{"id":45323,"date":"2020-03-26T09:33:26","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T13:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=45323"},"modified":"2021-07-29T13:19:10","modified_gmt":"2021-07-29T17:19:10","slug":"with-help-from-many-guatemala-cross-cultural-group-arrives-home-amid-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2020\/with-help-from-many-guatemala-cross-cultural-group-arrives-home-amid-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"With help from many, Guatemala cross-cultural group arrives home amid pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Enduring two border closures and rapidly changing plans impacted by the expanding COVID-19 outbreak, EMU\u2019s Guatemala\/Colombia spring cross-cultural group arrived back in the United States Tuesday on a special U.S. government charter.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Departing from Guatemala City, the flight included other U.S. citizens who had been trapped by the sudden March 16 border closure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The group of 18 \u2014 14 students, two children, and leaders Professor Laura Yode<\/strong>r and Peyton Erb<\/strong> \u2014 had spent the previous week waiting at Seminario Anabautista Latinoamerica, known as Semilla. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophomore Julie Crouse<\/strong>, interviewed by The Weather Vane<\/em>, said all the seminary employees were sent home, which meant the temporary residents did chores and cooked for themselves. \u201cWe are lucky to be together and in such a beautiful place for the week,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on the Guatemala cross-cultural, follow this link to The Weather Vane<\/em>‘s coverage.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From their Miami destination, a few of the group caught connections straight home. The remainder arrived, weary but smiling, back to campus at around 8 p.m., greeted by a welcome party of sign-bearing friends, family and administrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director of Intercultural Programs Beth Good,<\/strong> President Susan Schultz Huxman<\/strong> and Provost Fred Kniss<\/strong> were among the welcome party, all playing an important role the past several days in mobilizing action to help get the group home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The welcome party awaits EMU’s Guatemala cross-cultural on Tuesday evening. (Photo by Susan Schultz Huxman)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Along with managing other logistics related to COVID-19 response on campus, the trio kept in touch with Yoder and updated parents daily about progress to circumvent the border closure and bring the group home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These efforts included emails and calls to Virginia representatives and senators and the State Department. Several EMU Board of Trustees members also leveraged contacts on behalf of students from other states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one email to parents, Huxman noted, \u201cThe day began with a flurry of activity with our contacts in the Virginia statehouse, alumni influence in other local and state governments, and urgent conversations with several private aviation companies that were prepared to charter them home! I learned a great deal about international aviation today!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good is thankful to have the group safely home and expressed appreciation for the leadership of Yoder and Erb as well as the resilience of the students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cContinue to pray for Canadian Mennonite University students who are still awaiting flights out of Guatemala,\u201d she said. \u201cWe hope they can come home soon, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Disruption not a rare occcurence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n