By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Bill Campbell, chief of the Fort Fairfield Police Department and a resident of Presque Isle, has spent most of his life serving others as a law enforcement officer, addressing criminal complaints, aiding accident victims and attending to other police matters. But for nearly a decade he’s devoted a portion of his time to assisting impoverished families in other countries deal with hunger, inadequate housing and limited educational opportunities — giving him much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. This year marked the eighth time Campbell, a member of the Wesleyan Church in Presque Isle, has ventured to Central America and the first time he’s traveled to South America. The mission kept him away from home the better part of September but he said being able to help others in need was worth it.
“It was a dual trip. I started in Bogota, Colombia, on Sept. 11, then spent about 11 days in Guatemala City and other areas of Guatemala. I started doing these missions in 2007. In January (2013) I attended a conference in Guatemala, which was a chance to get everyone together in one room, putting faces to names, network and be able to collaborate on projects. The Guatemala and Colombia missions are through the Presque Isle Wesleyan Church,” said Campbell, who arrived home on Sept. 30.
Both trips were organized through churches in the communities he traveled to.
“Two churches, one in Guatemala City and one in Bogota, are working to start a feeding program for impoverished citizens. In Guatemala we had nine members in our group: six from Presque Isle, two from New Brunswick and one from the Mapleton Baptist Church,” he said.
While in Bogota, he learned the operations of the ministry there, with the help of the local pastor.
Part of his trip involved assisting with construction projects.
“The day started at 8 a.m. and we’d work through 9 or 10 p.m. We performed construction-type work and met families in small group meetings. We basically learned what the ministry in Bogota is doing for projects and how, as a missionary to that area, one can help,” Campbell said. “We worked on a retreat center in the northeastern portion of the country. It’s used as a campsite for children and weekend retreats. It’s important now to have a retreat in this part of the Pacific region. Before they had to bus children six hours away. Now they’ll have two camps and won’t have to bus children from region to region.”
Nutrition is another concern missionaries try to address.
“We worked on feeding programs for kids in two different villages, within Bogota City limits and La Esmerelda (LE) in Guatemala,” he said.
Campbell said it was sad to see how most people live and that many are considered refugees.
“People have been pushed out of other areas due to paramilitary activities and guerillas. They’re refugees from other areas and very poor. La Esmerelda’s men typically are involved with drugs and trafficking, and there is a lot of prostitution. There’s no other work for them, so they do what they have to to survive,” he said. “LE once was the most violent area in Bogota.”
He said many people rely on the churches and missionaries for spiritual guidance, as well as their daily needs.
“Church members go to teach kids English and other skills, teaching them education will lead to viable options for their future,” Campbell said. “Kids there eat one meal a day, an arepa or corn cake made of corn flour. It’s typically the only meal they get during the day.”
Campbell said the churches send people to try to help but otherwise it’s a struggle day-to-day for these people to survive.
“They don’t have the money to buy food when they’re hungry, wood to heat or build their homes,” he said.
Citizens in these impoverished areas are happy to have outsiders visit and provide help, according to Campbell.
“I found people of these neighborhoods very happy we were there. They welcomed me wherever I went. They seemed pleased someone other than Colombians were there to help them,” said Campbell.
These missions have become a bit of a “family affair” for Campbell, his wife and daughter.
“My wife and daughter have gone on two different trips. Most recently, my daughter went on a five-week trip with a girlfriend this summer,” he said.
Campbell said the communities he’s visited over the years are very poor and lack infrastructure.
“People rely on churches for food, medical care and to meet their financial needs. I’ve worked with doctors and nurses from Seattle who gave me a crash course in doing phlebotomies, as well as various other professionals from across the U.S. While I was in Guatemala, I worked with a small church group from Georgia,” said Campbell, noting there are typically groups coming and going throughout the year.
“There’s always opportunities to make new friends — both the citizens we’re helping and other missionaries/volunteers,” said Campbell.
Campbell said the biggest problem he’s had is the language barrier.
“I’ve been studying Spanish for a few years now. I can understand it pretty well. I can read, write and speak some,” he said.
Plans are already under way for his next mission.
“In 2014 I’ll be traveling again to Bogota, and it looks like I’ll be visiting the Amazon, Peru and Brazil as well. I’m starting to study Portugese for that trip,” said Campbell. “I’ll be going in August.”
To learn more about Campbell’s missions or for information about how to get involved, e-mail Campbell at fortpd500@hotmail.com or look for Centro Cristiano Bosa La Esmerelda on Facebook.
