A group of students is preparing to head overseas this January.

By Sydni Wolpert, Staff Writer/Artist

January is an anticipated season for many HU students. J-Term provides numerous opportunities for hands-on, unique, and unconventional classes that normally aren’t offered throughout the regular school semesters. With a handful of exciting trips offered over the month of January, some professors and students choose to spend their J-Term abroad! 

This year, a small team of HU students will be living in Chennai, India over J-Term. Led by Dr. Alexander and his wife, Genevive, they will be volunteering with several charity organizations, attending lectures at a nearby university, exploring local culture and villages, and sightseeing! The trip is both missional and educational; it is a unique opportunity for servanthood, fellowship and cultural immersion. The Alexanders have lead this trip many times in the past, and are very excited to return to India with HU students again!

One of the organizations that the team will be volunteering at is the Madras Christian Council of Social Services (MCCSS), which is an orphanage that provides aid to sex trafficking victims, young single mothers, and the elderly. HU students also will be spending time at the Home of Love in Chennai, which is an all-girls shelter for orphaned and abandoned children and teens. Right now they are organizing a Vacation Bible School program to put on at the Home of Love and also a local school in Chennai.

Students on the HU India team are raising money up until their departure date in December. The team already had a successful (and delicious) walking taco fundraiser in September. As the semester progresses, keep an eye out for more fundraisers and opportunities to support and learn about the trip.  Students are hoping that you will keep them in your prayers as they prepare to travel across the world. For inquiries about how to support, sponsor, or donate, contact Genevieve Alexander at alexanderg@huntington.edu.