Benedictine College 工程 任务aries
The Benedictine College 工程 任务 Team strives to improve living conditions in developing countries by using engineering skills taught in the classroom. This opportunity allows students to use their time and talent to produce a change in struggling communities while solidifying knowledge acquired from their engineering education. The mission trip is led by students with the engineering guidance of Benedictine College professors. 任务 projects and locations are often determined following much research completed by the team of engineering students. The School of 工程 has coordinated six extremely successful and unique projects over the past six years.
- 危地马拉(2015): Roof and Truss System for Community Center
- 加纳(2016): Water Storage and Pumping System for Local Village
- 秘鲁(2017): Greenhouse to Supplement Parish School Lunch Program
- 尼加拉瓜(2018): 地盘发展 简单的房子 教会土地和当地社区
- 厄瓜多尔(2019): Renovated Bathrooms, updating a Family 任务' house, and installed a water pump and tank
- 西弗吉尼亚州(2020年): The 2020 mission trip was planned for Ecuador, but due to COVID-19 the mission trip was moved to West Virginia, 他们在拿撒勒农场帮忙
- 路易斯安那州(2021): The 2021 mission trip was planned for Louisiana, but due to COVID-19 the trip was postponed. 学生s were going to help Family 任务 update homes and build a Church.
Throughout the academic school year of 2017 and 2018, the 工程 任务 Team collaborated with 简单的房子——尼加拉瓜, a recent branch originating from the Kansas City non-profit. 与组织合作, the students assisted in design and calculations for various projects such as a new workshop, 挡土墙, 和一个集装箱起重机. While in Nicaragua, the team surveyed the land recently acquired by 简单的房子. Upon return to Benedictine College, the survey data was used to create a topographic map of the area. Other projects completed on the trip included fixing water supply lines and installing a water storage tank at a nearby school as well as building a road and retaining wall on the mission land.
Prior to the actual travel dates and throughout the spring break trip, the team incorporated the Catholic faith into the mission. Fundraising, planning, and other meetings started with a prayer. While in Nicaragua, the team began each morning with a Rosary or morning prayer. Adoration and Mass were frequently scheduled for the group along with time for reflection and solitude.
Although the primary focus of the annual trips is an engineering project, each mission trip allows for many diverse opportunities for the team to serve the community. Activities such as cooking meals for those without food, 在附近学校刷墙, 参与社区活动, 与当地孩子玩耍, and many other service activities are incorporated into the trips. According to the feedback from the trip participants, this genuine immersion into the community’s struggles, 庆祝活动, and daily experiences allows the team members to begin to understand the culture and empathize with the people in need. This building of relationship between the missionaries and the communities they touch is what will have a truly lasting impact on both parties.
Many people question the worth of short-term mission trips, but as Benedictine College professor Dr. Newbolds explained during the most recent trip, “Some people say it is better to just send the money to help the poor. 然而, this assumes that the only thing the people need is money. While they are lacking in material goods, there is often another essential life component they are missing: love.作为有抱负的工程师, the mission team will certainly put forth immense effort each year to create a project that will impact the community in the most powerful way. 然而, 毫无疑问, each team member will walk away with a greater understanding of the more important component of mission work: loving the person you serve.
Having seen firsthand the benefits of the engineering mission trip, I would like to thank each supporter for their prayers and donations. Not only does the mission trip continue to improve the quality of life for a developing community, it also brings to surface the true message of mission for those students and faculty learning to serve. Please pray for us and our future mission work with Benedictine College 工程.
上帝保佑,
Kienan麦肯锡
工程任务组长
机械工程2019
