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Jeremy Hannich, a youth minister at Dexter United Methodist Church, sat at the pew, praying for a safe trip as his assortment of church-goers were prepared to save some lives.
Hannich, who is an adult adviser of the trip, and a handful of high school students from Dexter UMC are headed to Belize for a mission trip. From April 4 to April 12, these students have decided to donate their spring break vacation to conduct a medical mission in one of Central America’s most long-suffering countries.
“I don’t really know what to expect. It’s my first mission trip, so it’ll be different to interact with some of the kids, our age, down there,” senior Olivia Stagg said.
Belize is a country located on the northeastern coast of Central America and has the lowest population density in its region. Temperatures range from about 75 to 80 degrees fahrenheit. The mission agency is expected to set up a campsite with bunk beds and all of the necessities.
This is the third year that Dexter UMC has gone on a senior mission trip. The main focus of the trip is to help build a water collecting system and distribute medical supplies for the less fortunate all throughout Belize.
Hannich said, “I feel like it has been a great opportunity and experience for everyone involved.”
Senior Graham Northrup, a member of Dexter UMC, said, “Our purpose is to set up a small clinic and do blood pressure checks and things like that which they wouldn’t normally have access to in Belize.”
“We’re going with a really great group of people this year, and I’m really excited for that,” Stagg said.
The group of 12 seniors and adults includes many Dexter students such as, Cam LaFontaine, Zach Hartmann, Scott Rogers, Cailin McLean, Andrew Shay, Matt Mitchell, Olivia Stagg, Bethany Hansen, Sabrina Lomax, Kerrigan Baird, and a few others.
Stagg said, “It’ll be really interesting to see how life is different down there.”
Northrup said they’ll bring medical supplies with them that are really hard to come by down there such as bandages and rubbing alcohol. He added that they may work in some elementary schools with kids and said, “We’re basically just down there for whatever help they need.”
Other Spring Breaks:
•Evan Morrison, senior, “Eleven broskis and myself are going high up into the mountains of Keystone, Colorado to snowboard and enjoy our time in a mansion in the woods.”
•Alex Strang, freshman, “I’m going to Clearwater Beach, Florida with my family of four and we’re going to have a lot of fun at busch gardens. Life’s a beach, and I’m just looking forward to playing in the sand.”
•Anna Stricklen, sophomore, “I’ll be working at Dairy Queen for all of spring break. Unfortunately, I’ve been grounded for the past 7 months, so I’m just going to hang with my friends in Dexter.”
