You Went Where on a Mission Trip?

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Monday Morning

We had 16 members at our Monday meeting along with our guest speaker, Melissa Hildebrand.  Charlene noted that our Annual Club Elections will be at our April 27th meeting.  The Nominating Committee is still looking for additional Board of Director candidates if anyone is interested.  “Happy Bucks” were offered by Bob Kahl and Gary Miller for a good showing by the Badger’s basketball team.  Dave Lefefer was the 50/50 Raffle winner on Monday and he drew the Ten of Spades, a $10 winner.  Congratulations Dave.  Next week’s drawing will have 42 cards, including seven pay cards, and a pot of at least $113.

Melissa Hildebrand, Blue Mountain Project

The Blue Mountain Project (BMP) is a grassroots, non-profit, volunteer organization that has been working for 11 years in the rural villages of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. By living and working directly with the communities they serve, they identify key areas of needed development and facilitate sustainable solutions. Their priority program areas were determined in consultation with their communities and by a belief in a holistic approach to sustainable community development. Working with local and international volunteers, they make the most of every resource and donation to effect lasting, productive change.

The villages where the BMP works are the most isolated communities in the poorest parish of Jamaica, St. Thomas.  The villages are located towards the peak of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains and the only roads are dirt roads at incredible inclines and transportation in and out of the communities remains a serious barrier to economic, educational and health resources.

Melissa joined 15 other students from Moraine Park Technical College, Madison Area Technical College and Lakeshore Technical College in the Blue Mountain Project’s latest mission trip.  Melissa described to us the various things they did in their recent trip to Jamaica and described the living conditions of the people in the Blue Mountains.