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Washington University Catholic Student Center
2006 INTERNATIONAL SERVICE TRIP - MALAWI, AFRICA
December 26, 2006 - January 11, 2007
About the International Service Trip -Malawi, Africa
 Each year, the Washington University Catholic Student Center sponsors an International Service Trip to a foreign country. This year, a team of eleven students, community members, and one staff member from the Catholic Student Center participated in the International Service Trip and traveled to Malawi, Africa.
Malawi is located in southeastern Africa and is often referred to as the “Warm Heart of Africa.” It is a country known for its peaceful people, and has never had a violent change of government. Unfortunately, the country is also faced with immense poverty. The International Monetary Fund has recently ranked it last in per capita GDP and life expectancy is now at 36.5 years – five years lower than it was fifty years ago. Major problems for Malawi include increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
 God’s Child is the organization that sponsored the team in Malawi. God’s Child assists the poorest of the world’s children by providing for their educational, social, physical, and spiritual growth and wellbeing. The organization and its volunteers work in the United States, in Guatemala and El Salvador, Central America, and in Malawi, Africa.
Meet the Team
Mark Bartholamew, Senior, Wyoming
Leah Battin, Senior, South Dakota
Frank Bergh, Junior, Cincinnati, OH
Pete Cerneka, CSC Social Justice Coordinator, Belleville, IL
Kendal Dedinski, Junior, Indianapolis, IN
Jesus Figueroa, Sophomore, Puerto Rico
Carolina Fojo, Sophomore, Maryland
Sarah Greene, Senior, Lee's Summit, MO
Tom Kent, Boeing Engineer, Iowa
Laura Riley (UMSL), graduate student, St. Louis, MO
Greg Stock (SLU), Junior, St. Louis, MO
Joe Thomas, Junior, St. Louis, MO
Reflections and PhotosDear Website Visitors,
I am pleased to share with you some powerful reflections that were written by students and community members of Washington University. Frank Bergh, Jesus Figueroa, Laura Riley, and Greg Stock all went to Malawi, Africa during their Christmas holidays this past December and first part of January. There were other students who also did immersion experiences in recent years through Washington University, including Mark Zaegel, who made a visit to Guatemala in 2004 and to Bangladesh in 2005. I find their reflections to be very powerful, thought-provoking and inspiring.
 Several people deserve to be thanked in helping these students do the immersion experiences and write about them and share them with us. Father Gary Braun, Chaplain of the Newman Center at Washington University, and Mr. Pete Cerneka, Service and Social Justice Coordinator of the Newman Center, deserve special thanks. I wish to thank Brother Fred Buerman, OSB, the contact person and mentor from Hand of Help. Our own Colleen Coughlin, website coordinator for the Mission Office, has been a wonderful help in this endeavor.
May you be inspired by the following reflections written by Washington University students and community members who have dared to immerse themselves in missionary experiences in Latin America, as well as in Bangladesh and in Malawi, Africa.
Gratefully,
Monsignor Francis X. Blood
Director, Pontifical Mission Societies
Click below to read more and to learn about the students' experiences!
More reflections from past immersion experiences:
Mark Zaegel-2005 Bangladesh
Mark Zaegel - 2004 Guatemala
Resources for Malawi, AfricaCIA World Factbook
Wikipedia
CLICK HERE to visit Washington University's Center for Service and Social Justice!
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