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This blog shares the experiences of Goshen College students taking part in the Study-Service Term Disaster Site course.
Over three immersive weeks, students are serving alongside Mennonite Disaster Service and learning about the ecological justice impacts of environmental disasters in U.S. communities. Through cleanup, repair and community partnerships, they are witnessing both the challenges and resilience that follow major natural events, all while living and working together in communal settings. These reflections invite readers into the students’ hands-on learning, the people they meet, and the ways this service connects global issues of justice and response with everyday lives and landscapes.
by Mike McHugh “Recovery goes beyond building houses–it helps people regain lost hope and helps them preserve their history, community, and relationships” Shalom Solomon Teferi We wrapped up our time in Lahaina last weekend after working hard for two weeks…
by Mike McHugh We’re halfway through our second week and are seeing a lot of progress from when we started last week. The roof decking is nearly complete on the Madrigal house and most of the exterior sheathing is installed.…
by Mike McHugh We wrapped up our first week of working with MDS in Lahaina on Thursday and made a lot of notable progress on several homes in just four short days! The students learned a lot of new construction…
by Mike McHugh Sunday evening our group arrived in Lahaina by caravan–we were grateful for the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) leadership team who picked up all 17 us of and our luggage in three vehicles! For the next two weeks,…
by Mike McHugh We arrived at Camp Pi’iholo at about 10PM on Wednesday night exhausted from our bus ride, multiple plane rides (complete with a short layover where we literally exited our plane and shuffled into the boarding line for…
by Mike McHugh Here’s to hoping that we do not endure as many travel mishaps on our journey to Lahaina as Steve Martin and John Candy experienced in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles! As I write this we are settled into our large bus…
by Mike McHugh Next week we depart for Lahaina to join the many hands that have spent the last few years helping build homes for families impacted by the 2023 wildfires. Today, I want to share with you another great…
by Mike McHugh Welcome to this year’s SST blog for the Environmental Disaster and Response with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) May term course. This year we will be traveling to Lahaina, Hawai’i to work with MDS to build homes that…
By Aysia Adkins As we come back and re-enter our lives which we left on May 1st, I’m filled with many impactful memories that have accumulated in just 20 days. It sort of doesn’t feel right to jump back into…
By Lexie Coburn On May 20 we got home from our closing retreat at Camp Nacome in Tennessee where we reflected and processed our shared experiences and individual experiences we had in Selma, Alabama. Who would have thought 13 people…
By Jazmin Ibarra Today is May 19th, I am sitting in a community lodge in Camp NaCoMe in Tennessee for our SST closing retreat, reflecting on my experiences and my encounters in Selma. Where can I even start? Before this…
By Jacob Dixon My experience working with a crew of people that exert their best effort to make sure that other people are being cared for, has been one of the most fulfilling things that I have done all year.…
By Lily Herrera The one word I want to use to describe today and for the past few days is fulfilling. This morning, May 15, I gave a devotion in front of the Mennonite Disaster Service year long volunteers and…
By Judith Rangel Visit to the Legacy Museum On Saturday, May 10th, we visited The Legacy Museum in Montgomery. It was a meaningful and unforgettable day that will stay with me forever. While Mexicans/Latino stories were not discussed often, I…
By Summer Cuatepotzo Perez Impactful. Speechless. Astounded. Disgust. Anger. Confusion. Sadness. None of these can describe how emotionally overwhelmed I personally felt, my physical response- tears. You ask… where in the world did you experience this? Or what happened that…
By Parker Sullivan Today, May 9, was another productive work day and the end of our first work week with MDS. Each of our three groups were working at the same separate sites as the rest of the week....
By Evelyn Perez As I sit here today reflecting on my experience so far in Selma, I want to share that I’ve explored and learned many life-changing stories. Every place we have visited holds very rich and valuable voices. If...
By Jaden Harris Today marked our first day of service during our trip. My group – which consisted of Hillary, Lily, Jazmin, 2 other MDS leaders, and myself – were tasked with helping the Tolbert family with repairs to their…
By Carlie Lavon Webber Travel to Selma After loading the bus and traveling for a little over 2 days our Goshen College group reached Selma, Alabama. On our travels, we stopped in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky! Our group enjoyed a delicious...