A group of Culver students recently went to Mexico to help improve the living conditions of local families. The Culver School Board heard a presentation Monday from Culver Community High School students Cody Rieckhoff and RT Roberts. They, along with Marcella Cooper, joined a group of about 40 students from Culver Academies on a spring break mission trip.
Rieckhoff explained that they helped build houses for four families. “We do not do the roofing, but we got the entire frame of the house built,” he said. “Almost everything you see there was done by us and the 10 other students in my build group. We made massive progress, especially for a bunch of kids who’ve never laid brick before or made cement. So it was so much fun, and the kids and the family appreciated it so much. I had such a good time.”
Roberts said that one of his favorite parts of the trip was visiting a local elementary school as part of the Love Without Borders program. “Students from the Academy, two students, they raise money to buy supplies and backpacks and shoes, also, for a whole school,” he explained, “so that was really neat.”
Rieckhoff added that he was struck by the vastly different way of life he experienced in Mexico. He said that many people have nothing more than metal shacks to live in, but they still keep a positive attitude. “When we were at the work site, the people were always smiling,” he said. “There was never a bad day. The kids were full of energy. The parents – you have never seen a more happy person than the parents seeing all of us walk up to the build site, ready to build them a brand new home that they’ve never had before, they’ve never had the option to live in. It was so nice to see a situation like this but in a positive manor because it’s not as negative as you might think.”
The Mexico trip was one of five mission trips offered by Culver Academies this year, as part of its Global Pathways Spring program.
