The case for BLUE Missions

BLUE Missions has invited Carrollton students to serve once again.

BLUE Missions, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing clean water and sanitation. It has invited Carrollton students to join their annual service trip to the Dominican Republic as an option for Mini Session this year. As students make their decisions to sign up for opportunities, they should remember that BLUE is more than pipes and labor, it’s about dignity, and the belief that youth can change the world. 

Last year, around 30 Carrollton students made the decision to leave comfort behind and live in the campo for a week, working side by side with families from the community to build lasting sanitation projects. For four days, they dug, carried, and built, but more importantly, they connected. 

“Overall it was really good because we did a lot of work, and it was super productive,” said Ana Wolfington ’27. “While we did work, we connected with the families and asked them about their situations and how it has affected their lives. It felt so good to give, especially when we saw that little things like toilets can make people so happy.” 

And students made lasting memories with each other. “My favorite part was something simple—riding in the trucks around the pueblo and stopping for Diet Coke,” said Ana Pantin ‘27. 

Some students documented their time there, like Brigitte De Cardenas ‘27. “I even kept a journal, jotting down thoughts each night about what it felt like to live in a small community so different from Miami.” In her journal, De Cardenas wrote, “On day one, we were skeptical about the conditions. We were scared… that afternoon we had Women and Children’s Day at the local church. A woman talked about issues that she and the other wives of the campo faced within their families. They talked about abuse…I spoke to another woman. She said that she moved into her cousin’s house because it’s closer to a water source than her previous house, a thing I would not even consider a reason for moving.” Finally, De Cardenas wrote, “The lessons I learned from this trip are lessons I hope I will remember forever. I am so grateful to BLUE for bringing me closer to God.” 

Through projects like these, BLUE continues to fulfill its mission by connecting communities to clean water and inspiring youth to serve. Now that BLUE has kindly invited Carrollton on another trip, it’s time for students to step outside their comfort zones, learn through service, and make an impact.