Students from all across the United States have the opportunity to travel to Guatemala over their spring break. Sophomore Lindsay Dobbins took advantage of this opportunity.
“I discovered this trip through previous people who went the past two years,” Dobbins said. “I heard nothing but good things about it.”
Upon arriving at the hotel, Dobbins said they didn’t have a specific plan until the group had gotten to Guatemala.
“It was the mission’s decision of what needed to be done,” Dobbins said.
Dobbins and the rest of the volunteers participated in various activities from sorting coffee beans, to painting and even building a wood house.
During her time in Guatemala Dobbins was able to connect with different people and heard different stories of people that live in the area they were serving. Dobbins met Selica, a 20-year-old Mayan who is planning on pursuing her dream of being a journalist by attending college in the United States.
“We grew to become so close to her,” Dobbins said. “It was so hard to say goodbye.”
While on the trip, Dobbins kept an open mind, as well as a quote from Fr. Greg Schaffer, who served the mission for decades, close by, “Go to serve, not to be served.”
“My words to anyone considering going on this trip or one similar would be to go in with an open mind,” Dobbins said.
Dobbins said she would love to go on the Guatemala service immersion trip again or even as an alumna because it was life changing for her.