One last project: Seniors close out their undergrad days by helping flood victims in Peru

While many college seniors spend their last weeks studying for finals, job searching, and preparing for their Commencement, Liberty University seniors Karmen Hewitt and Emi Oyama recently found themselves knee-high in mud and debris thousands of miles away from campus, in the Lima Region of Peru.

The students were dispatched by LU Send Now, the university’s disaster relief initiative under the oversight of the Office of Spiritual Development, to spend a week assisting with clean-up efforts after the effects of an El Niño caused intense flooding near the end of March. More than150 people were killed and more than 150,000 were displaced.  Hewitt and Oyama joined a team of six other LU students and two leaders. They partnered with Peace and Hope International, an organization that focuses on fighting poverty and injustice in Latin America.

“I had been training to go on an LU Send Now international trip for the last year, but had never been called,” Hewitt said, who is earning a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. “When I got the call, I didn’t hesitate. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I knew I had to make it happen.”

Hewitt said her knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures helped her better connect with those she was helping.

“People have a heart language,” she said, referring to the language in which they can best communicate their emotions. “For the Peruvians, that isn’t English. It meant a lot to them to be able to describe their loss and share what happened to them in their native language.”

Hewitt was one of six students on the trip who had a Spanish background. But for Oyama, who is earning a B.M. in Music in World Cultures, it was a little different. Originally from Japan, Oyama said the language barrier was hard at first. Witnessing the destruction after a major disaster, however, was not.

“In 2011, Japan experienced massive flooding following the tsunami,” Oyama said “Helping with flood relief was something I had done in the past. After the tsunami, I visited the affected area months later to encourage those who lost everything. It was basically what happened in Peru.”

Hewitt described the scene when they arrived: “It was heartbreaking. When we got to the first worksite, there were a few tents and a couple tables of items people had managed to save. There were lots of animals running around because they had been washed away by the flooding. It was crumbled remains of houses mixed with dirt and cement.”

Both Hewitt and Oyama said despite the circumstances, the Peruvians were still filled with hope.

“They seemed somewhat encouraged,” Oyama said. “They realized this wasn’t their permanent circumstance and that it could get better.”

One family stood out to Hewitt. A man named Marcos, whose home had been completely destroyed, showed up dressed in sweatpants and using crutches.

“He looked so downcast when we first met him,” Hewitt said. “You could see that he didn’t know how he was going to provide for his family.”

The team began to help rebuild his home by cleaning up the property. When they returned the next day, Marcos’ demeanor had changed.

“He changed into slacks and a nice dress shirt,” Hewitt said. “It was like he was saying, ‘I can do this.’ He threw down his crutches and put on his prosthetic leg and started digging alongside us.”

Though the trip may have come at the busiest time of the semester, Oyama said she learned how to be better at being intentional in her service to others.

“God taught me that you just don’t have to be in a third world country to impact people,” she said. “While we were in Peru, we were on this high because we felt like we were doing so much good. But God has showed me there are people in the states that need the love of Jesus just as much.”

Though Hewitt said that coming back and jumping right into finals might have been tough, she has no regrets.

“Not many people have the chance to go overseas in that capacity,” she said. “There’s nothing like traveling with your fellow students and showing the love of Christ to those in need.”

This past year, LU Send Now organized nine trips. Teams also assisted in disaster relief in Baton Rouge, La.; Lumberton, N.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Cuba; Albany, Ga.; Hattiesburg, Miss.; and Constitución, Chile. Students are selected based on a wide range of criteria, including current service involvement, their degree, and previous experience. The university and donors cover the cost of the trips. To learn more, visit www.Liberty.edu/LUSendNow.