Engage HULA students develop meaningful relationships The students of the Harding University Latin America program experienced the adventure of a lifetime. They marveled at the mountains of Patagonia, explored ancient caves on Easter Island, sand boarded down dunes in the Atacama Desert, stumbled upon tarantulas in the Amazon Rainforest and gasped at the beauty of the lncan civilization at Machu Picchu. Though these events played a role in the semester, the students and the people they met along the way were the real foundation for adventure and wonder. Students from the group committed to step out of their comfort zones and to engage with the Latin American peoples. Despite the difficulty of speaking fluently in Spanish, they communicated the best they could, and their effort made in stories worth remembering. Junior Ash leigh Arthurs fondly remembered a 3-year-old boy named Domingo whom Arthurs met in San Pedro, Chile, in the Atacama Desert. Arthurs found Domingo in the back courtyard of a home that doubled as a store. Though initially shy, Arthurs soon had him laughing and showing off the features of his toy dump truck. "He had no idea who we were, but we still just laughed and played," Arthurs said. "It was just 15 minutes of one day of the whole semester, but he was precious and it was just so much fun." The students found it easiest to transcend the language barrier at the market, an open-air shopping center full of aisles of vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Students often went to the market after classes. They conversed with the locals over their purchases and learned a bit about the vendors in the process. On one of those market days, junior Emily Spencer met an older woman named Emperatriz, who insisted on offering cooking advice to Spencer, Arthurs and juniors Shelby Nicholson and Mackenzie Lee. A relationship formed over the weeks, and Emperatriz's face lit up each time she saw them coming. "A favorite time I remember with her was when we realized that she was a Christian, and we began sharing our faith with her," HULA Spring '12: Row 1: G. Marcellini, M. lee, A. Arthurs, K. Thomas, K. Reeves. Row 2: l. Burks, P. Hook, A. Hepburn, B. Midgley, H. Hague, T. Phillips, S. Nicholson, A. Ritchie, V. Sams, R. Shrull, K. Faulk, E. Spencer, E. Cook, C. Stockstill, B. lopez, l. Wilson, Z. Kelley, S. Thompson. Row 3: T. Hook, D. Burks, M. Hepburn, J. Sherrod, L. Keim, C. lowe, A. Niblett, A. Harrell, Z. Decker, T. White, D. Stockstill. 38 !International Spencer said. "We sang Christian songs with her in the middle of the market. It was just neat to see how our faith can bridge the barrier of the culture differences and the language differences." The things that mattered beyond the beautiful scenery were the smiling faces and hugs from the HULA students' friends in Chile. "I could see God in the beautiful things and places, but it wasn't until I started building a relationship I saw it change me and the impact it had on them that [HULA] became the trip that it was," Spencer said. "Then I felt like I was doing something that wasn't solely just for me and my enjoyment, but it was for a purpose and there was meaning behind it, much more than a few memories I'm going to have of just some pretty places that I went to." In order to preserve the richness of the semester in Latin America, a videographer team joined the HULA group on their travels. The team, Harding 2010 alumni Tyler Jones and Nick Michael and 2011 alumnus Mark Slagle, was asked by Dean of the Honors College, Dr. Jeffery Hopper, to continue their series of international program documentaries and to film the HULA 2012 group. Though the documentary beautifully depicted the group's travels in Latin America, the students' memories transcended what could be captured in film. "When I watched the documentary and showed it to my family and friends, they thought it was awesome and cool, but they still don't get it," Spencer said. Despite the difficulty in capturing those moments in a tangible form, junior Shelby Nicholson reflected that the memories were just as sweet and long-lasting. "I realize that the fa.ct I can't completely describe these encounters with the people of Latin America meant it was something complex and special," Nicholson said. 'These are faces and moments I will always hold in my heart, and I am so grateful to HULA for blessing me with the opportunity to meet them." Mackenzie Lee Juniors Karissa Faulk, Mackenzie lee and lauren Wilson relax on a sand dune in the Atacama Desert after a day of hiking. later that evening the group watched a beautiful sunset while indulging in gourmet appetizers provided by the tour guide. Courtesy of Mackenzie Lee
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