Parent Testimonials & Reviews

It’s great when the whole family is involved with the excitement and the adventure of our volunteer expeditions. 

If your child is contemplating a project to the South Pacific, then we are always happy to chat through the expedition in careful detail with you.

Here is a brief selection of emails and letters that we have received from parents, whose children have travelled and volunteered with Think Pacific…

“Hi, Simon, I just wanted to write to thank you and all the TP team for Hannah’s amazing trip. She has had the most incredible time, and made some special friends. I can honestly say it has been a life-changing experience for her, and I think, given half a chance, she would have been on the first plane back to Fiji! As a parent, I am blown away by how well organised the trip has been, from our very first contact with you all those months ago. My son graduates next year, and hopes to organise his start in work ( fingers crossed!) to enable him to do an expedition with you too, so I sense you may yet see another Grundy!

Thanks once again from Hannah and from the rest of the family.”

Regards

Sally

“Hello Simon, A big thank you, I feel as if I too have enjoyed the TP experience and I am sure it is one Alistair will keep with him forever. Many Many thanks for making it so special and for all the attention to detail, the commitment and fun you have all put into everything.”

With much gratitude,

Sue.

“Hi Simon, I thought I would just drop you a line – whilst I still have some peace and quiet before Jamie gets home. From the texts and phone calls I have had Jamie appears to be having the time of his life and I am so pleased. I would just like to say a massive thank you to you for all the help and assistance you gave him to finally make it there and for the organisational skills Think Pacific has – reading the daily blogs has made me feel as if I was almost there and by reading them assured me he was safe and sound, it has also kept everyone in my office entertained. You all do a fantastic job and from reading the blogs you all show a care and commitment that is exceptional. I am sure this experience will be invaluable to Jamie and be a memory of a lifetime, as his mum I can only thank you for the work you do and the fantastic way in which you do it.

Kindest regards and thanks again,”

Gail Jones

“A huge thank you to the Think Pacific team. Dan has been home for two weeks now and we are still hearing new stories of his adventures in Batiki. We are immensely grateful to all of you in the team who made this such a wonderful experience for him. We can only hope that the villagers of Yavu enjoyed the experience as much!

G.Burke

Caring for so many young people at such great distances is quite a responsibility and we have been impressed with the practical help and advice that you have given. We are now putting together a few gifts, photographs and letters to send to David’s host family and thanks for their generosity and kindness. I know that the people of Fiji have made a huge impression on you and I am sure that their love and kindness will, in many ways, have affected the volunteers too. This has been an adventure for all of us.”

Many thanks,

Hilary and Robin.

“Thank you for all your hard work.  I am sure will be one of the best experiences of Andy’s life. It has been a pleasure being a (small) part of the great work you do out there and you deserve much credit for all your planning and dedication. If I don’t speak to you again, good luck with future trips and all the very best to you and your team.”

You take care

Liz Murphy

“Hi Simon, Before you head off to Fiji I thought I would take this opportunity to congratulate you and your colleagues on the great achievements of the TP team in the village of Daku. We have all followed the blog with great interest and have both enjoyed reading the comments and been extremely proud of having Robert a part of the wonderful work that you have been doing. Lots of luck for your future ventures. Love to all the Think Pacific members.”

Glenis and the Livesley family.

“Hi Simon, Nicola landed safely back in the UK today. We very much look forward to hearing of her amazing experience firsthand. Thank you to you and your team for all of your hard work and outstanding organisation. You are to be commended for the excellent work that you do for the Fijian community and indeed for making it possible for the volunteers to participate in such an amazing life experience. Thanks again and here’s to your continued success.”

Chris

“Dear Simon and Harry,

I can only imagine that your inboxes are very full right now, with arrangements for the January Team and thank you notes from the September team. I’ll try to be brief, although our appreciation for what both of you have created and provided the volunteers could fill a very long treatise on great organization, impressive leadership, and superb communication.

Christopher’s growth during his three-month Think Pacific expedition has been remarkable. Jeanne and I send our heartfelt thanks to you for giving Christopher an amazing set of experiences: the opportunity to work as a team with a group of volunteers far from home; the responsibility of working on the projects; and, perhaps most impressive, the life-changing chance to live with a Fijian family and experience a life so different than what he has been used to in suburban Boston.

Christopher established strong ties with his Fijian family, many villagers and their children, and with the leaders and volunteers of Think Pacific. The heartfelt goodbyes were a testament to how meaningful these relationships had become over only three months. It goes without saying that Christopher’s life has been changed by the programs you developed. The only downside to such excellence is that it will be nearly impossible to find a program for Christopher’s spring gap experience that will not suffer in comparison with Think Pacific.

As Christopher has said himself, no program could come close to TP’s organization and personalized mission. It would be hard to find another group that would offer anything like Harry’s daily meetings with volunteers and constant shaping and reshaping of the experience. While you could have made assignments early on and let volunteers get on as best they could, you offered flexibility and a genuine concern that volunteers and villagers alike would share a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I realize that I’m the sort of parent who peppered you with many questions and concerns during the first weeks. I was struck by your level of patience and understanding. Your willingness to work closely with the third party, i.e., the parents, as well as the volunteers and people of Moturiki, illustrates how hard you were willing to work to make this a wonderful experience for all.

Christopher’s time on Moturiki with his Fijian family and TP has led to the growth parents wish for when their children sign up for gap years.

As Christopher was the only American, it is again clear that too few young people from the U.S. see the extraordinary value of gap experiences. We will spread the good word about Think Padific and Fiji on this side of the Atlantic in the hope that more Americans will join your expeditions. To know that more young Americans’ lives were transformed thanks to your efforts would be a real pleasure.

At some point soon we hope to visit Moturiki as a family to see where Christopher spent three extraordinary months, in extraordinary company.”

Yours, Joseph.