Clemson Wesley announces…
Spring Break Trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas
March 2010
Since the spring of 2003, Clemson Wesley has sent nine teams totaling over 300 students and others to serve beside, worship with and learn from the people of the Bahamas. Last year, 56 folks spent a week together in and around the fishing settlement of Tarpum Bay in southern Eleuthera. These trips have been life-transforming for many (if not all!) of our team members, and real, meaningful relationships have been established with Bahamian families, churches and communities on the islands of Eleuthera, New Providence and Grand Bahama.
As in the past, we will spend our week working with Bahamians in their schools, homes, churches and clinics, and we will experience their gracious and rich culture. Unlike with other typical American mission experiences, our goal for the week will not be to “fix” all their problems or even to “save” anyone. The Bahamas is a very Spirit-filled place where God is alive and well and working in ways that is sometimes hard for us to see here in the States. Our primary goal will be to “become a Bahamian” for the week: eating their foods, worshiping in their churches, listening to their stories, working alongside them and enjoying their customs. While the Bahamas is poor in ways that we are rich, it is rich in ways that we are poor. As I like to describe it, these weeks in the Bahamas are always part mission trip, part retreat, part study abroad and part spiritual pilgrimage.
We are currently making plans to lead a team of 50 students and other adults to the beautiful island of Eleuthera for a week of worship, rest, study, fellowship, and reflection next March (15th-19th is our break). At this point, we anticipate this week in Eleuthera to cost around $900 per person (including transportation, housing, food and insurance). For CU and other students interested in receiving course credit for this experience, we will be happy to work with one of your professors to try and make this happen.
These trips to the Bahamas have been very popular in prior years, and we anticipate the trip filling up quickly. To reserve a space, we will need a deposit for $50 (checks payable to "Clemson Wesley fbo Bahamas") ASAP. By December 1, each person is expected to have raised a minimum of $250 (this includes the $50 deposit) on their own. Over the holiday break, each team member will be expected to raise support through a letter writing campaign to family, friends, home church, etc. In January, we’ll schedule a series of fundraisers as in past years to make up the difference that we need. As in the past, we will work together as a team to raise the entire amount needed, with each person doing his or her fair share, whatever that might be.
The first informational meeting about the trip will be held on Sunday, October 4th immediately following Evensong at CUMC (around 8:30 pm). This year, Rev. Lane Glaze will be overseeing the fundraising aspects of the trip while Prof. Janice Lanham will oversee the trip preparation and group planning aspects. Should you have any questions, please contact Lane (glaze@clemson.edu) or Janice (janicel@clemson.edu).
Rev. Lane Glaze
Director, Clemson Wesley
Campus Minister, Clemson UMC
864-207-9135
glaze@clemson.edu
Prof. Janice Lanham
School of Nursing
Faculty Advisor, Clemson Wesley
864-656-1065
janicel@clemson.edu