Spring Break 2007 Mission Trips

"Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary use words.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

Spreading the Good News of Christ can be as simple as working side-by-side and sharing with others in their daily lives. On Friday, March 2, 2007, two groups of Divine Word College students set out to “walk the talk” – sharing themselves and their time in service trips to the SVD Southern Province headquarters in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and to St. Anne Catholic Church in Webster Springs, West Virginia. Fr. Ken Anich, SVD, and a group of ten students journeyed south, while Fr. Thang Hoang, SVD, and five students headed to the Appalachian region.

“These words of St. Francis have always been special to me,” says Fr. Thang. “As missionaries, our job is not simply to convert. And we are not just social workers either. We evangelize – preach through action.” He adds, “We work alongside the people, with patience and faith, waiting for the day when they come to trust and accept us – to make us one of their own.”

In a predominantly non-Catholic area, SVD’s in Appalachia have done just that – evangelize – working with, teaching and ministering to their small congregations. Mabor Bay, an ESL student, describes meeting one of the SVD’s at neighboring Good Shepherd Church in Glenville, Fr. Edwin Daschbach, SVD. “He is amazing,” says Bay, “doing so much work on his own, with little help.” Daschbach is also an accomplished writer, Latin teacher and musician. “I asked him if he was lonely,” Bay says. “But he told me – that is the life of a missionary.”

At St. Anne’s, where Fr. Arnold Lang, SVD, and Brother Jim Zabransky, SVD, minister, the DWC students worked hard doing odd jobs and helping to clean up the parish. They sorted clothes and worked in the food pantry at the Catholic Community Service Center. Greeted warmly by the local residents of Webster Springs, the students were treated to an ethnic dinner one night, with something for everyone, at a parishioner’s home.

After a tour of the mountains that border the Elk River, Binh Nguyen, a DWC junior, was struck by the wealth of natural beauty in the Appalachians and the contrast to the poverty of its people. “They are poor, but welcoming and accepting,” says Nguyen. “There is not much work and not much money. Many are on welfare.” Nguyen adds that “younger people often leave, because there is no future for them.”

Paul Nguyen, an associate student at DWC, says, “This trip makes a great impression on me, in my vocation. I see that I must learn how to be alone, and also to be involved and accepted in the community.” Nguyen feels that “the Appalachian people have a strong faith to survive.”

“Two important goals emerged from this trip for us,” says Fr. Thang. “First, it is good for the students to be exposed to the missionary area of service – that reality which they may find themselves in one day. Second, they have witnessed the joy of ministry, which is the essence of our mission as SVD’s.”

Students on the Bay St. Louis trip were inspired by the resiliency and courage of people picking up the pieces of their lives in the aftermath of Katrina. “There is still a long way to go here,” says Sinh Trinh, a DWC special student. “Many people live in trailers now, and lots of homes are empty. Work can be scarce.” Awed by nature’s power to devastate, Trinh describes the surrealism: “Some places look normal and untouched; others look like the hurricane just struck, with clothes hanging from trees, and autos lying about, abandoned.” Trinh adds, “I felt much joy to go on the trip and help out.”

The Southern Province Headquarters is well on its way to recovery. Johnny Dang, a DWC junior, says, “Five of us worked outside cleaning up the property around the retreat house and grounds. I was happy about going on the trip to help out, and the priests were very grateful for our work.”

Hoa Nguyen worked with the Salvation Army in St. Augustine’s chapel, organizing and restocking basic supplies to hand out to people. “I saw in their eyes how this has affected them,” Nguyen recalls. Of his outdoor work doing clean-up and home renovation, he says, “It will take some years to rebuild. People feel forgotten, and are very grateful for our help.” Nguyen adds, “They may have lost their houses, but Bay St. Louis is still their home – they are fighting to recover.” A DWC senior who has applied for the Novitiate this fall, Nguyen voices one regret: “Our trip was too short, not enough time to make a big difference – I’ve helped, but in a very small way.”

Fr. Ken Anich says, “Most important is to bring, and to help sustain, a sense of hope and caring. Even though Katrina hit over 18 months ago, the people need to know we haven’t forgotten them.” He adds, “Besides the service work that they did, the students gave the SVD’s hope, seeing the young men that will succeed them.” Fr. Ken concludes with: “Finally, the students gain an appreciation of their blessings, and have the opportunity to show empathy for those who have lost so much.”

The Southern Province SVD community treated the students to a traditional meal of boiled crawfish the night before leaving. The next day, the group planted a flowering peach tree as a living symbol of hope – reminding Bay St. Louis that it remains in our minds and hearts.

Pope John Paul II once wrote: “Evangelization is the Church's effort to proclaim to everyone that God loves them, that He has given Himself for them in Christ Jesus, and that He invites them to an unending life of happiness. Once this Gospel has been accepted as the "good news," it demands to be shared.”