It was a special moment in the life of the First Congregational Church of Marion to bless two students who are headed to St. Lucia and Swaziland in South Africa for a service project. Madeleine Lee of Mattapoisett and Rebecca Boros of New Bedford were blessed by Rev. MaryAnn Purtill, members of the Mission and Outreach Committee, and the congregation during the Sunday, May 27, church service. The Mission and Outreach Committee had previously voted funds to support this trip through Madeleine Lee’s GoFundMe account.
Madeleine and Rebecca will be joined by Brianna Lynch and Sarah Backstrom of Acushnet in the two-week program, “Volunteer Eco Students Abroad.” These women are all students in the UMass Dartmouth nursing program. Madeleine has been active in community service and thought that this program would be an excellent way to further her commitment and experience. The other students saw posters about the service trip and decided to sign up.
In St. Lucia, they will be building school rooms, bathroom blocks and a public kitchen, plus teaching children English and basic hygiene. They will also have the opportunity to help build sustainable farming units, which will feed families and create a renewable source of income.
In Swaziland, they will work on crocodile conservation and ways to protect people from the crocodiles and cheetahs. This aspect of the trip does invoke apprehension in Madeleine’s mom, who attended the church service with her daughter and Rebecca. Along with all the necessities for their two-week stay, their suitcases will contain small toys and books for the children of St. Lucia and Swaziland.
Madeleine, Rebecca, Brianna and Sarah have been invited back to the First Congregational Church of Marion upon their return to share their experiences with the congregation.