Class enjoys spring break in Peru
By Morgan Schutters, a sophomore from Berea, Ky.
WILMORE, KY— Eighteen Asbury College students experienced the opportunity of a lifetime while in Peru for 10 days over spring break. The MIS 330 Latin American Culture and Religion class trip, lead by Dr. Phil Thornton, professor of Christian ministries and missions, partnered with Go International to visit Lima and Chincha, located in the Midwest portion of Peru.
The purpose of the trip was to expose students to evangelism, education, children's ministries, economic development, and church planting. Peruvians were grateful and encouraged that the Asbury College students would take their spring break and come to Peru to learn and serve.
Students met and worked alongside some of the “most dedicated Christian servants in all of Latin America,” Thornton said. They were exposed to the intricacies and intertwining of culture and religion in Latin America from both a Roman Catholic and Protestant perspective. The quality and dedication of Christians in Peru with whom the students worked set the example of Christ. “Their commitment to Christ, their ability and willingness to do so much with so little, the difficulty of their circumstances, their humble attitude and servant mentality…these things impressed our students,” Dr. Thornton said.
The trip accomplished more than Thornton had hoped. “The depth of God's work in the lives of our students was evident not only in what they said but how they reacted,” he said.
Sarah Lyons, a double major in Christian ministries and missions, affirmed Thornton’s comments. She learned about short-term missions trips and permanent missions organizations, which opened her eyes to the world outside of America.
The group helped to rebuild a woman’s house destroyed in the recent earthquake in Chincha, putting on a new roof. “I feel like I got a glimpse of what my future could look like,” Lyons said. “I was trying to figure out the direction of my life before I went, and after this trip it was very clear that missions was the God directed track for me.”
In the future, Lyons can see herself leading short-term trips. “I want to show Americans how the rest of the world really lives.”
Asbury College alumni are serving and living in 80 countries around the world. Current students are required to complete a cross-cultural experience while at the College, which exposes the student to life outside the United States.
Released: April 18, 2008
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Tagged: cross-cultural, spring-break, christian-missions and features
