This summer a group of HNMCS students led by Ms. Nicoletti and some of their parents put the core value of “Compassion” into action by participating in the fourth annual summer medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The students were exposed to extreme heat conditions as they volunteered their time and effort to help benefit the San Joaquin Haitian community.
They helped with three community building projects, including tiles for the church, roof on the water purification room and foundation work for a secondary water collection room! With 100 families (500 people) pre-registered for the medical clinics, the team was kept very busy. The students took on various tasks including:
Pharmaceutical Runners
Greeters to escort families to the examination rooms
Pharmacy
Entertainers; playing with the children while the families waited to be seen
Hygiene kit distributors
They also helped with the door-to-door visits for people who could not attend the clinic and a helped run a Bible school for the San Joaquin children where they sang songs and acted out a play about Jesus.
The HNMCS students who participated in this medical mission had the opportunity to reflect on their unique, sometimes life-changing, experiences. Here is an excerpt from one of their reflection journals:
“My trip to the Dominican Republic was an extremely eye-opening experience for me. It made me realize how privileged I am to live the life I do. It also revealed the growing amount of work we still need to do to help the less fortunate around the world. I was also exposed to the inspiring way the local people believed in Jesus Christ and this opened my mind as to how I could still grow in my relationship with God. Overall, this trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience where I learnt lessons I will never forget.”
- Nicole K.
