Westmont Magazine Reaching Out to the World

this spring and summer, students will conduct service projects in two states and five countries in africa, asia and latin america

Emmaus Road Team

This year, students will travel to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mississippi, China, El Salvador, Malawi, Russia and Uganda.

Nine students will work with a non-profit organization in El Salvador, assisting local business and economic development in La Herraduara. Michael Mantyla, who runs the business division of the Emmaus Road core team, will be going there for the second year in a row. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to serve in El Salvador since it really fits my gifts well,” he says. “We’ll be working in small businesses, schools, medical clinics and many other places.” He looks forward to living with a local family.

Traveling to Malawi, six students will work with orphans and join in community development near the capital of Lilongwe. Another student group going to Africa will help dedicated ministers in Kampala, Uganda, at God Cares School, serving orphans and engaging the local community through evangelism.

In China, six students will volunteer in an orphanage in Qingdao, build relationships with children at a school for the blind, deaf and mute and teach English at a public school.

A team of five students will venture to Russia to serve in local churches in Ryazan, assisting long-term ministries in their efforts to bless orphans and reach out to their community.

Potter’s Clay participants will journey to Ensenada, Mexico, where Westmont’s ministry has now entered its third decade. They will provide the community with medical services, construction projects, sports outreach and vacation Bible school.

The students attending Spring Break in the City will volunteer their time at various locations throughout the inner cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco while learning about the issues connected to urban poverty.

The Racial Equality and Justice group (pictured at left) will serve with the John M. Perkins Foundation and learn about Christian community development, race relations and racial and economic justice as well as study the Bible from a social justice perspective. They will work on projects in the neighborhood.

Serving in a variety of countries gives students a greater understanding of the world in which they live. These groups and experiences often make lasting impressions on all participants. Mantyla said, “I’m thrilled about the team I’m going with. Each member is very important to me, and I look forward to the relationships that will be formed among us.”