![Join WSPN’s Marissa Mendoza, Edge Wheeler, Ainsley Jay, Bowen Morrison and Sofia Ciciarelli as they cover seniors’ involvement in the election and the viewpoint from a WHS educator. “[The election is] a really toxic environment,” WHS history teacher Katherine Bassen said. “It would be disingenuous for me to say, ‘oh, everything's going great.’ Obviously it's not, right?”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_0282-1-1200x800.jpg)
![The Boy Scouts will be selling trees on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays noon to 6 p.m. until they sell out.
“This event is one of the things that [the Boy Scouts] get to have a direct impact on the community,” freshman Alex Macleod said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-11-at-8.38.38 AM.png)
WHS students involved in mission trip to Guatemala
Credit: Courtesy of Mackenzie Barber
The Trinitarian Congregational Church in Wayland went on a mission trip to Guatemala. Many WHS students went on this trip including sophomores Mackenzie Barber, Lilly Lin, Peter Wolf, Megan Armstrong and Ian Armstrong and senior Tim Spinale. “I realize more how much we have here,” sophomore Lilly Lin said. “Be grateful for what you have.”
April 5, 2016
After five hours on a plane and an hour in a car, a group of six WHS students arrived in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, a village surrounded by lakes and mountains with Volcan Toliman dominating the skyline. This group of WHS students traveled to Guatemala in order to build houses for families in need.
For eight days during February vacation, the Trinitarian Congregational Church (TCC) in Wayland took a trip to Guatemala. A total of 15 students lead by four leaders from the church traveled there to build houses, assemble stoves and water filters and paint a school for the people who live in San Lucas Toliman.
For sophomore Mackenzie Barber, the decision to go on the trip was an easy one.
“My brother and sister went on mission trips to Nicaragua when they were in high school. I saw a change in them when they came home and ever since, I saw that I’ve always wanted to go on a mission trip,” Barber said. “So when the opportunity arose, I was so excited to go.”
While building houses for the families, the students were able to meet some of the families who would be living in the houses and learn about their lives. According to sophomore Lilly Lin, meeting the families the houses were being built for was a moment that stands out to her.
“We were playing with [a little boy]. We asked which one would be his room, so he ran in smiling and was really proud of the room. He called us all over to this one corner of the room and said ‘this is where I am going to put my bed,’” Lin said. “It was a really cool moment because it gave us a strong reason to do what we were doing. We weren’t just building a house, we were building this child a home to grow up in and a place to go after school and somewhere to be with his family and friends. It made the work more meaningful and it gave us more incentive to work hard.”
The students saw the contrast between how the people they met in Guatemala live and how people in Wayland live.
“We got to go to a school and when they walk in, every kid kisses and hugs their teacher. Not that we should kiss and hug our teachers, but I think that’s an example of how kind and welcoming everyone is. It’s just a reminder to always be kind and welcoming,” Barber said.
“I realize more how much we have here,” Lin said. “Be grateful for what you have.”
