Students give their time over spring break

By Sarah Schuch

Edited by Amanda Crabtree, Meredith Mayberry and Kelly Morse

Central Michigan University students will be put out of their comfort zones by choice this spring break to help those in need.

One hundred and fifty eight students are going on six different spring break trips through His House Christian Fellowship next week.

The world is full of pressing issues that are waiting for someone with expertise, passion and experience to make a difference, said Matt Schantz, pastor for His House Christian Fellowship.

He asked why students should go for a job that 99 other people can do, when they can do something that won’t be touched unless they go after it.

“Our hope is that CMU students involved in our spring break trips would capture that kind of vision,” he said. “To go where no one else is willing to go. To make an external difference in the lives of people.”

Students were able to choose which trip they thought would fit them the best.

One choice was a road trip, which would take participants to three different states working with a variety of inner city organizations. Most of the time will be spent in Washington D.C.

Beach Reach takes the students to Panama City Beach, Fla., where pancake breakfasts and van rides will be offered to spring break students vacationing in the area. This shows God’s love in a practical manner, Schantz said.

Another group will be going to Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, to work with an orphanage and a Bible camp for children.

Some students will be helping rebuild a community still affected by Hurricane Katrina in Buras, La. New York City, N.Y., was also an option. There the students will be serving at a variety of organizations such as soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

The last opportunity offered was in Concord, N.C., to work with Habitat for Humanity.

Midland sophomore Marcia Lee will be going to Concord, N.C., during spring break. She said it’s a good way for her to get involved and meet new people.

Her group of about 15 people will be building a home for a minister, working on it from ground up, she said.

Lee said she hopes to come back with a closer relationship with God and other people from the trip.

“I hope to be learning from their experiences and sharing mine,” she said.

Matt Martin, Mt. Pleasant senior, said the spring break trips help students put things in perspective and have a great heart for the people around them.

Martin will be leading a group to Buras, Louisiana, this year. Being a leader was just another step for him.

“I really wanted to go back, so I wanted people to capture the same vision I had,” he said.

The group of 30 students will be rebuilding a lot of houses that have been affected by the hurricane. Each student is only allowed to bring one backpack and a carry-on bag with no electronics allowed.

“It helps us separate our world with our every day stuff,” Martin said.

Martin’s group has been concentrating this week on what the focus should be when they get to Louisiana. Sometimes individuals lose focus on what the trips are supposed to be about.

“We forget that there’s more to what surrounds us,” he said.

Schantz said the biggest thing for students to overcome is the cost. Not just the physical cost but also the cost of giving up time to relax and hang out with friends a family.

Another major obstacle is students being able to let go of everything they have here, like the stress of school, and completely give themselves to something else and serve, Martin said.

“(Spring break trips) help to me to come back with a heart and understanding of what it means to love people,” he said.