Unstoppable
Team. It was a meaningful name which meant nothing could stop us. In my team, there were
three brothers from the Philippines, one sister from Indonesia, one sister from Sri Lanka, and
three brothers from Vietnam, including me. I was incredibly happy and thankful because the
Unstoppable team was international. All of us make our team more active and creative. When we
had activities, each of us contributed ideas, time, and effort to finish them. Sincerely, I would
like to express my gratitude to all my beloved members.
However, as a leader, I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, knowing that
my team members expected more from me. They looked up to me for guidance, inspiration, and
the ability to lead them towards success. Early on, I realized the difficulties as a leader in my
team because each of us had different characters, cultures, and opinions from many countries. I
had to work smarter to make my team united and harmonious. I tried to balance the diverse
personalities, skillsets, and aspirations of team members.
There were instances when I had to make tough decisions that not everyone agreed with,
which sometimes led to a sense of disconnection between me and some of the team members.
Additionally, I had my limitations as a leader, and I was not immune to making mistakes or
facing moments of self-doubt. Nevertheless, sometimes I felt sad because my teammates did not
follow the rules of the Camp even though I had already reminded them. I felt tired when
someone asked me where my teammate was. Someone was sick or not feeling well, someone
was late, someone just walked or ran around, and even someone was lazy and wanted to sleep. I
had to run around and look for them, my lost sheep.
I was not good at all aspects, but as a leader, I came to realize that being a leader was not
about having all the answers. It was about encouraging an environment where open
communication, mutual respect, and empathy are. Over time, I learned to celebrate the unique
strengths of each team member and harness those strengths to create a more united team.
Although a short English Camp alone might not turn me into a perfect leader, I am
thankful for the chance it gave me to learn and grow up in a supportive seminary environment.
Even though it was tough, I will always remember this time as a special part of my life where I
discovered more about myself. I would like to give thanks to the Lord for guiding us and express
my gratitude to those who helped us develop in many ways during our time at the seminary. As
we move ahead, I hope we continue to receive blessings from Jesus Christ, guiding us and
making our seminary journey even better.