Building Houses and Bonds on Belize Mission Trip

Over spring break, Sacred Heart students took their passports and helping hands to Hand in Hand Ministries in Belize.

The girls spent their trip bonding with the community and learning how their service affects others. For a week, the ten Valkyries worked hard building a house for an local elderly woman named Judith. Sacred Heart was not alone when creating Judith’s new home; other members of the community enthusiastically came together to help them finish the house.

“There were many local women working on the house with us–women who have already received a house from Hand in Hand Ministries, as well as women who are on the waiting list to receive a house,” said Susan Bidwell, one of the teacher chaperones on the trips. “It was a community event.”

Along with constructing a home from scratch, students dove further into discovering more about the Belizian community by visiting local preschool and kindergarten classes. In these classes brought together by Hand in Hand, the girls met the children and played games with them.

“Hand in Hand Ministries does fantastic work; they are a part of the communities in which they work, and they really embody the “starfish” approach: helping people one person at a time,” Bidwell said.

Through interacting with the community and being able to witness the impact their mission trip had on them, the girls left Belize inspired to do more for their community and continue the life of service they experienced over spring break.

“This has made me more appreciative of what I have and more thankful for my life,” said senior Emma Burnett. “It also made me want to go on more mission trips and help in the community more.”