"Greg Sunstrom answers mission work appeal" from the January 18, 1973 Door County Advocate
By HENRY SHEA
Greg Sunstrom packs for a tour of duty in mission work in Central America. —Henry Shea
Greg Sunstrom answers mission work appeal
By HENRY SHEA
It took an earthquake, and a dire one, in Nicaragua to reshape Greg Sunstrom's plans for the next several months. The 19 year old Sister Bay youth, a '72 Gibraltar graduate, left Monday for an altered destination of Ahwas, Honduras, where he will report to Dr. Marx of the Moravian mission station there.
Greg's original plans called for arrival in Nicaragua, another major mission area, but the needs for all possible supplies to help rebuild the quake torn city of Managua, and the shortage of food dictated a minimum of outsiders be permitted there.
Greg would be the last to at-tribute any special feelings of missionary fervor to himself. But the fact remains that he has paid half of the travel expense to Honduras himself. He prefers to say that he is going because of the sense of adventure involved and for what he feels will be worthwhile experience.
His occupation, on arrival, will be as a carpenter and foreman of carpenters. Extensive work experience with his uncle Al Hedeen and a special course in construction techniques at Gibraltar fit him for the assignment.
The decision to participate resulted from an appeal from Moravian mission authorities last fall for help in restoring churches damaged by previous earthquakes, and completing others which require seating facilities. While in Central America he will receive only his room and, board.
Greg will probably not be too much upset by changes in carpenter methods or materials common to tropical areas. After all this is, he feels, part of his continuing education. He does wish he had acquired some of the Spanish language. Much of his time lately, in fact, has been, spent poring over Berlitz phrase books to acquire a smattering of the basic speech of his home for the next several months.
Clothing and weather patterns will undergo a big change for him too. He plans to take only one long-sleeved shirt. The balance of his clothing -needs will be light and comfortable.
For a 19 year old, never out of Door county for any substantial time, a two or three month absence can have its lonesome moments. Hopefully he will be able to contact his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Willard Sunstrom, via a radio relay point in Ohio and on through to the facilities of a ham operator, Bob Anderson of Baileys Harbor.
Greg sees the next few months as opening up possibilities for him that he would not have recognized a year ago. The next stop, he hopes, will be an op-portunity to work with a major construction firm in a metropolitan area where he can also attend night school. Whether he will eventually plan on college, with his eye on an engineering or architectural degree, he does not yet know. For the moment the prospect of a new scene and new faces is sufficient.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
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