Kat Bentley

It is a rare and beautiful thing, finding something that you stand behind completely. You support it without question and advertise it with incredible enthusiasm. You sing it’s praises not because you are a paid actor or official sponsor, but because it has done something for you that very few things can do. It has changed your life. And when this happens, you feel the need to tell everyone you know, everyone you don’t know. I will forever be endorsing the Power of One for this very reason. Juelle and Donovan Wilkins, the creative geniuses behind this project, have provided a means to not only travel but travel with spirit. Without a doubt, this program has helped to shape my life in marvelous and meaningful ways. So naturally, I have to share this with the world.

What attracted me, along most others, to the program was it’s service opportunities and cultural immersion. At the time I was a 17 year old high school senior, and nothing excited me more than the idea of having an adventure in another country. I never could have anticipated how the trip would alter my plans for my future. Before arriving, we all met with Juelle and Dono. They spoke of Thailand with such warmth and humility, every word was laced with emphatic adoration. It was made plain that there were no better people to guide you through this country. Upon arriving I fell in love. The warmth of Thai people is intoxicating and the landscape is an array of scenic perfection. The group dynamic was one of ultimate acceptance and openness, nearly every person becoming something like a family member. I couldn’t have explained to you why this was, why we all got along and appreciated each other so much. With every project, every temple, every meal we became a family through our experiences. That is something that is unique about the Power of One. The restrictions of our daily lives began to fade away and we were given the opportunity to see this country, each other, and ourselves in a light that made definite how powerful and connected as individuals we all are. We were bonded by our shared laughter, our stories and talents, and our amazement at the wonders of Thailand.

When I came home, it was like coming off of an intense high. I missed all of the people that I had grown to love, and the country where I had learned to love myself. But more than anything, I missed the feeling that I was doing something that I was proud of. It took returning to my average teenage American life to understand how truly incredible my experience in Thailand was. My eyes were opened, and I saw the world as an open door. It was like have blinders removed. I had an epiphanic realization that I could do anything I wanted to and absolutely did not have to settle for doing what everyone else was doing, which was going straight to college. I wanted my life to have direction and meaning, I wanted to do something that bettered the world and inversely bettered me. Essentially, I wanted my life to reflect the ideology and mentality of the Power of One program. And so it began. Instead of finishing my college applications, I began planning a very new trip to Thailand. My ambition was to stay in Thailand for nine months and work as a volunteer english teacher. I was told often that this was a ridiculous idea, but I refused to not see it through. And so I persevered, obtaining a visa and securing a position at three schools. The reason I was able to teach at those schools was because I had grown close to Thai teachers who taught there. The reason I was able to get my visa was because of people I had met on the trip. The reason my parents agreed to send their eighteen year old daughter half way across the world for nine months was because of who I had become on the trip. My return to Thailand was made possible because of the Power of One for many reasons. Put aside the connections I made, the knowledge of the country and culture I gained, and the love for doing something good for others I developed. I would never have even had this daring and bold idea had I never gone on the trip. And now my dream has become my reality.

So when considering whether or not you’d like to be a part of this organization, as you quarrel over the price of plane tickets and examine how willing you are to take a step outside of the box, keep this in mind. Not everyone who joins this program goes home and changes how they live their life, not everyone expands their way of thinking and grows to value the truly important things. But a majority do. Those who participate and are open, ready to receive the gifts of Thailand and the gifts of this program, return home knowing that they are fully capable of shaping their lives into a more beautiful and inspired existence. They are made conscience of a world that lies outside our borders and the spectacular qualities of the people who live there. And more importantly, they are given the opportunity to own and execute everything that is wonderful about themselves. True to it’s name, they can understand the meaning of the Power of One.

Kat BentleyDenver, Colorado, USA