"Recently, I find myself missing the Guatemala Help Week experience when I and some of my peers helped build a shelter for a family in the town of Santa Maria de Jesus. The trip took me out of my comfort zone (in a safe way!), which is something I don’t do enough of.  It also brought home to me how my Catholic faith calls my community to serve others....and that quietly doing so, without needing to proselytize, can be meaningful."

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Patrick Lyons

Clemson University

Class of 2012

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"We came together as strangers to build a house for two Guatemalan families and by the end, we became a family ourselves. Spending time with the Guatemalan people and building a special bond with the team members really made me see God throughout our trip. Doing service with and for others makes you realize that this type of work is what we are on this earth to do:  to be there for our brothers and sisters and make the world a better place through serving others."

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Taylor Constance Ricciardi

The University of Scranton

Class of 2015

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“The Guatemala Help Week was one of the most memorable experiences of my life: building houses, playing soccer, hiking a volcano, and getting to see another country from a local perspective. It was truly amazing to have the opportunity to help our brothers and sisters really in need.  I grew spiritually and personally while having one of the most fun trips of my life!”

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Jonathan Hubbard

Clemson University

Class of 2010

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"Being a part of the Guatemala Help Week gave me an opportunity to see Christ in a very raw way and really sparked a light in my faith. I was able to see first hand what it meant to be One Body of Christ and how important cultivating community through meeting the needs of others truly is to faith. Today I still carry this passion for serving others and volunteer in my local community."

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Brittany Mays

Southern Wesleyan University

Class of 2010

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'The Guatemala Help Week, led by our campus minister Fred, was a pivotal building block strengthening my faith after college into true adulthood. Through the Help Weeks, I was able to connect with people on so many levels that I would never have gotten otherwise-from physically building houses, to playing with & caring for kids, to exploring local charity schools & clinics . The connections I made, whether during our group's round table discussions, putting in the sweat of hard work, or breaking bread with those slightly different, are some of the dearest memories in my heart."

 

Sarah Gordinier

St. Andrew Church Parishioner, Clemson, SC

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"The Guatemala Help Week was an important event in my adult formation. Having grown up in a suburb where poverty was largely hidden from view, experiencing a country where poverty was "in your face" and our daily frivolities are so absent ... was revealing. By understanding what life looks like when it's stripped down to the essentials, I could more clearly identify the unnecessary things that clouded my own life back home. Over the course of a week, it became easier for me to relate to the family whose new home we were collectively assembling. It is rare that we get the chance to see and know the end-users of our charitable contributions, but occasionally doing so is transformative and helps us refresh our oneness with "our brothers from another mother."   Looking back, my first trip abroad provided a brief glimpse at what working to help others might feel like - and no doubt played some part in leading me to a career in international development."

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James Ellison

Clemson University

Class of 2011

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"My participation in the Guatemala Help Week during my college years allowed me to learn about a culture of which I knew little and helped me discover who I truly am as a person of faith. The connections that were formed with strangers and were strengthened among peers influence my life daily nearly 7 years later! This trip was challenging, yet fun, humbling, and has formed me in countless ways as a police officer who needs to work as a member of a team and communicate effectively.”

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Sean Thompson

The University of Scranton

Class of 2014