Spring Break
Catholic Center students assist orphanage, underprivileged in Nicaragua during mission
Tyler Will
Issue date: 1/30/09 Section: News
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Rev. Matt Glover, of the URI Catholic Center, acted as a chaperone for the trip and several days of labor for the cottage foundation.
The mission, which was emotional for many, started at an orphanage called "Hogar Belen," or "Place of Peace," Glover said, which is operated by Mustard Seed, a Christian organization.
Glover said there are 21 children currently at the orphanage, and the time with the kids was "a blessing." There was a multi-cultural aspect, as students saw going to church through the eyes of Nicaraguan children.
"It was very lively when the kids started singing and dancing in the chapel," Glover said. "You go down to a different nation ... we were speaking two different languages, really, but it was one language of faith."
While there was a language gap, Glover said two students were bilingual, and Mustard Seed also had bilingual escorts.
Students spent the first few days of the trip digging a hole approximately six and a half feet deep, 20 feet long, and about 30 feet wide. The hole was to build a new cottage for Mustard Seed to host kids.
After digging the large hole for the foundation, the student workers put in steel supports and cement. There was a professional foreman at the site, but he and his workers were busy with their own projects, Glover said.
"The guys under [the foreman] were local villagers who basically developed a trade," Glover said, adding that the American concept of a professional is different from a Nicaraguan professional.
The project was to build a cottage to allow Hogar Belen to host 80 children in one spot.
During breaks from building the foundation, Glover said the students played soccer with Nicaraguans in the area and the workers.
"Obviously, they smoked us through and through," he said. "We were the subject of a few laughs." The students brought boots, paintbrushes, and other work tools from the United States, and left those tools with Mustard Seed as part of the mission, Glover said.
Indeed, the mission started before students even left. Glover said American Airlines, the carrier they used on the trip, allows two bags for free on international flights. Students packed one personal bag and another bag with health and medical supplies, he said.
