A Life in the Service of Others
Why you should learn more about service
trips at Rockhurst
By Lauren Pennell
Culture. Education.
Friendship. Gratitude. Spirituality.
Service. Rockhurst University
provides students the opportunity to attain all of this and more through the
service trips offered each year. With
the heavy emphasis on service learning here at Rockhurst, there are innumerable
chances to give back to the community and serve others. Sure, it may seem a little risky and
nerve-wracking at first, but everyone should take advantage of the many
opportunities to do service—not just to build up a resume, but to become more
well-rounded, cultured, and grateful for the things we’re blessed with in life.
Sophomore
Sarah Crudden has already had the incredible experience of going on a service
trip to San Lucas, Guatemala in the spring of 2013. “The trip was rather educational - unlike any
service I've ever partaken in,” said Crudden.
“We did simple things - most of the time requiring minimum levels of
skill. The main purpose is to humble the
volunteers, while doing the work that the Guatemalans really need the
most. Tasks included sorting bad coffee
beans from good coffee beans, hauling massive bricks up a mountain to build a
wall for a man, fixing and installing ovens in homes, and some construction
work to convert a home into a school office/directory.”
Preparation
for her trip included meetings devoted to ice-breakers, team building, and
reflection. The trip did cost money, but
the payments were broken up and Rockhurst covered a significant amount of the
cost.
Crudden
had the privilege of growing as an individual through her experiences in
Guatemala. She was able to learn a lot
about the culture there as well as about herself all because of the service she
did.
“I really was humbled
with the tasks that I did in Guatemala,” she said. “My eyes were truly opened to the extremeness
and reality of impoverishment. I also
fell in love with the culture.” While on
their way to a mission site, they came upon a tree that was blocking the
road. A man in another vehicle happened
to have a chainsaw and took two hours taking care of the problem as the cars
waited at a standstill. In America,
someone would have called a service and the issue would have been resolved
almost immediately. In Guatemala, they
have to do it themselves, there is no service to call. Exposure to the disparity between cultures
was a learning experience for Crudden. “I
saw the intimacy of the culture and community and the personal responsibility
that Guatemalans hold for themselves. I
feel like we've lost that sense in the U.S. as a consequence of our
advancements - and we've lost that warmth in society.”
Although service is
rewarding, students may be subject to sad situations while learning about and
taking part in another culture and way of life.
Crudden did see some things that somewhat upset her during her trip.
“One thing that did
disturb me regarded the garbage issue in Guatemala,” she said. “The country is so beautiful, but without a
system to arrange for garbage control, the Guatemalans have resorted to
throwing their trash in the streets and allowing it to accumulate in their
lakes.”
Fortunately, the
positive experiences far outweigh the negative.
Crudden details a plethora of stories and anecdotes of experiences she
had while in Guatemala which transformed her way of thinking and filled her
with humility and gratitude.
“My favorite
experience was climbing a mountain one dawn,” she said. “ It was so much harder
than I expected, but such an amazing experience. We passed a few Guatemalans on the way up
back down the mountain. My favorite was
when I traded no more than some eye contact and a warm smile with them. I felt like I had made such a deep connection
with the people despite such different lives.
I would go again in a heartbeat!”
Those going on trips
this year have already begun preparation and students participating are already
feeling the excitement.
“I am looking forward
to the experience in general,” said sophomore Shauna Krause who will be doing
service in Belize this spring. “I think
it will be a really exciting and eye-opening opportunity to go to Belize and
get a chance to kind of see and experience the culture as well as be able to
ere the people that live there for the short amount of time I’m there.”
Groups
will be going out to New Orleans and Nicaragua in the winter and to South
Dakota, West Virginia, Guatemala, Belize, and the Dominican Republic in the
spring. The service trip participants
have already been decided for this year, but you should definitely consider
taking a chance and embarking on a life-altering, self-actualizing journey
devoted to the service of others. All it
requires is an application and short interview and you may be selected to work
for the betterment of humanity rather than for selfish goals and ideals.
You’ll never be the
same again, but you won’t regret it for a second. If you’d like a glimpse of what it may be
like, attend the sendoff blessing at 6 o’clock mass this Sunday, Dec. 8th
at St. Francis Xaver.
