Building bridges and weathering storms

By Eduardo Bousson

When I first came to Nebraska Wesleyan six years ago to serve as university minister, I wanted to create opportunities for the NWU community to share their stories. I wanted to see people from different faiths and cultures work together across differences.

I’ve seen that mission come to life, but I can’t take all the credit. The students I work with every day are the real movers and shakers. Thanks in part to the generosity of the NWU community, we are able to give students the tools they need to make our community better. To be tomorrow’s peacemakers. Perhaps to change the world.

Last year, a group of students were given the opportunity to attend two conferences focusing on interfaith communication. They learned about other religions, talked with people from different faiths, and were inspired to find a way to bring these transformative experiences back to Nebraska Wesleyan.

Last spring break, shortly after Hurricane Maria, I led a group of these students and others on a University Ministries service trip to Puerto Rico. We underwent training in disaster relief, and by the time we left, we had reconstructed a camp that will host future mission groups.

Puerto Rico brought these students even closer together. They stood inside broken communities and yearned to help mend them. They experienced Puerto Rico first-hand—that rich culture and sense of resilience the hurricane could not destroy. And they felt the hospitality of the Puerto Rican people as we were welcomed with open arms. The students began to feel more connected to one another, emotionally and spiritually. The experience fueled their desire to give back and build a stronger, more resilient campus community.

Back at NWU, they formed an organization called Bridge, with the mission of introducing students, faculty and staff to different faiths and cultures. This November, they are hosting a community conversation about interfaith cooperation and a storytelling event—encouraging members of our community to share how they found their faith and what it means to them. And in December, they will study and celebrate the holy days of different religions.

Education is most powerful when students are challenged to expand their thinking through meaningful experiences. Perhaps there was a trip, a conference, a class or a service project that changed you. Or maybe what changed you was the opportunity to connect the dots between those experiences.

For me, it was a relationship—many years before NWU. When I was in college in Puerto Rico, I was part of our campus ministry. We were focused on evangelizing—spreading the word of God. It wasn’t about hearing other people’s stories; it was about trying to convince you that our story was pretty cool.

Then my pastor’s daughter started dating and later married a Muslim man. My friendship with him was a turning point for me. We would have lively theological conversations, but I realized we weren’t trying to convince each other of anything. We were just sharing our stories. His love of his culture, his sense of community and the beauty of his faith impressed me to no end. He taught me that God is not something to be understood but experienced. Our friendship made me a better Christian and led me to the life I lead today.

We grow when we learn about other people’s perspectives, when we challenge each other and when we turn common ground into a foundation for stronger communities. Our students are learning that lesson earlier than I did.

This is just one of the many reasons I give back to Nebraska Wesleyan University through the Archway Fund. The Archway Fund gives students the opportunity to explore new places and perspectives. It gives faculty resources to design lessons that speak to those experiences and connect the dots. And it gives our students the scholarships that allow them to be here in the first place.

I am proud to be part of a community that gives students the tools to build bridges and weather storms.