from the July 16, 2008 Issue Twenty, Volume One
Youthful blitz
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| LEE JAMES/The Free Press |
| An MFUGE crew works on a Habitat for Humanity home in Oshara Village. Campers helping on this project were Javier Ariza, Dallas, Texas; Jed Igbinova, Dallas; Kyle Lawson, Chandler, Ariz.; Benjamin Provines, Tyler, Texas; Matt Sweet, Chandler; and Derek Baggett, Chandler. |
MFUGE dispatches campers
to help on local projects
By Amy Majerowicz / The Free Press
Jed Igbinoba, a pre-med sophomore at the University of Arkansas, sees a connection between his work on the Habitat for Humanity site and his future in medicine.
“There is a relationship between helping others here and helping others through medicine,” Igbinoba said.
Some youths have been searching for ways to serve the greater good and Igbinoba is one such student. “I had always heard of working with Habitat and wanted to do it,” Igbinoba said. “This is my first time and I finally got a chance to do it through my church.”
Igbinoba has come with his church, Richland Baptist, to participate in MFUGE, a camp that provides community service opportunities to teenagers.
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| LEE JAMES/The Free Press |
| Lisa Pilgrim and Danielle Wilson, left to right foreground, paint boards while others perform other duties for a ramp project conducted by Open Hands on Prairie Dog Loop recently. |
The MFUGE camp, located at the Glorieta Conference Center, is one of several camps housed there. While other on-site camp programs focus on topics ranging from athletics to Bible study, MFUGE focuses specifically on outreach in the community.
MFUGE service camps, sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources of Nashville, Tenn., has operated camps around both nationally and internationally since 1995 but this the first year in Santa Fe.
“Glorieta is a combo camp with camps like Centrifuge and MFUGE,” service site director Lynsey Riley said. “We have what we call The AM Show to get excited for the day. After that, Centrifuge focuses more on team-building and discipleship at the camp and MFUGE is sent into the city.”
Riley was on the perimeter of a Habitat for Humanity worksite, overseeing six teenage boys as they performed rough carpentry on a house.
“The campers are seventh- to 12th graders with an adult chaperone, who are always on-site,” Riley said over the pounding of hammers. “The groups come from all over the country: Utah, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, New Mexico, Arkansas, for a one-week session. We offer seven sessions per summer and send 10 groups out into the city every week.”
Each week groups composed of 10 to 25 teenagers perform a variety of services within the Santa Fe community. That means that on a good week, 200 people may be lending a hand.
With a variety of service opportunities available, campers choose what type of work they want to perform.
“Kids give their top three choices,” Riley said. “We place them where they are needed.”
Service is divided into five categories. The Children’s Ministry conducts games, crafts and activities such as face painting with children living in area apartment complexes while the Games and Recreation groups work with the local Boys and Girls Club.
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| LEE JAMES/The Free Press |
| Members of the MFUGE Creative Group entertain at the Open Hands Adult Day Services Center. |
The Creative group visits nursing homes and daycare centers for afternoons of songs, skits and puppet shows, and Social Ministry is devoted to meeting the needs of society, such as a recent pairing with Challenge New Mexico assisting disabled children with writing.
Finally, Painting, Construction and Yard work, or PYC, works with Habitat for Humanity and Open Hands. A few weeks ago, PYC volunteers assisted Open Hands in building a wheelchair ramp. This week, they are channeling their energies into building houses. Tanner McGarvey is the on-site coordinator for Habitat for Humanity.
McGarvey, who is working for Habitat through Americorps, has loved the extra help.
“MFUGE has been awesome. They’ve worked really hard and followed instructions,” McGarvey said. “We spend about an hour working with them, showing them what needs to be done. Then, they are able to work on their own.”
Ministry Track Leader Eric Humes appreciates the automomy on the worksite, particularly because it leads to teambuilding.
“They show the kids a couple things, then let them go at it,” Humes said. “The most rewarding thing for me is how 15 strangers work together and trust each other — especially with hammers and nails. They come together and work as a unit. I love watching how this comes together.”
And while teambuilding is only one benefit of the service trips, the real aim is helping others.
“These kids come out for one mission: to serve,” Humes said. “They work hard, they love what they do and they walk away exhausted.”
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| LEE JAMES/The Free Press |
| Left to right, Jeremy Wicker, MFUGE camp director, Lynsey Rile, on-site service coordinator and Tanner McGarvey, Habitat for Humanity coordinator, discuss the students working on one of the Habitat homes. |
While the idea of traditional summer camps conjure images of campers canoeing or maybe even participating in a three-legged race, MFUGE presents the face of a different kind of camper.
Ben Provines, a junior at Grace Community School in Tyler, Texas, has previous experience with service camps and continues his involvement with service projects.
“I’ve been to a couple other camps. I’ve worked in soup kitchens,” Provine said.
“This is a calling.” Provines also finds that this work leads to enjoyable connections with other participants. “It’s a great social event, getting to hang out with all these buddies I’ve met this week. I enjoy doing this. It’s just a lot of fun.”
With his future goal of becoming an engineer, Provines also feels like he’s coming away with a strengthened work ethic.
“This teaches life skills. It humbles you a little bit. You are more apt to do this type of work in the future and not complain about it.”
Like many camps, MFUGE often recruits former campers to become staff when they become adults. Riley, who has worked on staff for two years, is one such camper. She knows firsthand the power of this program.
“For me as a student I went in thinking I was going to really help other people and make a difference.” Riley recalled of her own experience. “But when I did it without expectations, I got the most out of it. It’s about being selfless and caring about other people’s needs. I’ve been blessed. The least I can do is give back to others.”
Riley also noted that this work is not intended to cease after a weeklong session.
“They serve community here and this equips them to serve their own community when they go back home,” Riley said. “This type of work teaches you to care about things other than yourself. You no longer take things for granted.” MFUGE camp director Jeremy Wicker is happy that the camp is working with the Santa Fe community and is eager to expand.
“I am really looking forward to growing the program in Santa Fe,” Wicker said. “We are expanding, creating relationships with community groups in Santa Fe.”
Wicker, who makes daily visits to all the sites, acknowledged how important service work is for teenagers.
“We know this type of work will grow and stretch them. Hopefully, they will go back to their own communities and serve.”
With a nod to the dramatic desert landscape, he wondered about the extent of this summer’s impact on the campers.
“Who knows? Maybe they will fall in love with this city and choose to reside here someday.”
The afternoon heat mellows, giving way to an evening of more tradition camp fun such as singing and games. But for now, the young men continue on with the construction; one day soon, a family — most likely a family previously without a house — will call this place home. It’s not a typical summer activity, but it’s an important one.
“These kids pay money to attend this camp,” Riley said. “They are missing ballgames and other summer fun back home, but they want to do this. They don’t feel like they’re giving anything up.”
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