LANCE HEDRICK A bout 250 students traveled abroad every year, returning to campus with broadened perspectives and a host of rich memories. However, the number of students who went on two study abroad programs was much smaller. Senior general studies major Lance Hedrick was one of those few students. One reason Hedrick came to Harding was forthe Zambia program. His father agreed to fund that particular trip, so Hedrick traveled to Zambia in the fall of 2011. He did not intend to go on another study abroad program, but an opportunity to go to Greece presented itself in the fall of 2013. Dean of the College of Bible and Ministry Dr. Monte Cox and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies Kevin Youngblood, a primary professor of Hedrick's, were scheduled to chaperone the trip. Hedrick, who specialized in ancient languages, wanted to continue studying Greek at an advanced level with Youngblood. He arranged an independent study with Youngblood in exchange for assisting with his Elementary Greek I class while overseas. Hedrick's two semesters overseas were vastly different, and he even came away having learned and grown in different ways. HIZ was a service-based trip, while the HUG semester focused on traveling. Time in Zambia resembled a mission trip, according to Hedrick, because the purpose of the trip was to spend time with people. Senior Payton Parsons traveled to Zambia with Hedrick. He said that serving God brought them closer during their semester. For Parsons, the semester also taught him how to see the Lord across the world. "[The HIZ semester] brought life into everything I had taken for granted," Parsons said. "No matter what circumstances, at the core of everyone's being, they are searching for God." While in Zambia, Parsons and Hedrick learned how to share God with spiritually hungry people. According to Hedrick, however, the HUG semester was very different. "The Greece program is completely different in the sense that it is like a vacation, but you are drilling into your mind everything you've learned in regards to the Bible growing up because you get to see places and you get flooded with information before you go to those places," Hedrick said. "That one was more of an intellectual trip." He added that despite their differences, the trips were equally adventurous, challenging and spiritual. Because Hedrick was overseas for two fall semesters of his college experience, he missed out on some events that happened in the fall such as Club Week, Homecoming plays, Bible Lectureship and the Christmas lighting ceremony. However, he was able to travel, to learn, to form relationships and to experience a variety of cultures. Senior Paden Hemphill, who traveled on the HUG program with Hedrick, had taken Greek classes with Hedrick and said that their semester abroad together cemented their friendship. According to Hemphill, traveling with friends united people by broadening perspectives and teaching students how to love all types of people. "Traveling gives you perspective," Hemphill said. "You see real people and cultures, not just facts and pictures in textbooks and TV screens. It makes the lives of other people matter to you." Some of Hedrick's favorite memories from his time overseas were playing a volleyball game with college students in Zambia and sitting on the Mount of Olives in Israel. Hedrick had one simple piece of travel advice: do everything. "Do everything," Hedrick said. "Don't be too tired. If you are too tired, go anyway. Do whatever comes your way because you will regret it if you don't." Mallory Pratt Janna Mix Sophomore Cana Moore Sophomore Jimmy Pounders Sophomore Tanner Pylant Sophomore Shelbie Robeck Senior Casey Stringer Sophomore Rose Thoroughman Sophomore Tessa Zuniga Junior 8
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