Westmont Magazine Summer Adventures

The student group Emmaus Road is sending five teams of Westmont students overseas this summer to participate in short-term service projects. This longstanding practice has a new element this year: team blogs. To read about the experiences of these students, go the Westmont Web site (www.westmont.edu), click on Current Students, then on Emmaus Road (on the right) and on Team Blogs. Or go to: blogs.westmont.edu/emmaus_road/.

Guatemala: This team of nine works and serves with Don Solomon and Dona Mera Hernandez and Westmont alumnus Jovanni Tricerri at the Westmont-Bethel Hospital (www.westmontbethel.org) and in the village of Uspantan to meet physical needs.

Indonesia: Students assist long-term workers and local believers to build relationships with the Indonesian people. Eight students stay in homes and join in community development efforts.

Russia: A team of eight works with Children’s Hope Chest in Kostroma, Russia, as staff for a summer camp that provides training for orphans (ages 15-20s). They will support the local staff in preparing and helping American groups serving at the camp as well as being camp counselors. The Web site is www.gospelcom.net/chc.

Rwanda: With a commitment to continued education about the AIDS pandemic in Africa, a team of six does field and administrative work in Rwanda with YWCA staff. They assist the NGO in activities such as computer training, home visits to families, a soccer camp and tutoring orphans. They also learn about the 1994 genocide and its impact on people as they serve at the Imbambazi Orphanage. The Web site is www.worldywca.org/aids.

Tanzania: After a semester in Tanzania, the team leader wanted to bring a group of her peers to experience the nation and its people. Seven students assist long-term workers through Grace Ministries International. They support longstanding projects and ministries such as AWANA and a summer camp for youth. Their Web site is www.gracem.org/GMItanzania.html.