While most of her classmates were still enjoying the comforts of home, Saralyn traveled to Haiti with Life Connection Mission where she, four teammates and a leader spent a week ministering to Haitian children.
“I have always been attracted to that part of the world and to missions,” said Saralyn. “When the earthquake happened in Haiti I felt like that is where I needed to go.”
At the time of the earthquake, Saralyn had graduated from high school and was taking a year off of school to do missions work. She was already planning to leave for three months in India. Her time working with orphans in India would only fuel the desire to continue missions work.
Almost a year after Saralyn’s initial pull to Haiti, she set her feet on Haitian soil.
Traveling to another country requires a significant amount of money, and for a 19-year-old college student, extra money is not always readily available. Fundraising was essential for Saralyn, but being in Kansas meant she was more than 1,200 miles away from home and the people who know her best.
As it would turn out, she didn’t need to worry about fundraising in a new place. Hesston College students, faculty and staff stepped up to help make Saralyn’s call to serve in Haiti a reality.
“I did fundraising back home and people at my church donated, but when I started the fundraisers at Hesston College I didn’t have high expectations, because I wasn’t sure how involved people would want to be,” said Saralyn. “Because of Hesston College I was able to raise more than what I needed to fund the trip, which was such an unexpected gift. I feel blessed to have received that encouragement.”
With the help of her academic advisor, Kevin Wilder, Saralyn solicited the help of her new community. She recruited friends to be a part of a Servant Sale, in which students donated their time and physical labor to faculty or staff. The money they would have been paid for their work funded the trip. When the Peace and Service Club did its annual leaf raking in the wider Hesston community, one person wanted to compensate the students for their time and kindness, but the club insisted he give his donation to Saralyn’s trip instead.
Wilder even agreed to donate his hairstyle to the trip with a penny competition. For one weekend, students, faculty and staff voted with money for the hairstyle they wanted to see Wilder sport. The “Mr. T.” won by a landslide, so Wilder cut his hair into a mohawk to resemble the famous actor from the 1980s.
“Saralyn is an excellent student and an even better person,” said Wilder. “She is thoughtful, joyful and caring. I know this experience in Haiti is only the beginning of her commitment to service.”
The money Saralyn raised was for more than just getting her to Haiti and paying for meals or lodging. In fact, the team stayed in tents similar to the ones thousands of Haitians have been living in since the earthquake or in homes associated with the mission organization. The extra money was instead used to provide meals and clothes for Haitian children.
The first three days in Haiti, Saralyn and her team worked at a school in the mountain village of Charrier where they ran a format similar to Vacation Bible School. They told Bible stories, made crafts, played games and sang songs with the children. The team planned for about 50 children to attend, but almost 100 children showed up every day. Some of the money they raised was used to provide a meal of rice, beans and beef for almost 200 people at the school.
The rest of the week was spent in the coastal town of Montrious distributing t-shirts in a tent city and playing with the children at two orphanages. One of the orphanages, run by a local pastor and his wife, supported 45 children. Thanks to the unexpected success in fundraising, the team realized they had enough money remaining to provide another meal.
“There were times when these children wouldn’t eat for three days,” said Saralyn. “We had intentionally raised enough money to provide a meal at the school, and we were fortunate to have enough money left over to provide a meal for the children at the orphanage as well.”
Now that she’s back in school mode, Saralyn has begun to think about future opportunities in missions. She is leaning toward a major in psychology because she says it is more than just a job and something she can use in everyday life.
“I really enjoy missions work and I want to continue,” said Saralyn. “Hesston College is providing me with countless opportunities to interact with people through dorm life, intramurals and clubs. I am getting life learning, not just book learning, for which I am grateful.”
Saralyn is a member of Ephrata Mennonite Church and the daughter of David and Karen Mast.