65 Visiting the mossy green ruins of Machu Picchu, drinking the crystal ice water found on the glacier of Perito Moreno, or playing with llamas help to create the unforgettable memories cultivated during Harding University in Latin America (HULA). In fall 2002, Harding’s new dean of International Programs, Jeffrey Hopper, along with the support of President Burks, opened up the Harding campus in the South American country Chile, located near Viña del Mar. Hopper chose Chile over Costa Rica for Chile’s relatively stable economy and infrastructure. To apply, students only needed a 2.0 GPA, good disciplinary standing with the University, and $200 for the deposit. HULA, Harding’s first international program in a Spanish-speaking country, sought to become an asset to the University’s newly developed Spanish-speaking program. The first students of this new campus stayed in condominiums with an ocean view, explored the Atacama Desert, and went skiing in the Andes. The program, like all the others, was a great success that many students came to remember fondly, like needing to resort to sign language to communicate with the locals and experiencing new social customs. HULA continues to offer fond memories and novel adventures for all those who choose to visit. The overwhelming sound of tons of water plunging down at Victoria Falls, giraffes walking through the campus backyard, or visiting the local markets filled with gorgeous hand-made items — these descriptions and more all color a student’s time at Harding University in Zambia (HIZ). This program, introduced in October 2006 by Dr. Jeffrey Hopper and Dr. Monte Cox was different from Harding’s previous study abroad programs because this trip had a much more mission-focused design. Here students would work in clinics, serving the residents of Zambia as ambassadors of Christ. This program in the Namwianga Mission near Kolomo, Zambia, would also create space for nursing or medical majors to travel abroad while still earning the necessary skills and experience for their field of study. This program also required much more stringent requirements like taking a health course, passing a cultural sensitivity test, and completing HUT (Harding University in Tahkodah), which acts as a training ground for missionary work. HIZ’s first excursion abroad proved to be much more challenging than others as students lived in conditions without electricity or running water while working in clinics with children who had contracted AIDs. However, the students surmounted these difficulties and grew tremendously as a result because of them. After returning from a semester at HIZ, one group held a silent auction and raised over $5,000 for those they met and served in Zambia in an initiative dubbed “Hearts for HIZ.” Harding’s eclectic and diverse study abroad opportunities have provided so many opportunities for students to grow both as people and in their faith with Christ. ZAMBIA LATIN AMERICA Photo courtesy of Hallie Davis Photo courtesy of International Programs
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