Pacific Union College

(Far left) One thing that made this trip to Peru special for PUC Student Adrienne Weiss (second from left) was that she shared the experience with her family. (Left) Adrienne's role as spiritual director for the Maranatha International Family Project meant a lot of planning as well as plenty of hands-on work.

Serving Where the Mountains Crumble PUC student Adrienne Weiss served with Maranatha in Peru.

Many college students take advantage of their holiday break as a chance to relax while they’re away from their studies. But then there is Adrienne Weiss.

Weiss is a chemistry major and Maxwell scholar at Pacific Union College with plans to get her Ph.D and become a professor. And her holiday break was a little different than most. She travelled to Peru to serve as the spiritual director on a Maranatha International family project.

The daughter of Kenneth Weiss, Maranatha’s executive vice president, this was Weiss’ 10th trip with the organization but her first in this challenging leadership role. “I love the family projects most because of the mixing of generations,” said Weiss. “I love being

By Ashley Eisele

able to help a 6-year-old paint a playground and then have a deep discussion of fulfillment through a career with that child’s grandfather later that afternoon. In planning the spiritual aspect of the project, I attempted to make use of this rich mixture of experiences. During the project itself, I did a few of the worship talks, yet I was always on the lookout for volunteers who would be willing and would have interesting ideas to share with the group.”

She found that a lot of the work she did in Peru actually strengthened what she was studying back home at PUC.

“I think the experience highlighted for me the joy of facilitating learning and experiences for others,” she said. “As I wish to become a professor, this was particularly impactful and further solidified the idea that I really do love enabling people in their learning.”

While most of us spent Christmas Day in comfort with our families, Weiss and the rest of the Maranatha project team spent the day delivering gifts to the children and families of church members living as squatters in the local mountains. These mountains are just crumbling rocks where nothing grows, surrounded by dust and smog, and the families who call them home are some of the most impoverished in the country.

“On the general topic of serving overseas, I can talk for hours about how important it is for developing a healthy worldview. Not just the idea of being grateful for what we have, but also understanding that what we

see in our culture is merely familiar, not necessarily correct,” Weiss said. “My experiences overseas influence my daily interactions and remind me to be respectful and appreciative of all types of people. Taking the time to step outside our comfort zones and make the effort to learn about a different culture is the best practice for making other people comfortable and welcomed when we are back in our comfort zone.” Weiss previously spent a year studying in Argentina as part of the Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA) program, so she has advice for other college students who want to serve or study overseas.

“For a short-term mission trip such as my Christmas project, cost is the biggest concern. Having seen hundreds of kids figure out a way to go on these projects, I will say that it (Right) This trip to Peru was Adrienne's 10th Maranatha mission project. (Right center) One aspect of this trip that she enjoyed was the mixing of generations, making it possible to connect kids with mission work alongside adult volunteers.

is always possible—not always easy, but always possible,” Weiss said. “Making a longer time commitment is a little harder. I feared that taking a year off would put me behind and make it difficult to reenter my program, but it turned out that I came back a smarter studier and more enthusiastic and able to really embrace my area of study.”

Pacific Union College offers opportunities to both serve abroad and study abroad. Visit puc.edu to learn more.

(Above) Adrienne got her passion for service and travel from her parents, who she enjoys serving alongside. (Left) She encourages other young people to study and serve abroad as a way to connect with other cultures.