NDP International Baccalaureate Student Does Missionary Work In Ghana

Notre Dame Prep senior and International Baccalaureate student Stephanie Stoneback is with young students in Ghana.

During the summer, NDP senior and International Baccalaureate student Stephanie Stoneback spent  a few weeks in Ghana in West Africa as part of a youth missionary group. She and her fellow missionaries brought much-needed water, education, the Gospel and, most importantly, hope to many young people in this impoverished country of 27 million. Stoneback writes about her experience:

 

By Stephanie Stoneback ('15)

 

"This summer I took the trip of a lifetime to serve the people of Ghana, Africa. With 40 other missionaries from across the nation, I traveled to Kumasi, Ghana, Africa. For several weeks, we visited schools, orphanages, villages and churches all throughout the area. 

 

"We dedicated, prayed over, and opened 40 bore holes and hand-pump wells across Kumasi to help bring water to the people living there. Additionally, we designed a curriculum for the schools that would teach students not to give up on their dreams. 

 

Stoneback prays with a young boy during her mission to the West African country of Ghana.

"Finally, we were able to engage in ministry, spreading the Gospel of the Lord to people who had never heard of it before. We had the opportunity to pray for people of all ages who had needs ranging from improvement in education to a disease of the eyes.

 

"This trip truly opened my eyes to a more cultural and worldwide perspective, one that I have been learning about throughout my time in the IB program here at Notre Dame Prep. I was able to immerse myself into a completely unknown lifestyle where clean water and a soccer ball from a dollar store for a Ghanaian is more valuable than millions of dollars to an American. 

 

"I had the ability to connect with so many young people and witness the tears that poured down their faces as they watched the first droplets of water emerge from a brand new borehole. I was able to talk to the committed teachers of the Ghanaian schools about their curriculum and it inspired me even more to pursue my personal dream of going into education. 

 

"Praying for children, bonding with them by dancing and playing soccer, giving them advice, learning their language, and seeing the light in their eyes as they smiled are moments I will never forget. I strongly recommend taking a mission trip or a study abroad to anyone who is interested!"

 

Follow Notre Dame at @NDPMA.

 

About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy

Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.