ATLANTA--Two seminarians from the Archdiocese of Atlanta and 38 other students from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans worked as missionaries Dec. 12-20 in the hurricane-devastated region of Granada, Nicaragua.

Andrew Schoenfield and Keith Ishmael of Atlanta participated in the Acompaño program, which requires first-year theology students to do hands-on mission work in a developing nation. Along with digging latrines and trenches, they worked with nearly 100 Nicaraguans to rebuild a church damaged by flooding from Hurricane Mitch, which hit Central America last year. They built a new community center on the church grounds that will serve as a shelter for the local people if other storms occur. They also cleaned and restocked the medical clinic and helped to build a chicken coop for the Missionaries of Charity.

“My biggest surprise was how much I enjoyed it,” said Ishmael of the mission work. “I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I’m walking away from here with greater confidence in my ability to do mission work.”

Ishmael, who taught Spanish in Cherokee County for five years, also served unofficially as seminary translator when, during several Masses celebrated with local people, he translated prayers and homilies into Spanish.

Schoenfield, who has done mission work before, described how he benefited from the experience. “I am always struck by the irony that I go on mission work presumably to serve and yet I receive far more than I could give.”

Bishop Gregory Aymond, auxiliary bishop of New Orleans and president-rector of Notre Dame Seminary, also participated in the trip. He said none of the work begun by seminarians is completed by them.

“We don’t finish the projects, we start them and the local people complete them.” He said the name Acompaño was chosen for the mission program because it means “to accompany, to walk with. That’s what we do.”

During the trip Bishop Aymond presented cash gifts to Cardinal Miguel Obando Bravo of Managua, Nicaragua and to Archbishop Oscar A. Rodriguez of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The contribution was part of $500,000 raised by the people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans for hurricane relief.