“My favorite part of my Winterim experience was learning everything about French culture, history, and their food. I got to try so many amazing foods and develop my French speaking skills. My friends and I had so much fun together and I really enjoyed learning something new I wouldn’t get from regular classes.”

“In Culinary Creations, I learned all sorts of tips and tricks to cooking that will be a helpful life skill. I brought home many yummy treats like an entire pie, a dutch letter, and sugar cookies, which was awesome and a highlight of my week. Cooking and baking are two things I am not very experienced in, so Dr. Vander Voort is a very talented teacher to make my food go from borderline edible to delicious. She did a great job at letting me explore things for myself while also providing guidance and patient answers to my many questions. Overall, these classes were really fun and I loved learning about healthy relationships and how to cook things.”

“This Winterim, I went to the Dominican Republic. I chose this opportunity because I love traveling, and it was the perfect opportunity to use my Spanish! My favorite part of the week (besides spending every day in the 80-degree weather and eating delicious food) was spending a day at the beach! We enjoyed meals right on the water, fresh coconuts on the beach, shopping along the streets, and spending time in the sun! It was a perfect day. Something I learned while on the trip to the Dominican is that they are a very loud culture! There was constant horn honking and music blasting everywhere we went! It was so cool to learn about their culture and history, and experience their traditions and daily life. Besides providing amazing cultural experiences, this trip allowed for personal and spiritual growth. Not only did it make me more of a “world-traveler,” but I was able to grow my love for God’s creativity. It’s so cool to experience God’s creation in a new country. I noticed how His beauty and glory were reflected in the Dominican landscapes and communities. His love extends throughout the whole world, and it’s a great opportunity whenever we get to travel to notice God’s abundant creativity. ”

“For Winterim, I went on the trip to New York City. One of my favorite parts was going to the 9/11 museum and getting a larger glimpse of the horrors of that day. This experience allowed me to see a culture very different from ours, how sin affects it, and how God is working to restore it. It made me more thankful for what I have but also challenged me to continue thinking about how I can be part of God’s restoration plan in New York City and beyond.”

“For my winterim week I had the opportunity to go to Abaco, Bahamas. Throughout our week there we got to paint a house, play with children at the school, and go on a cultural day. My favorite part of the week was getting to go to the school to teach and play with the kids!! When the group that I went with got there, the kids were in their assembly and it was so cool to see how they do that! I really loved getting to help the kids learn more and be a smiling face to them! We also got to play with them during their snack break and it was really fun to see them all running around and wanting piggy-back rides. Something that struck me was when we went back to the school to feed them breakfast and hangout with them before school started and we got to be the light before school started. There was a girl that kept coming back for more grits and tuna and it made me realize how hard some of their home lives are because I’m sure that might be the only meal she gets the whole day. It made me realize how incredibly blessed we are and how grateful I need to be. ”

“For my Winterim week, I did an internship with Tri County Vet here in Pella… I chose this internship because I had called other businesses in the area and a lot of them said no… so my dad said to try something new. And so I went to the vet. My favorite part of the week was probably working on cattle or watching surgery… A lot of my week was check-ups and vaccines… since I didn’t really know what I was doing, I couldn’t do much. But when we did cattle, I got to help hold the animals and help preg check heifers. A lot of stuff surprised me in my week and I learned so much. I can understand why it takes so much schooling to become a vet because what I watched just barely scratched the surface of all the vet job entails. This job definitely helped me grow personally… I also grew spiritually because I learned that the vet work can be somewhat hard and that peoples opinions can’t necessarily bother you. Winterim made me think hard about the rest of my life… I understand now that people with pets kind of have a soft spot for their pets.”

“This year, I chose to participate in a Career Exploration with the PC School Counselors and at Crossroads of Pella. With my intention to pursue a psychology major, I wanted to explore avenues that incorporate psychology and social work! One of my favorite parts of this experience was witnessing the interactions between the kids and counselors, learning more about a kid’s desire to be heard rather than instructed. In the end, I would say that I grew personally. From learning more about the underlying pain found within our community to hearing heartbreaking stories, I developed an authentic empathy for people and a greater appreciation for social workers and counselors!”

“I chose to participate in an internship at Pella Regional Hospital for Winterim. I have been interested in majoring in Nursing next year, and wanted to have hands-on experience at what that would be like. During my internship, I got to follow around Doctor Coleman, a Gynecologist, as well as several nurses in the OB/GYN department who graciously brought me through their everyday life. I was also able to watch a birth, which was extremely impactful as it showed me the beauty of how God created our bodies and the way that they function. This internship encouraged me to officially commit to majoring in Nursing, as well as made me realize how God calls nurses to serve. It has helped me see the beauty in how I can serve others and be a joyful light to those in their most difficult and most precious moments. I am extremely grateful I was able to participate in this internship and am looking forward to how God will use this experience further in my life.”