Freshman Cami Wolff got off of the uncovered truck called a “lorry” and took in the sight of dozens of Nicaraguan children running toward her group of missionaries. She had just ridden a full hour on a rough, unpaved path to a small South American village in need of new water filters and food.
“We had driven an hour in the lorry where a whole bunch of people were just holding on as tight as they could as they bumped around,” Wolff said. “Then all the sudden a huge cloud of dust would fly up and everyone would have to throw on their bandanas and sunglasses so they didn’t get the dust in their eyes or throat.”
Once Wolff was off the lorry she had her first encounter with a small girl who she would continue to forge a friendship with through the rest of the trip.
“We were at the village this little girl, Mevav. She was standing there and even though we don’t speak the same language we just clicked right away,” Wolff said. “In all of the pictures, she is right there beside me and she drew me all these pictures and we just kind of connected immediately.”
Wolff’s missionary group not only helped the village with water filters and food, but they also took clothing to give to the villagers.
“On the second day we were there we took the villagers clothing, and I gave Mevav one of my favorite little dresses,” Wolff said. “The next day we came back she was wearing the dress. It just made me so happy that something that was mine is now hers, and now we share all these memories together.”
Junior Ellis Young has traveled to many places in his life, including destinations like Mexico, St. Martins, Honduras, Jamaica and various places across the United States. Out of all of his travel destinations, Young’s favorite has been Switzerland.
“Switzerland was my favorite because I got to go with my grandfather. It was kind of a bonding time between us,” Young said. “It was also a place I had never been before, and my grandfather’s friend, Hanz, made the trip worth while by showing us all around taking us to places we would never have thought to go.”
Among the memories from his trip, the one that stands out the most would was his trip to Crans-Montana, an area in the Swiss Alps.
“We drove up the mountain, and it was an hour’s drive on a one lane dirt road,” Young said. “It was really high up and you could see all the Swiss Alps all the way to the Italian border from there. It was a perfectly clear day, and it is one of the best views I have ever seen in my life. It was truly a breath-taking experience.”
One of Young’s favorite parts of travel was experiencing the different culture in Switzerland.
“You see people around here in the United States, and everything is seen as one way, but you go to Europe and everything is different,” Young said. “How they speak, how they act, what they wear — it is different.”
Young noted that there are many minute differences in the cultures. “Your normal foods, like fast food, are not your typical restaurants in Switzerland,” Young said. “There are even small differences, like most people there eat outside even when its raining.”
By Alex Ginn
