Fifty-six students will be participating in one of seven Sterling College short-term mission trips taking place this summer. Countries being visited include Belize, Brazil, Croatia, Kenya, Nicaragua and two trips to countries in Asia.
“Our missions program is rapidly growing. We have seven trips going out this summer, which is more than we have ever sent out from Sterling. It is very encouraging to see the tremendous growth our program has experienced over the past six years” said Henry Lederle, director of missions.
The team of students heading to Belize, under the leadership of Resident Director Eric Saiz, will be heading to the small city of Sand Hill. They will be working in partnership with Methodist Mission House. The team will be working with four different schools running a program called Sports Quest where they will focus on teaching character principles through sports, games and activities. They also plan on working at an all girls orphanage and interacting with locals at the town’s basketball court participating in various sports.
This is Sterling’s second mission trip to Belize. They leave on May 24 for two weeks.
Heading south to the Amazon for seventeen days are twelve students and one staff member. While in Brazil, the team will join members of the Presbyterian Church of Manaus, Brazil, in their efforts to reach the thousands of jungle villages in the Amazon Jungle with the Gospel. With a fully-equipped medical boat, mission trip participants are able to visit villages and offer medical care while providing VBS activities for kids.
This will be the third trip that Sterling has sent to Brazil. The team is led by David Earle, director of development and church relations. This will be the second trip Earle has led to Brazil. The team will be leaving May 10.
For the first time, a small team of five students and two faculty members will be heading to Osijek, Croatia. While there, the team will be assisting an area university. Among their duties, they will be assisting the universities library with cataloging, tutoring students in English, working on campus grounds and giving testimonies at local churches.
The team is led by Assistant Professor in English, Will Best. Best has previously led a team to Belize last summer. Assistant Professor in Exercise Science Shawn Reed will be assisting. The trip will last for two weeks from May 14 to May 28.
Team Kenya will be heading to Nairobi, the capital city with 2.5 million inhabitants, where they will be working in partnership with St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. The team will be working with AIDS orphans, at a rehabilitation home for former street children, and assisting with construction work on a church mission project. They will be involved with the local youth group and the worship services of St. Andrew’s Church. This is the fourth team that Sterling has sent to Kenya.
The team is being led by Sterling College Adjunct Professor and Pastor of the Sterling United Presbyterian Church, Seth Svaty. The team will be leaving on June 11 and will be returning on June 24.
A team of 13 students will be heading to a remote town located one hour from the small city of Muy Muy, Nicaragua. There the team will be constructing a church building for an A.C.I.B.E.N. Baptist Church located in the mountainous area of Nicaragua. While there the team will also be hosting a Vacation Bible School program for the local children. Team members will also participate in worship services through dramas, music and the sharing of testimonies. In preparation for the trip, the teams raised funds for their trip through fundraising letters and various work projects including a babysitting clinic.
Melissa Yarrow, a senior communications and missions major, will be leading the trip with the assistance of senior Ben Swihart. The team will be gone from July 23 to August 12.
Sterling also will be sending two teams to countries in Asia. The first work team to Asia will be assisting at a youth sports camp. The team is led by Sterling Coach Brian Fish and his wife, Jodi. The second work team will be teaching English to college students and primary teachers. They will be working at various orphanages and building relationships with the locals. The team is being led by Sterling College Chaplain Jerrod Adair and his wife, Melissa.

Team members for Sterling College Summer Missions 2008 include:
Belize:
Cecil Smart
Elisabeth Gafford
Israel Redwine
Joel Orr
Samuel Caines
Zack Goodrich
Tonya Saiz
Eric Saiz, team leader
Brazil:
Amberli Todd
Ashley Earle
Grace Friedman
Hillary Stucky
Kysha Nichols
Kelli LaRosh
Michelle Sumption
Noah Breeden
Sarah Wolff
Nolan Cox
Shekinah Heinritz
Tessa Blackwell
David Earle, team leader
Croatia:
Adrian Ivasic
Courtney Van Ravenswaay
Jennifer Jones
Jessica Hounshell
Katy Wild
Shawn Reed, asst. team leader
Will Best, team leader
Kenya:
Audrey Hoyt
Candice Williams
Danielle Jones
Joanna Hockersmith
Kyle Hixson
Mariah Smith
Shannon Kirby
Seth Svaty, team leader
Nicaragua:
Adam Beutler
Ashley Perrett
Caley Chestnut
Jordan Miller
Katie Sparks
Krisha Harshfield
Scott McCaulley
Stacey Rosenberger
Stuart Parman
Nate Prior
Zack Yarborough
Ben Swihart, asst. team leader
Melissa Yarrow, team leader
Asia 1:
Adam Ray
Andrew Wolfenberger
April Burns
Jacob Kessler
Megan Thomas
Natalie Gordon
Sean Atchinson
Naomi Dugger
Jodi Fish, team leader
Brian Fish, team leader
Asia 2:
Ashley Dowgwillo
Danielle Brocato
Jordan Ziegler
Marcus Mull
Sarah Gardner
Domingo Alonso
Melissa Adair, team leader
Jerrod Adair, team leader