Gary (left) and Justine McLaurin with Nicaraguan children
Submitted by Joshua James
Marketing & Public Relations
Glenville State College
GLENVILLE, WV - Life often takes us in different directions and down various paths. Many students at Glenville State College plan their four years accordingly with hopes of graduating on time.
However, some students take an alternative route and may branch from their original plan. Gary and Justine McLaurin, Kyle Cosner, and Jesse Crites chose to answer to a higher authority and take a missionary trip to Central America.
The GSC students traveled with a group from First Baptist Church in Petersburg, West Virginia. The group arrived in Managua, Nicaragua on May 30, 2007 and stayed in the country until June 8th.
Nicaragua, which borders Honduras and Costa Rica, is the largest country in Central America. Despite its size, it is the poorest country in Central America with nearly 50% of its population living under the poverty line.
Due to this poverty, children are often forced to leave school to go to work. Two out of every three children do not go to school after sixth grade, and only one out of seven children will graduate from secondary school.
The group traveled from the capital of Managua to the town of Nacascolo according to GSC senior Gary McLaurin. There they helped build a medical clinic in the town. McLaurin added, "The closest medical facility was a three hour walk away from Nacascolo."
The trip was an experience for the students to make a difference in the lives of others; a chance to give something to someone with so little. "The whole trip was a very humbling experience," McLaurin said, "It let all of us know how lucky we are in America, and how we have so much." Despite the Nicaraguans lack of worldly possessions, they hold a very strong faith in God. "Seeing their strong faith made our own faith grow," said McLaurin.
Jesse Crites, a GSC sophomore, agreed with McLaurin. Crites said, "They had a church service just about every day and even though there was a language barrier we all understood." The Nicaraguans that the students got to interact with clearly valued their faith. "My most memorable experience was the simple fact that they had nothing materially and had everything spiritually. They had what really matters and didn't consume their time thinking about their jobs, making money, or becoming famous," said Crites. "It was enough for them to put food on the table and provide for their families."
After arriving, the students realized that the living conditions were not going to be totally comfortable. Crites remembers, "There was no running water, they only had an outhouse and it was really hot." He concluded, "I realized I had to be submissive to the reason God had brought us down there. I realized how much I take for granted."
The students shared the experiences of their trip during a recent presentation in Glenville. They plan to hold another one that will be open to the public on September 17, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Mollohan Campus Community Center, on the Glenville State College campus.
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