MDS Service Trip Reminds Students They Can’t Take Life for Granted
As recent events in Japan have shown, for many in our world, natural disasters can shake our lives to the core. Such was the experience in May 2010 for the people in Lyles, TN, when their town was decimated by flooding and three tornadoes. The events of that day killed dozens of people and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes.
During CMU Reading Week 2011, nine CMU students under the leadership of CMU staff member, Rick Unger, put homework and rest behind them to participate instead in a Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) trip to Lyles. CMU student volunteers in Tennessee were David Attema, Raya Cornelsen, Raquel Epp, Karen Jantzen, Christina Janzen, Esther Klassen, Brittany Kroeker, Brad Muller, and Nia Rogers.
“The purpose of the trip,” said Sandra Loeppky, CMU Coordinator of Commuter, Disability and International Programs, “was to expose students to MDS as a volunteering option, to serve where there is a need, and to network and meet people from all over Canada and the United States.”
Their time spent dry-walling, siding, and insulating honed their construction skills and their sense of service, and allowed them to get to know people from the area. But it was a rewarding experience for many more reasons.
According to Nia Rogers, the MDS trip taught her that “life is fragile; you can’t take anything for granted. You never know when things can get ripped out from under you,” she said.
For Brad Muller, intergenerational communication was a benefit of the MDS trip. “There were predominantly retired people working there. We learned that young people don’t always have to stay with young people. That was a huge realization,” he said.
Finally, for Unger, who had participated in last year’s reading week MDS service trip to Dulzura, CA, going to Tennessee was important as a way “to get out there and see the world outside of CMU, the greater community.”
He also enjoyed getting to know the students whom he sees on a regular basis but doesn’t generally get the chance to spend time with. Unger was thrilled that the student participants gave up their reading week break in order to pay money and work hard all week long as MDS volunteers.
Loeppky agrees and believes that “unique things happen when you travel and serve with a group of people.”
All students asked would undoubtedly go on another MDS service trip.
Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is a Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, offering undergraduate degrees in arts and science, with courses and programs in such disciplines as disaster recovery studies, business and organizational administration, communications and media, peace and conflict resolution studies, music and music therapy, theology, and church ministries. CMU offers graduate degrees in Theological Studies and Christian ministry. CMU is a Member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).
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