While the majority of this year’s graduates will be adjusting to college and cramming for exams next year, senior Bethany Fankhauser will be taking a gap year to travel to Liberia with her family with the organization SIM Liberia.

The Fankhausers have always had a passion for learning new cultures. Bethany’s mother, Beth, who was born in the Philippines, was a “missionary kid,” while her father, John, became interested in other cultures during college. Bethany and her siblings, Josh and Rebekah, often went overseas for missionary work while growing up. It was on one of these trips in her junior year that Bethany had the idea to go to Africa.

“I had gone on a two week trip to Thailand and on the way home I really felt like I wanted to go to Africa,” she said. “I’ve never been there but I had this huge heart for it.”

Upon sharing her idea with her family, they thought and prayed about it. Her dad went on a two-day backpacking trip to think about the decision. When he came home, he announced that the family should, indeed, go to Africa.

“We started looking at organizations, emailing a bunch of people, and we also looked at Christain organizations in Africa, “Doctor’s Without Borders,” and then got connected with SIM [Liberia] ,” Bethany said.

At first, the Fankhausers had several choices of countries: Nigeria, Sudan, Malawi, and Liberia. However, since being hired as a volunteer is difficult and the whole family wanted to go, they were soon limited to two choices: Malawi and Liberia. In January, the family decided to choose Liberia.

“We heard back from this doctor in Liberia and everything fell into place,” Bethany said. “We just connected to many of the doctors and people working there.”

While her father is working in Elwa’s hospital, he will also be working on creating a residency program. According to Bethany, many Liberians go to Nigeria to learn medicine, but instead of returning to their home country to work as doctors, they end up staying in Nigeria due to its slightly better living conditions. John Fankhauser will be working to prevent this so that Liberia’s living conditions and economy can improve.

Beth Fankhauser has homeschooled Bethany’s seventh-grade sister Rebekah and will continue to do so in Liberia. Rebekah is thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling and is looking forward to the trip.

“[Homeschooling] gives me opportunities to do things that people busy with school wouldn’t be able to do and also it allows me to continue the same schooling when we move,” Rebekah said. “[In Liberia, I’m ] most looking forward to working with the children and making new friends.”

Bethany will be focused on volunteering at the local hospital, orphanage, and school. She also may be possibly teaching the local children how to surf.

“I’m bringing some soft tops. The surf camp that I work with might be donating some. We’ll be sending them over on a boat,” she said.

Bethany, who has taken photos for The Foothill Dragon Press, hopes to explore photojournalism there. She wants to document the positive changes in Liberia and its society, which is getting back on its feet after its second civil war that lasted fourteen years and left its country devastated and citizens scattered. Bethany is planning to do stock photography of some of the residents there and use the profits to help with the cause. She also hopes to spread the message to people in Ventura.

Bethany is also looking forward to meeting the people and getting to know their culture. She said she plans to meet people through volunteering at the hospital.

“I’ll be able to meet the men [working in the hospital], and in their culture, when you tell them that you will come over, that’s an honor for them. So I’ll say, ‘Can I come over for lunch? I’d like to meet your wife,’ and that’s how you get outside of the Elwa campus,” Bethany said. “It’s safe because I’m going with a doctor that my dad is working with and then I’ll get to meet his wife and family and get to know the culture.”

Bethany admitted that she is a little nervous meeting new people this way and that it may “be awkward at first,” but, overall, is confident that it will go well.

“[The Liberians’] culture is very outgoing,” she said. “Plus, my mom and Rebekah [will be meeting new people with me.]”

Bethany’s parents are excited to watch Bethany and Rebekah grow as people and learn new things during their stay.

“It is our hope that as Bethany and Rebekah step out of their comfort zones, they live out their faith by serving others, [and] be filled with joy and a deep sense of the value of a life well lived, ” John said.

“Moving to Africa is a dream come true for Bethany. I am excited for her to develop cross-cultural relationships. I hope she will gain greater insight into what it is to be a global citizen, understanding her birth country better while gaining the wisdom from the new cultures around her,” Beth said.

Bethany will be staying in Liberia from six months to a year, depending on if she enjoys the experience. This will help her decide whether she would like to do missionary and volunteer work overseas during her life. So far, she has volunteered in Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Thailand. She said she cherishes these trips very much.

“From my experiences in third world countries, kids who have nothing understand the importance of life- friends, family, faith, and just enjoy everyday for what they have and [aren’t] materialistic,” Bethany said. “Given, gifts to them are very valuable, but they treasure the action of giving a gift instead more than the gift itself.”