Arrival of 2022 SSTTers

We’re back! After a two-year-long hiatus, Goshen College’s Study Service Theology Term has returned, along with the arrival of twenty new students.

Nicholas and Dexter were the first to arrive this morning after a long train ride into Elkhart County. Despite their travels, we walked to Goshen Noodles for lunch. Less than ten minutes from campus, the walk was brisk and filled with conversation, along with the occasional serenade by Campus Pastor Cathy Stoner. Soon after, the remaining students slowly trickled onto campus one after the other. By 5:00 this evening all of the SSTT scholars had safely arrived on campus.

 

Tonight’s activities primarily focused on getting to know one another in anticipation of the trip ahead. Working on memorizing names, home areas, and other life details allowed for quick relations between students and a general understanding of each person’s background.

After dinner, we were fortunate to be joined by Semilla’s Jose Miguel Lopez, Vice-rector, and Samuel Martinez, President of the SEMILLA governing board who happened to be visiting the Anabaptist-Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart. With program assistant Greta Lapp Klassen aiding in translation, the students were encouraged to find vocation and meaning in their time at CASAS. The hospitality offered by SEMILLA radiated from the two as they departed by shaking the hands of each scholar present.

 

Although the majority of today was grounded in making everyone feel welcome and at home, it was also centered around making meaningful connections early on. With a full schedule of orientation activities being introduced over the next two days, this group will soon embark on a memorable journey!