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| Spiritual Life There once was a time during the early 1960s when Buena Vista students were fined two dollars for skipping a mandatory chapel service. You’ll find no forced piety on campus
today! Yet BVU’s Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life program is thriving more than ever, thanks to its humanistic approach to spirituality.
Consider what spiritual life means to today’s Buena Vista University students:
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- “It’s connecting with others in fellowship and reaching out to show other people the love and power of God,” says Jandi Sorbo, who came to BVU because she thought it was where God wanted her to be.
- “It’s realizing how tough life is for a lot of people and working with them to change their lives,” says Becca Zabel, who attended a Hunger and Homelessness conference.
- “It’s sharing a common thread with fellow believers,” says Michael Dick, the co-leader of an informal Bible study group.
- “It’s thinking about my faith, and then also putting my faith into action,” says Camille Frank, who plans special chapel events.
- “It’s appreciating the treasures that God gives us,” says Kenzie Bell, whose eyes were opened to poverty during a service trip.
- “It’s singing in praise and worship,” says Johnessia Thomas, who founded and directs the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir.
- “It’s understanding the plan God has for my life,” says Kate VanDusseldorp, who organizes
Student Christian Ministries activities.
| - “It’s staying focused and grounded through ministries in the glory of God,” says Cody VanSchepen, who is president of the
Fellowship of Christian Beavers.
- “It’s serving as a human being to others in need,” says Amanda Christie, who helped make a difference for those less privileged.
- “It’s working to promote human rights and social justice,” says Abbie Kretz, who formed a chapter of
Amnesty International on campus.
A Broadening Scope
The broadening scope of campus ministries reflects its ecumenical aspects and its emphasis on service — both of which are signs of the times, BVU chaplain Ken Meissner notes.
“Mainline denominations are now at a crossroads,” Meissner explains. “As their congregations age, they need to inject youth into their membership. One of the ways to do that is by offering opportunities that tap into this generation’s interest in finding spiritual growth through service to others.”
The Rev. Meissner became BVU’s chaplain during the 1999-2000 school year, after having served as pastor of the Alta Presbyterian Church. Since then, he has helped BVU students build a stronger foundation of faith through their dedicated involvement in spiritual and outreach programs.
Several student organizations form the heart of BVU’s Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life program. One of the newest is
Beavers in God (BIG), a conglomerate of five small groups: two Bible studies, two book studies, and one fellowship group. BIG members say they focus on “finding God’s will for our lives and fulfilling the great commission that God has given us” through weekly meetings. Junior Jandi Sorbo, a Spanish major from Republic, Wash., has helped lead BIG study groups.
“I have many great memories seeing people who were not previously involved get into the Bible study and other Christian ministries on campus,” says Jandi. “One of our evangelistic pushes during the week before Easter involved having discussions about Easter in all the dorms, trying to help students understand that Christianity isn’t just something that their parents follow. We want them to understand it is important that they have their own personal relationship with God. I am happy that the other leaders of BIG are willing to take on so much responsibility and step outside of their comfort zones in order to reach out to other people.”
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Jandi expects to enter some sort of ministry after graduation and feels that being a Christian at BVU has helped her stay faithful and continue experiencing God: “Being involved in these groups here at BVU is helping me to connect with other Christians so that we can help each other grow in faith.”
One of BIG’s book discussions focuses on “Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul,” which examines the needs of men, in particular, to receive the blessing and be true to themselves. As sophomore Michael Dick, a biology and criminal justice double-major from Whitefish Bay, Wis., explains, the |
members of study groups share a common faith, and “to be able to study together things that we are all interested in while having a fun time just makes it that much more enjoyable.”
A student organization that specifically targets student-athletes is Fellowship of Christian Beavers (FCB), which is the local huddle of the national organization |
Fellowship of Christian Athletes and bears the name of BVU’s mascot. The group recently held a retreat at the Hidden Acres Christian Center in Dayton, and one of the group’s advisors, BVU admissions counselor Austin Robertson, described it as “an entire weekend focused on the Lord.”
“The benefits of a group such as FCB or a weekly Bible study are endless,” says Robertson. “The focus is simply to know and serve God, which provides students an opportunity to grow and mature in their faith and develop incredible friendships.”
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Justice for All
In addition to providing fellowship and opportunities to strengthen faith, many of the student organizations within the Campus Ministry and Student Life program have a component that combines volunteer service and social justice. The group
Community Bridge Builders (CBB), for example, sponsors a Hunger Banquet, where the meal that a guest receives is determined by lottery — a few eat gourmet food, while many have only rice and water — in order to highlight the fact that many people in the world go hungry.
“I love helping to change people’s outlook,” says Becca Zabel, a senior speech and drama arts management major from Renville, Minn., who helped organize the event. “One of the students who attended the Hunger Banquet e-mailed me afterwards to thank us for helping her realize that some people aren’t even lucky enough to get that much food within a two-day period.”
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Abbie Kretz, a senior from Schuyler, Neb., who is double-majoring in philosophy/religion and Spanish, was moved to help form a campus branch of Amnesty International after she realized that many students knew little about the hardships of people in other countries. The group discusses the plights of those who face grave abuses (of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, for instance) and they undertake actions such as letter-writing campaigns to promote all human rights.
“The purpose is really to raise people’s awareness and get them to join in helping others,” explains Abbie.
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Something for Everyone
Many spiritual life activities are coordinated by the
Student Christian Ministries (SCM) Board, including special events during weekly chapel services, the annual Candlelight and Carols holiday service, and the Family Weekend chapel service. One of the board members, senior Camille Frank, an art and elementary education double-major from Paullina, feels that helping organize such events has motivated her to put her faith into action.
“I also get a chance to develop my cooperative learning skills every week in our SCM meetings! I’ve met some great people, and interacting with them to plan events has been wonderful,” says Camille.
Another SCM board member, senior Kate VanDusseldorp, a elementary education major from Iowa City, has fond memories of the Seder meal that she helped organized to honor Passover.
“We host a lot of Christian events, and often I fear we are closed off to other faith traditions,” says Kate. “So it was great to take an evening to learn about this Jewish tradition, eat some different food, and celebrate something we wouldn’t usually think about.”
Another recent innovation has been the formation of the “Voices of Praise” Gospel Choir, which is under the direction of sophomore Johnessia Thomas, a social work major from Kansas |
City, Mo. In addition to lifting their voices in praise and worship, choir members get to “take time away from school, be together with people who hold similar interests in music, and have fun,” says Johnessia.
But sometimes students’ involvement in Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life programs brings rewards that have nothing to do with a particular event or meeting. Cody VanSchepen, a junior management
entrepreneurship major from
Arnolds Park, who is president of Fellowship of Christian Beavers and treasurer of the Student Christian Ministries Board, points to an unexpected circumstance as one of his best memories.
“A friend of mine at BVU who was in financial trouble had her car break down,” explains Cody. “Through funds collected during chapel services and a matched amount by Ken Meissner, we were able to help this girl get her car fixed. God really touched me when I saw the amount given. It was great to be able to help that person do something she couldn’t do herself.”
Spirit of Service
An emphasis on helping others is evident in many of the service trips supported by the Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life program. Along with the
Alternative Week of Off-site Learning (AWOL) spring break trips, the Alternative Weekend trips, and the local Alternative Happy Hour service projects, the program funds various retreats and conference trips throughout the school year.
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A special spiritual life link to the academic curriculum was forged during the January 2004 interim session through the “Healthy Living, Loving, and Learning” course taught by BVU campus counselor Kelly Mattis. The class was designed around addressing four dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Much of the spiritual component was addressed through a field trip to the
Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The students gathered donations of food, clothing, and money (including funds from Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life) to distribute “not out of pity, but out of our wealth and blessedness,” as Mattis put it.
Kenzie Bell, a sophomore psychology major from Dakota City, and Amanda Christie, a freshman exercise science major from Bedford, were among the students who enrolled in the class and were moved by their service trip.
“The trip made me realize how much of a difference we can make for those who are not so privileged,” says Amanda. “It was an amazing experience — not only did I help others, but I grew as a person and a Christian.”
“There are so many treasures that God gives us that we look past and forget about,” reflects Kenzie. “We don’t take time out of our busy lives to connect with God, and we often don’t take time out of our lives to do things for others. But on this trip, I feel that we did take the time to do good things for others, and the looks on the people’s faces proved to me that it was worthwhile.”
While the programs within Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life are varied, Chaplain Ken Meissner finds this commonality uniting them: all encompass a sharing of the gifts of the Lord through community and faith.
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BVU's Presbyterian Heritage
The founding of Buena Vista College at Storm Lake evolved from efforts of western Iowa Presbyterians to establish a stable Christian college. Classes had begun at the Presbyterian-affiliated Fort Dodge Collegiate Institute in the fall of 1885, and within six years the presbyteries of Fort Dodge and Sioux City realized the need to expand the institute into a college. However, trustees of the Fort Dodge Institute could not raise the funds necessary for such an expansion, so the presbyteries moved the location to Storm Lake. The school’s president, Rev. Loyal Y. Hayes, had advocated Storm Lake as the new site in part because it had no saloons and thus “invite[d] young people to the pure, sweet influence of a small city of idyllic beauty, with no temptations such as are inevitable in a large city.” A charter was secured under the name Buena Vista College in 1891.
The presbyteries, the synods, and the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) all provided financial support for Buena Vista College over the years, the Church appointed a certain percentage trustees, and many of the college presidents were Presbyterian clergy. The curriculum included Bible study and moral philosophy, and chapel attendance was compulsory until 1970. But as the Church became unable to provide more than a token of funding, its exercise of power within the College also dwindled, until in 1986 a covenant was approved that affirmed “the desire of Buena Vista College and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies to maintain a close inter-relationship while at the same time affirming the need of each institution to retain its autonomy,” thereby loosening the formal ties of the College to the Church. Nevertheless, Buena Vista University has retained its traditional moral commitment, and the Prospect Hill Presbytery continues to donate toward BVU’s chaplaincy program.
Source: William H. Cumberland’s “History of Buena Vista College”
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The Rev. Henry G. and Lucile Eggink Endowment
The Rev. Henry Eggink served as professor of philosophy and religion at Buena Vista College for 21 years, and upon his death in 2001 (his wife, Lucile, passed away in 1998) a testamentary gift to BVU of nearly
$1 million funded the Rev. Henry G. and Lucile Eggink Endowment “for student mission enhancement programs, including summer service mission projects, spring break mission programs, other student mission programs, and training or educating students in effective Christian mission service.”
All requests and proposals for Eggink funds are reviewed by a BVU committee consisting of one representative from the
student body, the Student Moderator of the Student Christian Ministries Board, one faculty member, one staff member, and the chaplain. Eggink funds can be dispensed for these purposes:
Alternative Week of Offsite Learning (AWOL) Spring Breaks
Gift monies are made available through the Alternative Spring Break Program to subsidize student mission trips that incorporate elements
of Christian mission, outreach, and service. Examples of service projects could include opportunities to serve special needs individuals, the
elderly, hunger and homelessness issues, displaced immigrants, environment issues, peace and justice issues, etc.
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Alternative Weekends of Service
Gift monies are made available to subsidize program costs, housing, food, and transportation for weekends of service to urban settings (Omaha, Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Sioux City, etc.). These opportunities may include service to outreach missions, homeless shelters,
soup kitchens, community centers, faith communities, children’s homes, care centers, schools, hospitals and clinics, etc.
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Alternative Happy Hours
Each month M.O.V.E (Mobilizing Outreach Volunteer Efforts) as well as S.A.B. (Student Activities Board) volunteers coordinate after-school programming for elementary/middle school youth, special needs individuals, outreach to local care centers, etc. Through the endowment, students would be allowed to create and purchase project and program materials, provide transportation, as well as provide snacks and entertainment.
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Leadership Conferences/Christian Career Exploration
The Eggink Gift could enhance student participation in national and regional leadership conferences that focus on Christian mission and service. Through the area of preparing leaders in ministry, a portion of the Eggink Endowment could be made available to subsidize students with transportation or housing costs incurred when attending ‘Inquiry Weekends” at seminaries or mission schools.
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Internship/Extended Service Learning Opportunities
The Eggink Endowment would allow opportunities for individual students to enhance their education and spiritual development through internships or extending service related to Christian service. Monies could be set aside each year for students interested in completing long-term mission or service projects.
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Other
As other opportunities arise within the BVU campus community related to Christian mission, monies could be made available to subsidize the mission projects that may not
fit the categories mentioned to the left.
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 Report on
Alternative Weekend of Service Trip to Omaha
Open Door Family Mission: An Easter Party
By Marsha Lorzel
At 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, nineteen Buena Vista University students
and staff were stranded on a bus outside of Fitzpatrick’s service garage. You
may be wondering why they were there, and better yet, where they were supposed
to be.
The BVU group was on its way to Omaha to volunteer at the Lydia
House, a homeless shelter/mission, when the bus overheated as it idled outside
White Hall. Instead of giving up and heading back to bed, the persistent
students opted for a new mode of transportation.
After discussing several options, such as piling in the back of a
Budget rental truck or calling President Moore to request a flight in a private
jet, the group split into two of Fitzpatrick’s vans. Finally, they were off!
Arriving late at the Lydia House, the BVU students and staff
jumped right in the Easter activities, which had already begun. Some helped
children in an Easter Egg Hunt, while others distributed bags of food to
parents. When the Easter celebration was over, the focused shifted to sweeping
floors and traveling to a warehouse to unpack clothing and organized can goods
scattered throughout the shelves of supplies. Over 800 children and parents
participated in the afternoon’s festivities.
After an inspiring day of volunteer work, and meeting a variety of
people, the group headed to the Old Market to shop and enjoy a meal at Spaghetti
Works.
The ride home was full of laughter, as
everyone shared great moments from the day and talked about how blessed they
were to have food, shelter and loving families. What more could one ask for?
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National
Conference on Community and Volunteering and National Service
Kansas City, Kansas
By Sara Upah, President, Student MOVE 2004-05
Cheers filled the Kansas City Convention Center June 8th, when former
President George Bush proclaimed: “No successful person’s life is without
service to others!” The energy filling the room was shared among the 2000+
volunteers attending the 2004 National Conference on Community Volunteering
and National Service. Members of community-oriented businesses,
organizations, and institutions of learning convened from across the nation
to network for three days. Among these people were myself and Gretchen
Barker. We were able to connect with potential community partners in cities
across the nation, as well as gather and share many volunteer ideas and
resources. In addition to 90-minute workshops and 3-hour seminars, we were
privileged to hear actor Sean Astin speak about his volunteer experience
leading up to his service on the President’s Council on Volunteer Service.
We were also treated with massages, refreshments, and Kansas City’s finest
entertainment. The highlight of the conference was the final afternoon, when
former First Lady Barbara and George Bush Sr. appeared in person to present
the George Bush Corporate Leadership Award. The Bush’s were reciprocated
with an enormous card and celebration in honor of their 80th birthdays, both
celebrated that week. Attending the conference was yet another amazing
opportunity I’ve had the privilege of experiencing thanks to Buena Vista
University’s Department of Community Service and Campus Ministries. Thank
you! Back to top |
Global
Expeditions New Zealand: Mission Trip, June 15, 2003
By
Cody Van Schepen
This mission trip has really changed my life in many ways. From the way I
spend time with God to how I treat people now and more importantly how I
treat my life. Quiet times were encouraged every morning on the trip. This
really helped me to experience God for a month.
I flew for my mission trip on July 5th from Omaha Airport to Dallas, Texas.
From there our group was taken by bus to Garden Valley, Texas which is the
home of Teen Mania Ministries. We would be spending a month in New Zealand.
For three days all the Missionary Advisors had sessions, and we would work
on personal evangelism, and then we were split up into groups and some of us
would learn a drama/skit while others learned a special dance. The drama and
dance were tools that we were going to use on the mission field. We also had
to teach the drama and the dance to the missionaries when they arrived to
Garden Valley. When the missionaries came, there was another three days of
sessions and training for our group before we could set out on the mission
field.
After a thirteen hour plane trip we landed in Auckland and made our way to
Carry Christian Camp in Henderson Valley, a town south of Auckland. While we
were in New Zealand the group was split into two teams. We named our team Pł
(cubed) to represent that our team had a purpose, passion, and a plan. The
first week in New Zealand our group worked with a local church called
Liberty Church. We painted walls and tore down small dilapidated wooded
houses that were built in a part of the church called Kid’s Kingdom.
The rest of the trip we spent traveling to different malls around Auckland
and completed a variety of outreach ministry. Personal evangelism was not
something that I was very good at and I found out how hard it is to share my
faith with people. There were many times I would share with people that
didn’t even want to talk about God.
The best part of the whole trip was leaving to come home on a plane from
Dallas-Fort Worth. This all started before I got on the plane. I met a young
girl named, Lori, who had been on a two week trip to Mexico. As we talked
she told me that her group led over 500 people to the Lord and that she saw
many incredible things. Well, this story telling continued on the plane. To
make it even better there was another missionary that went to Russia that
was sitting behind both Lori and I began to talk about our experiences.
Right before the plane was about to take off a young man came on by the name
of Brandon he sat in between Lori and I. As the plane took off we began to
talk to him and tell about ourselves. Though this he started to ask
questions about Christianity and we shared with him what we believed and
things we had been through in our lives. The two hour plane flight seemed
like 15 minutes. By the time we landed Brandon had prayed with us and
received Jesus as his savior. This was such and awesome experience for me,
something that I will never forget. Back to top |
BVU 2003
Emerging Leaders Retreat Shelter Experience, Omaha, NE
By Patrick Utz
Emerging Leaders is our name, service is our game. My
name is Patrick Utz, and I am in my 3rd year of involvement in the Emerging
Leaders program. We’ve had weekly meetings learning, testing and uncovering
our leadership qualities. Our final project involved traveling to Omaha for
an overnight retreat. The main focus of trip was working at a homeless
shelter in Omaha, NE.
We arrived at the shelter in the early morning. The
group received a tour of the facility, which was an old building that used
to house workers for the Union-Pacific railroad. The building was very old,
but definitely hospitable. The shelter housed women and children with rigid
guidelines that had to be strictly honored. Our group helped clean up and
organize the shelter for approximately four hours. Members of our group
cleaned donation closets, and also organized closets, and sterilized toys.
Our group prepared a meal of stew, vegetables, and provided sub sandwiches
for the people of the homeless shelter. Most importantly, our group members
were able to chat and interact with the people living at the homeless
shelter.
The retreat was a learning experience for everyone in
the group. Personally, I have never worked at a shelter before. I learned
how the facility works and was quite surprised about the strict guidelines
and curfews set by the homeless shelter in order to live there. I also
learned that it takes a dedicated people to really make a difference in a
facility like this. Our donated time saved hundreds of dollars to the
homeless shelter. They would have had to pay someone to do the many hours of
work that our group was able to do in only a few short hours. Most
importantly, I learned that the people living in the homeless shelter are
not very different from you and me. Most individuals we interacted with had
a stroke of bad luck or got the courage to leave a bad situation. They were
courageous, hard-working, and had high hopes for the future. Overall, I had
a great time on the retreat working with others in Omaha and learned many
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Giving Back in
California
By
Kay Eekoff
I spent my Spring Break on an AWOL trip to San Francisco, California this
year. Before we left, I enjoyed getting to know the ten other participants
working on various fund raisers together.
While we were in San Francisco, we did five different service projects
around the city. We also took time to explore many of the historical sites.
We resided at an international hostel near Fort Mason on Fisherman’s Wharf.
Throughout the trip, the whole group worked together to accomplish the tasks
before us as well as keep together in our travel experiences. We traveled by
public transportation, which made for quite an adventure. We encountered a
variety of people, learned about their lives and had a chance to help them
out. It was an incredible feeling.
Working at Glide Memorial Church impacted me the most! After their church
service, we served lunch in the basement for the homeless. Not knowing their
story changed my heart and opened my eyes as I watched them receive their
meal. Everything valuable in my life seemed unimportant during those
moments.
We had the opportunity to do many group activities with the children at
Sunnyside Elementary School. We planted native shrubs and grasses within the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area and later weeded out invasive plants
brought on by the drought, fires and mudslides. We also helped pack boxes
and boxes of burritos for the San Francisco Food Bank. We had the chance to
visit Alcatraz and many diverse areas of the city.
This trip made a major impact on me as we had the chance to travel out west.
The people and the opportunities we were involved with made me realize how
important giving back and volunteerism should be in each one of our lives. Back to top |
Habitat for Humanity Students Take Spring Break Challenge
By Kristin Fick
Once again, Habitat for Humanity participated in the Collegiate Challenge Spring Break Trip. This year’s destination was Atlantic Beach, Florida. The seven-day trip was led by English professor Marie Moeller and Habitat student president Linda Torborg.
Throughout the week, Moeller and fourteen BVU students, along with many other volunteers, constructed the outer and inner framing and began roofing two houses. The group had the opportunity to meet and work along-side many of the new home-owners and their families. Working together and experiencing the amazing progress of these homes allowed the group to gain satisfaction in knowing we shared in giving families a home. In addition to affecting our spiritual lives, this service opportunity will remain memorable with all of us, and the skills and lessons we learned will only benefit our futures. The group had an awesome week challenging and supporting one another in a common cause. We had a chance to benefit from the beautiful weather as well as come to understand how service can truly change our lives. Thanks so much for the donation and the support.
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AWOL 2004: BVU
Revisits Civil Rights in Alabama
By Regan Bectel
For Spring Break this year, faculty-staff advisors Leon
Williams and Swasti Bhattacharyya, site leader Jodi Morey, students Corey
Dorsey, Erin Stewart and I traveled to Alabama to revisit some of the
history of the civil rights movement.
Our service component was to clean up a park dedicated
to the Selma and Montgomery march that spurred in the Voting Rights Act of
1965. Within the park were memorial plaques naming the people who lost their
lives in the name of civil rights. There were also many art pieces and
beautiful structures built in their honor.
Salem made the biggest impact on me. It was on this
very location that the 52-mile march began and actually took three tries and
a full week to complete.
On what is now know as “Bloody Sunday,” 600 people
began the march only to be confronted by tear gas and state troopers who
trampled and beat the crowd. By Tuesday the crowd regained their strength
and marched again only to be confronted once more. This time Dr. King gained
permission from the courts to march.
On Sunday, 25,000 people gathered to march and were
finally allowed to complete their mission. It took five days to complete the
walk while they slept in muddy fields in the rain, nothing could break their
spirit.
The most amazing part for me was walking across that
same bridge and gain some sense of the emotion and determination the people
of that day held.
Spring Break in Alabama was powerful this year. Through
history lessons and my own steps, I captured a glimpse and an insight to
what went on fifty years ago to deliver justice and rights to a people
oppressed by a nation and people that stood for freedom. I’m amazed and in
awe of where I am allowed to stand today. Back to top |
Students Work With the Homeless In Albuquerque
By Tiffany Cornelius
Imagine riding for 20 hours in a 15-passenger van with nine people and several suitcases the size of small children. The seven students and two advisors signed up for the New Mexico AWOL trip did just that over their 2003 Spring Break.
After leaving at four o’clock in the morning on Saturday and traveling though four states with pit-stops here and there, we arrived at our hotel around 9:30 p.m. We spent most of our week volunteering and serving at Joy Junction, one of the largest homeless shelters within the Albuquerque area. While there, we tackled several tasks such as cleaning up garbage on the grounds as well as trimming and cleaning up brush. We were also allowed the opportunity to serve the residents meals and share with the clean-up responsibilities afterwards.
Along with the meaningful service projects, we did take time to visit the Albuquerque Zoo and Aquarium, plus we rode the Sandia Peak Tram (the longest in the Unites States) and spent time in Old Town in downtown historic Albuquerque.
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Lost In Service, Student Finds Self
By Nick Landgraf
This year’s group that traveled to serve at a children’s shelter in Puerto Rico meshed together incredibly well. It was quite a sight to see everyone take a project upon themselves, no questions asked, and complete it. I believe we met our objectives and goals and came home far richer than what we had expected.
When obstacles such as termites, fire ants, and rusted bolts were encountered working on the playground equipment, the group did not dwell on the issues; instead, they persevered and worked diligently in order to correct the problems, so that the children would be safe while playing. Ninety degree temperatures, sunburns and limited sleep didn’t hold us back.
While in Puerto Rico there was also plenty of adventure, from sight-seeing in Old San Juan, traveling on the wild roads, swimming in Phosphorescent Bay, snorkeling off the south coast, as well as corny jokes and pranks that kept the entire group entertained.
I believe this trip helped us all uncover the passion within each other and honestly display what drives us as individuals and teams to succeed. A service trip such as this really makes you look deep within and reflect on what matters most in your life.
Participating in AWOL for the first time as a junior has formed one regret in me; I should have begun involvement in the AWOL program as a first-year student.
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New AWOL Trip Idea Is a Success
By Jennifer Osborn
A group of eight BVU students, led by Grand/Liberty Hall Director Jason Rosa and his sister, Jena, traveled to Oklahoma City on a mission to perform random acts of kindness. Unlike other AWOL trips, there were no site leaders — the entire group helped plan meals, service work, entertainment, and reflection.
In addition to service work at specific places such as the Grace Rescue Mission, the Oklahoma City Memorial site, branches of the YMCA, and the Children’s center, we also handed out flowers to Wal-Mart customers, $100 in quarters to people in laundry mats and to those on pay phones; Dum Dum suckers, movie tickets, yellow ribbons in honor of the soldiers, and handed out cards with greetings from BVU. With the extra money we had left, our group decided to purchase supplies for the Grace Rescue Mission and the YMCA.
Getting to know others in the group and experiencing other cultures was a great experience and an even greater opportunity to help others, as well as come to understand myself better. Not only did we fulfill our mission, but we also encouraged others to pass on the kindness.
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