When political science major Alysia Barker-Vaughn landed in Kingston, Jamaica, it was her first time visiting a majority black country. “Being in a culture that is so similar to my own, I felt so connected and so much part of the community,” said Barker-Vaughn. “It felt like my heart was hugged from within. It was overwhelming to see people who look like me be so welcoming and so loving.”
Barker-Vaughn, who led the Ignacio Companions trip to Kingston, traveled with nine peers during spring break to stay in a home for pregnant teenage mothers, children with disabilities and youth effect by HIV. As part of this intentional experience, students don’t have access to their phones, computers, or other typical college distractions. “This trip helped create a deeper intimacy with God,” she said. “I started waking up at 5 a.m. to read my Bible and pray. I also experienced God in the relationships and the conversations I had.”
Joshua Mayfield, the campus minister who oversees the Ignacio Companions Program, said, “When I started working at LMU one of my goals was to create a space that invited more Black students into Campus Ministry. Another one of my goals was to establish a strong partnership with a predominately Black country. When a Black student gets off a plane and for the first time of their life they see people such as flight attendants, pilots, store owners, custodians, TSA agents, travelers, etc. all around them who are of African descent, it is a feeling that is indescribable.”
For Barker-Vaughn, that was certainly the case. “I think God’s timing for me on this trip was intentional. Since I am a senior, I only have a couple months left at LMU until I go on to post-grad service. IC provided me an opportunity to understand LMU’s mission.”
About 35 students and 10 staff traveled on IC trips over spring break to Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico; Nogales, Arizona, and New Mexico; Kingston, Jamaica; and Quito, Ecuador. Over the summer, Mayfield with take another group of students to Nairobi, Kenya. For more information contact Joshua Mayfield at Joshua.Mayfield@lmu.edu.
