HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Earlier this year, seven students and two faculty and staff from Huntington University traveled to Guatemala with a goal of providing nutrition and agricultural education to indigenous people in the Western Highlands region.

Dr. Jessica Graves has been taking teams of students to the Central American country since 2017, when she launched a Guatemala study abroad program at Mississippi State University. Now adjunct professor for Huntington’s MBA-International Agriculture program and the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies, she hosts a team on behalf of the M4 Institute. M4 Institute is a not-for-profit ministry.

“Since we’ve been working in this area with families for a few years, our teams are greeted with immense gratitude and warmth,” Graves said. “The local leadership (mayors) are supportive of the capacity-building efforts, and often note how we are ‘different’ from other organizations who come.”

During their May trip to the country, team members taught sheep and goat management techniques, including hoof care and grazing patterns; installed 13 water filters in three different schools; and helped with greenhouse food production and food dehydration. The trip lasted eight days.

“We believe in taking a holistic approach in meeting not only the physical needs of individuals but also their spiritual needs,” she said. 

Huntington University, a Christian college of liberal arts, has undergraduate and graduate degree programs in more than 70 areas of study. More than 1,700 students were enrolled in fall 2024.

There is value in relationship building, Graves noted. Extending love and compassion, building trust, and nurturing relationships are all critical to those in the local communities and to the team members, she said. Graves added she believes the individuals they work with in Guatemala – from children to elderly widows – are able to see that team members value them and care about their well-being.

“Guatemala was selected as the location for the inaugural Huntington University (trip) due to the ongoing activities of M4 Institute,” she explained. “Additionally, my doctoral work, which focused on the development, implementation and evaluation of using rabbits as a household source of nutrition and income as a means to combat food insecurity and poverty, aligned nicely with the proposed activities for this team.”

Hunger and malnutrition in Guatemala are well-noted among government and non-governmental organizations alike, Graves pointed out. She said some sources indicate child stunting rates in areas of Guatemala are upward of 70 percent, most often among indigenous populations.

“I often say that one of the best parts of what I get to do in teaching students and leading them on international trips is to see them have ‘ah-ha’ moments,” she said. “It is incredibly rewarding to see them light up with excitement, passion and motivation to have a positive impact on the world using the knowledge, skills and gifts they’ve been equipped with.”

Mary Beth Hostetler, a Huntington agricultural education major, wanted to go on the trip because she “loved the thought of an opportunity to serve people through the lens of Christ in an agriculture setting. I also had been thinking about pursuing a career in ag missions, and I wanted to see what that would look like in action.

“I have previously been on two short-term mission trips to the Dominican Republic through my home church with more of a medical focus.”

Hostetler said as expected, several unexpected things came up during the trip. For example, the team traveled to a dairy farm with the goal of teaching the farmer how to make and store silage for his cows. The farmer forgot they were coming, so they visited another dairy farmer in a nearby town. The team was able to talk with him, learn from him, and make connections, she said.

“Another unexpected thing that happened during this trip was my reaction when getting back to the ‘real world,’” Hostetler recalled. “We spent most of our time in Momostenango, which is a very rural community. On our last day in Guatemala, we visited Antigua. Antigua is a historical-touristy site. I unexpectedly had a hard time adjusting to the different lifestyle. I had only spent a week in Momos, but it had such an impact on me when I saw how those people lived. Then I had to go to Antigua where tourists were oblivious to the poverty that (was) three hours away. That was very difficult.

“I would go again in a heartbeat. A bit of my heart is still in the mountains and people of Guatemala.”

Graves said the school’s next ag mission is scheduled for March 2025.