About 300 students immersed themselves in different cultures over Spring Break, March 7-16. Liberty sponsored 14 trips; many offered both educational and service opportunities. The trips were coordinated by LU Send, the office that facilitates all student group travel.
Ecuador
Psychology students spent Spring Break in Quito, Ecuador, working with agencies that serve populations at risk for human trafficking. They assisted all ages and visited an after-school program, safe houses, an orphanage, and a daycare for individuals with disabilities as they gained an understanding of key vulnerabilities inherent within the culture. The group also did a prayer walk through Quito’s red-light district.
New York City
A group of 14 students from the Department of Theatre Arts traveled to the Big Apple to share the Gospel, presenting dramas at schools, churches, and outreach events around the city. They also trained local leaders in a drama ministry and engaged in service opportunities with local ministries such as Urban Nations Outreach.
England and Scotland
Students from the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences observed centuries of architectural design in Great Britain, from quaint villages dotted with thatched roofs to opulent Elizabethan manors. They visited iconic sites like Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben in London before boarding a train north to Scotland. Students toured homes and museums to view the decorative arts indicative of the Gothic through Victorian periods.
United Kingdom and Ireland
Eleven students from various degree programs followed in the footsteps of renowned British author, scholar, and lay theologian C.S. Lewis, who was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A key stop was the Kilns, Lewis’ home in Oxford, where students toured the house and nature area. They also visited London, Cambridge, and Dublin.
Singapore and Malaysia
Students from the School of Behavioral Sciences were trained in career counseling, theories of family systems, diagnosis and treatment planning, and substance abuse counseling on a trip to Singapore and Malaysia. They learned from counseling professionals about the emergence of counseling and how practices have evolved to meet the growing needs in both countries.
El Salvador
Students and faculty from the College of Osteopathic Medicine traveled to El Salvador to serve at Shalom Family Medical Center and participate in outreach clinics to underserved areas in and around San Salvador. A special part of the trip was getting to know the children in the Shalom Children’s Home and sponsoring an Easter egg hunt.
Spain
Seven students from the Department of Allied Health Professions witnessed the differences within international healthcare during their trip to Spain. Visiting Seville and Málaga, the group went to a day clinic for brain injuries, an outpatient physical therapy center, and different areas to learn about Spanish culture.
Eastern Europe
A group of 11 students and two faculty with the Global Studies Department spent the week in Eastern Europe teaching English classes in the local schools, hosting youth events, delivering humanitarian aid, and encouraging the long-term workers who serve at a community center.
Honduras
The John W. Rawlings School of Divinity sent a team to Honduras through a partnership with Leadership Mission International. Students from Liberty’s women’s leadership program partnered with a local school to care for women recovering from various hardships, and biblical studies students evangelized in the community.
