HUGS, Ecuador
Donation protected
Dear Friends and Family,
I have some exciting news regarding my education and this upcoming spring semester. I am a Junior at Saint Francis University, in Pennsylvania, and am studying Spanish with a concentration in Education. Being a Spanish Education major, I love experiencing other cultures and ways of life. Being my parent’s daughter, I also love helping others. In March of 2019, I will be going on a missions trip which will give me the opportunity to do both. Saint Francis is participating in a medical mission trip, during spring break, March 2-9, 2019, to Anconcito, Ecuador.
The trip is part of the HUGS program (Helping the Underprivileged by Giving our Service) at Saint Francis University. The HUGS trip is an opportunity to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in other countries. This is a medical missions trip in cooperation with the Foundation for the Medical Relief of Children. Anconcito is a small fishing town on the western peninsula of Ecuador. In recent years, there has been an influx of fishermen and their families in search of a better life but are held back due to the strain on the town’s infrastructure and health clinic. There are many ways I will be of service in Ecuador even though I am not a medical major. I will be assisting in translating from Spanish to English for my fellow students who do not speak Spanish, caring for children in daycares, home-visits to expectant mothers, or anything else the Lord asks of me.
The HUGS trip is important to me because it will be an opportunity for me to practice my Spanish as well as help those less fortunate than myself. I have been blessed with the opportunity to go to a wonderful university, to live in a stable city, and to be in a thriving country. With that, however, there is a bubble of ignorance that surrounds me. I will never understand true poverty or suffering in my life here. I will never want for clean water or clothes. Ever since my father urged me to get out of my “American Bubble” when he sent me to Guatemala to work in the schools there, my eyes have slowly been opened to how some in the world have to live. I want to make a difference in someone’s life when I am there. However, I cannot do it without your help.
As with any mission trip letter, I’m not just here to tell you about my trip. First and foremost, please pray for myself and the other students who are embarking on this trip. Service in a foreign place is challenging both mentally and physically. I would ask that you pray we have the strength to help those in need and that we are a blessing to both the citizens of Anconcito and their medical staff. Secondly, I am here to ask for financial support. The expense of the trip is rather intimidating for a college student and I will not be able to fund it alone. Each student is to come up with $2000 which will cover airfare, housing, food, and transportation. Please pray and see if God is calling you to support me not only spiritually but financially as well. I would be grateful for any contribution -- anything from $20 to $200 makes a big difference, especially to a college student!
If you would like to contribute to the $2000 cost of my trip, there are three ways to do so:
1) Regular Check-Donation:
Send your donation payable to Corissa McCalister. My address is:
Corissa McCalister - 1709
117 Evergreen Drive
Loretto, PA. 15940
2) Online Donation:
Send your online donation through GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/manage/hugs-ecuador
3) Tax-Deductible Donation:
Send your tax-deductible check payable to Saint Francis University. Their address:
**You must include my name next to “HUGS 2019” or else I will not receive the donation
ATTN: Julie Horvath,
HUGS 2019: Corissa McCalister
Office of Study Abroad, Francis Hall
P.O. Box 600
Loretto, PA 15940.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your prayers while I am on this trip. If you have any questions about the trip or prayer intentions for my team and I, please feel free to let me know so we can include them in our nightly prayers.
My contact information is as follows:
Email: [email redacted]
Thank you again for your time and may God and Saint Francis be with you.
Dios te bendiga,
Corissa McCalister
I have some exciting news regarding my education and this upcoming spring semester. I am a Junior at Saint Francis University, in Pennsylvania, and am studying Spanish with a concentration in Education. Being a Spanish Education major, I love experiencing other cultures and ways of life. Being my parent’s daughter, I also love helping others. In March of 2019, I will be going on a missions trip which will give me the opportunity to do both. Saint Francis is participating in a medical mission trip, during spring break, March 2-9, 2019, to Anconcito, Ecuador.
The trip is part of the HUGS program (Helping the Underprivileged by Giving our Service) at Saint Francis University. The HUGS trip is an opportunity to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in other countries. This is a medical missions trip in cooperation with the Foundation for the Medical Relief of Children. Anconcito is a small fishing town on the western peninsula of Ecuador. In recent years, there has been an influx of fishermen and their families in search of a better life but are held back due to the strain on the town’s infrastructure and health clinic. There are many ways I will be of service in Ecuador even though I am not a medical major. I will be assisting in translating from Spanish to English for my fellow students who do not speak Spanish, caring for children in daycares, home-visits to expectant mothers, or anything else the Lord asks of me.
The HUGS trip is important to me because it will be an opportunity for me to practice my Spanish as well as help those less fortunate than myself. I have been blessed with the opportunity to go to a wonderful university, to live in a stable city, and to be in a thriving country. With that, however, there is a bubble of ignorance that surrounds me. I will never understand true poverty or suffering in my life here. I will never want for clean water or clothes. Ever since my father urged me to get out of my “American Bubble” when he sent me to Guatemala to work in the schools there, my eyes have slowly been opened to how some in the world have to live. I want to make a difference in someone’s life when I am there. However, I cannot do it without your help.
As with any mission trip letter, I’m not just here to tell you about my trip. First and foremost, please pray for myself and the other students who are embarking on this trip. Service in a foreign place is challenging both mentally and physically. I would ask that you pray we have the strength to help those in need and that we are a blessing to both the citizens of Anconcito and their medical staff. Secondly, I am here to ask for financial support. The expense of the trip is rather intimidating for a college student and I will not be able to fund it alone. Each student is to come up with $2000 which will cover airfare, housing, food, and transportation. Please pray and see if God is calling you to support me not only spiritually but financially as well. I would be grateful for any contribution -- anything from $20 to $200 makes a big difference, especially to a college student!
If you would like to contribute to the $2000 cost of my trip, there are three ways to do so:
1) Regular Check-Donation:
Send your donation payable to Corissa McCalister. My address is:
Corissa McCalister - 1709
117 Evergreen Drive
Loretto, PA. 15940
2) Online Donation:
Send your online donation through GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/manage/hugs-ecuador
3) Tax-Deductible Donation:
Send your tax-deductible check payable to Saint Francis University. Their address:
**You must include my name next to “HUGS 2019” or else I will not receive the donation
ATTN: Julie Horvath,
HUGS 2019: Corissa McCalister
Office of Study Abroad, Francis Hall
P.O. Box 600
Loretto, PA 15940.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your prayers while I am on this trip. If you have any questions about the trip or prayer intentions for my team and I, please feel free to let me know so we can include them in our nightly prayers.
My contact information is as follows:
Email: [email redacted]
Thank you again for your time and may God and Saint Francis be with you.
Dios te bendiga,
Corissa McCalister
Organiser
Corissa McCalister
Organiser
Steubenville, OH