A campus church group raised nearly $15,000 since December to send a few of its members on a mission trip this summer.
Three members of The Revolution will volunteer their time and labor this summer in an underdeveloped town in Liberia.
During their two-week stay, the team of Pastor Neil Kring, Dr. Jeremy Hunt and James Mitchell will help to finish building a much needed medical clinic and participate in local conferences to strengthen the work ethic of natives.
Although student members of The Revolution couldn't go, they were still an important part of making the trip a reality. Kring said the trip for the three men cost about $15,000, and the majority of the money raised came from student donations.
Last week, senior Liz Mathis organized a yard sale table in the Atrium and raised $315 for the cause.
"I have this problem with clothes," she said. "I have too many of them, so I thought I'd use them for a good cause. I went into it not expecting much, but it exceeded my expectations."
The Revolution became involved in helping this Liberian community several years ago. Joe Lieway, a Liberian native and pastor of The Revolution's sister church, introduced the Muncie chapter to the needs of the foreign community.
Kring said most of the people living in rural Liberia have never been seen by a physician and are in need of basic treatments and checkups.
"Very simple things, like yellow fever, malaria, things that are very easy to cure, but a big deal if they're left alone," he said.
Hunt will accompany Kring.
"God was really calling me to meet the needs they had," Hunt said.
He said this mission trip will be intellectually challenging for him because his primary practice in the U.S. is sports medicine. To prepare for treating different conditions, including tropical diseases and parasitic infections, he said he plans to revisit textbooks from medical school.
Meanwhile, Kring said he and Mitchell will "just do grunt work, whatever they need us to do."
While volunteering, the men plan to stay at the clinic, which is about a four-hour drive from the closest city.
"It's probably hard for us to imagine what it will be like," Kring said.
When the clinic is completed, Kring said, it will benefit the community by providing medical care and jobs for locals. The main source of income for people in the town comes from farming and market sales and the average monthly income of a Liberian farmer is about $15, Kring said. As a result, the poor area has become dependant on foreign aid to supply them with basic needs. Kring said this is a problem he hopes to address at the town conferences.
"It's easier for people to ask for money, rather than work for it," he said. "It feeds them for a few days, then they're back to the same place."
Kring said the long-term goal is to send students over to help with efforts such as these. The cost of traveling to Liberia and safety issues prevented students from accompanying the group this year, Kring said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
