A Message from Wes Astin, Dean of the Chapel and Religious Life:

During the week of March 3-10, 2007 11 Ferrum Colleges students and
staff participated in an alternative Spring Break Trip to Guatemala.
While there our job was to build ovens for the women in the Highlands
area. We were working through the Highland Support Project. Our team
completed five (5) ovens. On Wednesday, March 7, we had the opportunity
to visit a village that had been destroyed by Hurricane Dennis in 2005.
Virginia United Methodist responded to that tragedy by sending teams to
assist in the rebuilding of homes for the people. On March 6 the
community gathered to dedicate the 6 completed homes in the village.
Upon arrival and them discovering that I was a United Methodist Minister
from Virginia they asked me to participate in the dedication ceremony as
a representative of the Virginia Conference who so graciously assisted
them in this rebuilding. I was honored and humbled to represent United
Methodist across Virginia and Ferrum College on this occasion.

Also, on March 8, the women from Ferrum were invited to participate in a
March for Women's Rights. The march took place in the city of Xela
where hundreds of women representing the various villages of Guatemala
joined together. This was a very high moment for the women of Ferrum
College - Laura Boone, Rachael Brown, and Melissa Keatts.