Nashua Christian mission trip aids local Rohingyan refugees

Instead of crossing America’s borders to find a group of people to help, Nashua Christian Academy’s annual mission trip this year took place right in the heart of the Gate City. A group of students from 10th to 12th grades, along with several teachers, worked closely with Lutheran Social Services to help Rohingyan  refugees in the area. The NCA students who attended the mission trip really bonded with the group of Rohingyan people from Burma – despite any religious and linguistic barriers. Activities included workshops to help the refugees settle into their new lifestyle in America – banking, fire safety, biking safety, baking, etc. – as well as some fun for everyone, such as bowling and ice skating. Most of the refugees had never participated in activities such as this, and it was great to share the activities with them. NCA students also had a wonderful time working individually with the Rohingyan children, learning more about their culture while also sharing more about ours. On the first day of the mission trip, a Rohingyan girl named Citi taught me how to say the word “flower” in Hindi while we drew pictures together and shared details about our lives. This opportunity proved to be a refreshing experience, and it gave the students and faculty a chance to enforce the beliefs that, while international mission trips give people a chance to understand different cultures and help those who are less fortunate, there are also several of those chances right here in our city. “The mission field is wherever we find people in need,” said Chris Burger, a social studies teacher, “whether that is at home helping displaced refugees right here in Nashua or halfway across the world working with gypsy villages in Ukraine. We as Christians have been called to help those in need.” The mission-dedicated week ran from Feb.