Kohlmeyer cuts siding for the house while Kayla Aspeslagh looks on. Aspeslagh “actu- ally did most of the cutting of siding this day. She was awesome at it,” Kohlmeyer says.
Having all ages work alongside one another builds a rich and rewarding experience, says Chad Kohlmeyer, pas- tor of Atonement Lutheran Church, Boulder, Colo.
most of their mission trip experi- ence, Jackson and Trinity colleague David Ellingson advocate a four- stage process: preparation-action- reflection-celebration. Preparation, Jackson said, “pro- vides a sense of meaning and pur- pose to the service experience.” The action phase is the service element. Reflection provides an opportunity to “wrestle” with what that service meant and then ask: “What’s the application as I move forward with my life?” In the celebration stage, participants process and share what they’ve learned with others. Jackson and Ellingson argue that without all four stages the mis- sion trip experience can ultimately be ineffectual—or at worst, even
22 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
Scott Winston gives kids in Green River, Utah, shoes donated by Boulder-based One World Running (http://
oneworldrunning.com).
reinforce stereotypes or cultural misperceptions.
Preparation, reflection and cel-
ebration were key elements of a March spring break trip to Guate- mala by Lutheran Campus Ministry in St. Louis. Eight students from St. Louis and Washington universities and Rebecca A. Boardman, campus pastor, helped build houses in San Juan del Obispo. Working alongside local stonemasons and the families involved in the project, the students constructed the foundation for two new homes.
But prior to their crash course on construction, the students spent six months preparing. Fundraising for
the trip was a key element, as was group formation and learning together about Guatemala’s history, economy, politics and U.S.
involvement in this region. Looking back, St. Louis Univer- sity junior Chelsea Jaeger appreci- ated the group’s intensive study: “[It] put things into perspective even before we got there.” She realized she needed to go on the trip “with an open mind and ready to be served even as much as I am serving.”
For Boardman, the reflection on the readings prior to the trip and debriefing experiences afterward were critical for the group. While on the work site, students heard stories from community members about being undocu- mented workers in the U.S. and their frustrations with the immigra- tion system. They were no longer “faceless immigrants,” Boardman said. “These are guys who have a
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHAD KOHLMEYER
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