Recruiting drive starts for home-building volunteers
BOM president David Thompson said each mission would last between two and three weeks and would give participants about ten building days, plus travel time and some days off to enjoy the hosting country.
Over the last five years the organisation has helped complete 11 structures, providing homes for more than 60 people.
Mr. Thompson said the Department of Youth planned to send four or five youths on the upcoming mission to Brazil. And discussions were under way, he added, to involve more youth in future programmes.
"Not only we do get an opportunity to give to others who are in need, but we receive so much in return. This is a life-changing experience for many of our participants. We make lifelong friends with the families we build with and enrich our own lives in the process."
He said students who had already participated in missions abroad found the experience so "life changing" that in some cases they changed their career paths to develop missionary work, or work to assist charities.He used as an example a CedarBridge Academy student who has completed three of the past missions, including one to Africa.
"It supports the argument that asks why we would spend so much money to send people there . . . you really appreciate how fortunate you are living in a country with an extremely high standard of living and having the ability to give back," he said. "No one can really appreciate what poverty truly means unless you visit those countries and experience for yourself what it is like not to have a roof over your head, or know where your next meal is coming from!"
Missions in the past have taken volunteers to Bolivia, Botswana and Romania, but also Montana in the United States.
A sign-up list will be made available at the open house tomorrow and those interested in learning more about the organisation and future missions are invited to attend.
Recruiting drive under way
