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David Byrnes, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, and a dear friend of this ministry, recently visited Moldova with several students and staff from the College. Here, David describes the impact of their trip to Moldova.

REFLECTIONS ON AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

It is not often that Trustees get to spend a week with Monmouth College students and staff, let alone a week in an environment that is so incredibly different from all of our "normal" daily lives. But, that was exactly the case for me last week as I traveled with six MC students in Moldova. The students included four May graduates and two returning students.

It was a life changing experience for everyone on the trip, but for different reasons than any of us had anticipated beforehand. The MC group had set goals in advance focused on citizenship, service and learning, which were met and often exceeded in unexpected ways.

Last September I was in Moldova working with the Cameron's who are striving to change the lives of orphans. Their work at Stella and Simon Houses focuses on saving the lives of teenage girls and boys who upon being forced out of orphanages in the year of the sixteenth birthday often end up victims of sex/slave trafficking.

The impact of the trip was not only in the service work or the historical-cultural learning but in the relationships and bonding that occurred between the MC students and the young men and women from Stella/Simon's Houses. The MC students saw firsthand the poverty stricken "homes" and conditions in which these kids grew up as well as the institutional state "care" orphanages where they all ended up living. They were shocked at what they saw and many of them thought they had stepped back in time....that was some of the learning part.

What impressed the MC group in a mighty way was seeing that these young people were not bitter, sullen or angry because of the love of God shown through the Camerons. These kids are truly part of the Cameron's family. They are caring. loving and intelligent people with hope, love and concern for each other, and the world around them. They want to change the situation in Moldova for all orphans, not just themselves.

They have "SPERANZA!" This is the Moldovan word for HOPE. They shared this hope through their actions and love toward the Monmouth group and the MC students were moved to share it with them. Friendships were forged, there were talks about future possibilities for each other both in Moldova and the US. They shed tears and prayed together. It was incredible to watch this spiritual and emotional bonding take place. It was global citizenship being created at the best level.

Many tears were shed as we prepared to leave on our last morning there. Tears of "SPERANZA AND JOY". One of the MC students put it best, "we came here because we thought they needed us....but we need them in America and at Monmouth.

Now that is learning on a global scale!

David Byrnes, 72

Chairman, Monmouth College

Board of Trustees.

This post can be viewed at Monmouth College’s Website