Lisle resident to speaks about mission trips to Honduras, New Orleans

Carol Fuys is passionate about mission work.

And she will talk about that passion to inspire others to follow her lead at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23 at Word of Life Lutheran Church, 879 Tudor Drive, Naperville.

Her talk will focus on her 10 mission trips since 1994 and the two she has planned for this year to New Orleans and Ghana. The community is welcome to attend.

"We've been invited to hold a seminar (in Ghana) to teach women basic Lutheran doctrine so that they can go back to their churches and lead Bible study. They will learn how to mentor in their churches," said Fuys, a Lisle resident and member of Peace Lutheran Church in Lombard. "We will be teaching women how to become leaders and form ministries in their Lutheran churches."

Fuys, who often speaks to members of the Northern Illinois District Lutheran Women's Missionary League at Lutheran churches, will talk about her November trip to Honduras and the short-term mission trip she will lead in May to New Orleans to help with construction.

This team includes men and women going to New Orleans to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As the leader of this trip, Fuys is involved in the pre-planning and will oversee the people on this trip.

For the end of July into August, Fuys will participate in a women's-only short-term mission trip to Ghana in West Africa. The Northern Illinois District Lutheran Women's Missionary League planned this trip after receiving a request for help from women in Lutheran churches in Ghana.

Language has not been a barrier because Fuys said they either find or take interpreters with them.

She has focused on three areas during these short-term trips of one or two weeks: construction, medical, or mentoring women's and children's spiritual lives.

Her first trip was as an adult on a youth mission trip to a Cherokee reservation in North Carolina where the workers spent their time on construction projects.

"As a participant that first year, I knew very little about mission trips, but I knew that I wanted to go back. I knew that I wanted to tell others and get them involved and spread the word to other women and churches," she said.

Two years later, Fuys was off to Honduras on a trip to repair damage after Hurricane Mitch. Since 1994, her trips have been to Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and New Orleans. Eight of those trips took place from 2004 to 2007, and some trips were taken with members of her home church in Lombard.

Other mission trips were through the Northern Illinois District Lutheran Women's Missionary League, Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle and World Gospel Outreach.

Fuys has taught women in Nicaragua Bible study skills and given them guidance about how to use Bible study materials to help spread their faith. She's also done vacation Bible school type activities with children, singing songs and making crafts, tying in a story that matches the lesson their mothers worked on so that the mothers and children could have something in common to share at the end of their day.

"Our focus was to encourage women in their personal walk with the Lord; and where there are women, there are children," Fuys said.

During her two trips to Honduras, she focused on an evangelism ministry for women and children, and then with her church and World Gospel Outreach to build homes for families and children living in the streets.

The homes would give them a sense of family life and offer schooling space.

During her medical mission trips to Jamaica and Honduras, she would hold patients' hands during dental work and also package vitamins and aspirin to be handed out to those in need from the pharmacy.

After Katrina hit New Orleans, Fuys made a mission trip to the ravaged city in 2005 to help with construction rehab; she plans to return later this year.

Whether she is leading a mission trip or going along as a participant, Fuys has found her passion and wants to help others experience the rewards she gets every time she makes trip.

"There's a lot of skepticism about short-term mission trips, but if people just gave it a chance and make a trip in an area that they are passionate about, they would reap rewards and benefits that would change their life and perspective," Fuys said.

No reservations are necessary for her talk Jan. 23. For details or directions, call (630) 355-9655.

If you go

What:Carol Fuys of Lisle will discuss the personal rewards of her 10 mission trips since 1994 and the two she has planned for this year to New Orleans and Ghana.

When:6:30 p.m. Jan. 23 Where:Word of Life Lutheran Church, 879 Tudor Drive, Naperville

Call:(630) 355-9655