By Sarah Davis | Echo
Ethiopia
The team, along with some of the Ethiopian students, flashes happy smiles by a huge tree.
"Our team had the amazing opportunity to teach kindergarten through third grade kids in Ethiopia the English language. It was such a joy to be able to give the young Ethiopian children the foundational English they need to eventually get accepted to a local university. I think I can speak for the rest of my team and say that it was such a rewarding feeling once we saw our students learn and remember what we taught every day. It was especially fun to watch one of our team members get absolutely swarmed by at least fifty children asking their name incessantly at the end of class. In our free time we were trusted enough by the gardeners to plant four whole fields of sweet potatoes, which proved to be a great team bonding experience, as we all got burned by the sun and formed blisters on our palms together. God kept us safe through many health issues, and our times together sharing devotions and worshipping were definitely the highlights of my time in Ethiopia. Thank you all for your prayers and support." - Michael Snyder, Junior
Paraguay
Brooklin Young (senior), Chris Jordan (senior) and Emily Sumney (sophomore) get dancy in Paraguay.
"Over the month of January, the Paraguay team partnered with LETRA-Paraguay, a Wycliffe based organization working to translate the Bible into indigenous languages. We spent our first week in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, and assisted LETRA with cleaning and clearing properties that will be used to support their ministry, including the building site for their future headquarters. The following two weeks we stayed in Loma Plata, a German Mennonite settlement in the Chaco region of Paraguay. While there, we spent time with Lucho Pinto, a Bible translator working to bring the Toba Maskoy people the New Testament, as well as his wife, Mariana, and their four children. We helped the Pinto family with projects in their yard, enjoyed many hours eating meals in their home coupled with good conversation and learned about Bible translation. On a few occasions we had the opportunity to go with Lucho to visit the Toba Maskoy, where we enjoyed playing with many of the children and even camped out one night." - Chris Jordan, Senior
Poland
The whole team grins in front of the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow.
"Our team had the wonderful opportunity of seeing how God is working in Poland, how the church is growing, and helping build relationships between the local church and those we met. We mainly did this by teaching English in schools; we were able to go to 6 different schools and meet around 600 people. When not in the classroom, we learned about the Polish culture by going to museums, visiting homes, wandering around towns, eating their food, learning some cultural dances and meeting with many different church leaders around the country. There was so much more to our trip, so please ask any of us and we would love to tell you all about it and how you can join us in prayer for Poland!" - Beth Gregory, Junior
Southeast Asia
Courtney Feagans (junior), Camila Chiang (senior) and Gloria Talbot (sophomore) eat a traditional meal with women from the island.
"Our team had the privilege of staying with families on three different sea tribe islands in Southeast Asia. We focused on developing relationships with our host families and having meaningful conversations with them over mealtimes. From playing volleyball, to learning traditional ceremonial dances, to eating lots of food, we had such a great time living life with the people of SE Asia. We feel so blessed to have been able to learn from and minister to them." - Olivia McCash, Junior
Spain
Kate Meadors (senior), Sarah Smith (junior), Krissy White (junior) and Maddie Gold (junior) being so candid with their Spanish Sprite.
"Our team lived in Donostia, a city in the Basque region of Spain. We spent four hours every morning taking Contemporary Christian Belief with Dr. Seeman, and then applying the things we'd learned in conversations with our Basque friends every afternoon. Some days, we hung out with other college kids in our residence hall, discussing the differences between eating habits and sports and attitudes toward God (among other things). Other days, we took windy roads along the coast to visit international workers living in little fishing villages nearby. We met their friends, fixed their computers, did yard work and remodeled apartments-all the while engaging in conversations about Christ." -Nicole Arpin, Junior
