#marquette action program

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10 Life Lessons Marquette Students Learn Through IMAP

10 Life Lessons Marquette Students Learn Through IMAP

 Excellence - IMAP is unique to the Marquette tradition. The service trip allows our students to come together and strive for excellence in life.

Faith - Our students truly learn about “Finding God in All Things”. IMAP alum Mercedes says, “Even in the poorest states that people were in they would take two sticks, make a cross out of it and they would worship.”

Leadership - "Cura Personalis" is a Latin phrase that means, "Care for the entire person". With faith in their hearts, Marquette students use this popular Jesuit idea to become leaders in communities, both foreign and domestic.

Service - Service does not solely mean building, painting or “fixing” problems. As IMAP alum Natalie says, “immersing yourself in a culture and lifestyle makes you more aware of yourself and the greater connection to the people in the world.”

Solidarity - The trip teaches students that even when they are immersed into a culture different from their own, they can still find common ground.

Social Justice Issues -  IMAP allows students to learn about social justice issues while engaging with the population. IMAP is the classroom without walls with the students being their own teachers.

Poverty -  IMAP members are given an eye-opening experience that allows for them to step outside of their comfort zone and give them a new appreciation for the gifts they’ve received.

 Education - IMAP participants partnering with the Working Boys Center are shown the importance of education in ending the cycle of generational poverty. The Center’s focus is educating families in more than math, reading and religion, but in all areas of life including faith, trade skills and hygiene.

 Culture - Students are given the opportunity to gain a global worldview, and to experience a way of life that can be different from our own.  They see how different areas of the world react to everyday difficulties and problems.

Love- IMAP teaches students the importance of love and spreading love wherever you travel. Although the population in Quito is materially poor the families I was around always showed their deep sense of love for one another.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/marquette-university-s-international-marquette-action-program-campus-ministry/x/6767663#home

[marquetteactionprogram-blog]

Name: Mari Lucco Year: Senior Major: Public Relations and Social Welfare and Justice How did you learn about IMAP? My older sister was a participant on the IMAP trip to Belize and I had a few friends participate and recommend the experience to me. When Did You Participate in IMAP? Winter break of 2013 What work did you do: I was art of the first group of Marquette students to travel to Quito, Ecuador. Our first day in Quito, we worked with a family and painted their entire house. During the week we worked at the Working Boys Center. I worked with a long-term volunteer there teaching English and math to 3rd graders and in the evening I helped with the adult education class. What was your biggest takeaway? This trip opened my eyes to global poverty and the struggles that people experience worldwide. Everyone I encountered through the Working Boys Center may have been materially poor but they were rich in faith and hope. Favorite Memory: I could go on and on sharing stories that impacted my experience, but there is one child’s story I would like to share with all of you. Michael, a 5-year-old boy who is not enrolled in school, but on days his mother must work (which are most days) there are no childcare options for him so she drops him off at the center’s playground without supervision. I noticed him on the playground alone at 7am and then I walked by again at 10am and he was still there, alone. I asked a long-term volunteer why he didn’t go to classes and she said she never really noticed him until now, but he was not enrolled at the center so school was not an option. I realized he had been alone all day so once I had a break in my day I went to the playground to see him and sure enough he was there. I could see his excitement when he noticed me walking towards him; in fact, he started running towards me and asked me to play. We played for hours until his 9 year-old cousin came to take him home. The next day was the same situation, but instead of waiting until a break I went to breakfast with him and introduced him to students at the center that are also 5. The rest of the week Michael and I played and talked and each time I was with him I was amazed- here is a 5 year-old left alone for 12 hours to entertain himself, yet he never cried or complained, but instead he smiled and laughed the entire time. It amazes me the patience and understanding Michael has and the trust his mother has on humanity. In light of the Lenten season, please consider giving to our Indiegogo campaign to help give a Marquette student an IMAP experience. Thanks you and God Bless! http://igg.me/at/MarquetteIMAP"

[marquetteactionprogram-blog]

Benefits of College Mission Trips Abroad: 1. Take students out of their “comfort zones” and place them into an environment that encourages physical, mental and spiritual adjustments. 2. Spiritual growth 3. Reflection on life purpose 4. Allow students to immerse themselves into a new culture 5. Engagement with populations that are often unheard 6. Bring students to see the gritty realities of the world 7. Teach students about social justice issues in different regions 8. Students get a better understanding of human dignity and people’s universal needs 9. Ignition of passion 10. Students become global citizens aware of social issues in other countries with voices to bring change In light of the Lenten season, please consider giving to our Indiegogo campaign to help give a Marquette student an IMAP experience. Thanks you and God Bless! http://igg.me/at/MarquetteIMAP