The Friday Flyer | Father and son make a difference for kids in Samoa

Jeremiah Boshard and his son Dylan are pictured in Samoa, where they traveled with a HEFY youth group to build a much needed school. Photo provided by Jailani Boshard

Father and son make a difference for kids in Samoa

BY Pat Van Dyke

Jeremiah and Dylan help to build a school in Somoa. Photo provided by Jailani Boshard

If Canyon Laker and Temescal Canyon senior, Dylan Boshard, is asked this school year to write the traditional essay “What did you do during your summer vacation?”, the most difficult part of the assignment will be deciding what not to write. Dylan’s summer was filled with awesome responsibilities and exciting contributions while serving others.

As an Eagle Scout, Dylan realized the importance of serving others early in the summer when he volunteered for a week each in Julian and Santa Cruz Island.

At each location, Dylan attended Scout camps to help mentor younger scouts as they were discovering the proper steps to achieve their Eagle Scout Award.

Through his experiences at Scout Camp, he learned that people are very industrious and effective when led properly.

This knowledge served Dylan well as he worked two additional weeks with 22 other like-minded volunteers in Apia, Samoa.

Through his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dylan learned of the Humanitarian Experience for Youth (HEFY), a thriving service organization for teens ages 16 to 19. The first HEFY expedition in 1999 consisted of two individuals, working together to provide better facilities for street children.

By 2018, HEFY summer service expeditions grew to include over 2,700 participants who chose between a variety of international locations. Each expedition is comprised of energetic youth who build homes, schools, orphanages and other much-needed facilities in impoverished communities.

As a member of HEFY, Dylan was assigned to Vaimea Primary School, a school in the outskirts of Apia.

Because of his mother’s Polynesian heritage and his father’s background in construction, the assignment was perfect for Dylan. The past few years, he had spent a great amount of his time working beside his father in various construction projects which served him well as a HEFY builder.

At the same time, he had learned a great deal of information about his Polynesian heritage from his mother.

A bonus to the trip was the fact that Dylan’s father, Jeremiah Boshard, had volunteered as a Parent Builder and occupied Dylan on the mission trip. As a Parent Builder, Jeremiah was given the opportunity to mentor, coach and guide the youth through the various stages of the building process.

Although Dylan stated, “I’d like to swim to Samoa,” Dylan and Jeremiah’s travels began by boarding a plane at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), landing in New Zealand, boarding another plane and arriving in Apia, Samoa: a 6,000-mile, 15-hour trip.

When they arrived in Samoa, they met 20 other members of their team and began to bond immediately with all having the same goal: Giving their time and service for the people of Samoa while growing spiritually themselves.

The first two days of their two weeks in Samoa, the team took time to learn about Polynesian culture and atmosphere by snorkeling, experiencing sea life, enjoying the calm beaches and crystal water and exploring the island.

On day three, the work began. The team was assigned the tasks of building block walls, putting up trusses and painting and building an area for a water tower so that the school could have running water. The team of 22 was making a difference in the life of each student at the school.

Dylan quickly took a leadership role by incorporating many of the skills that he had learned as an Eagle Scout. When asked what his duties entailed, he responded “I am experienced in construction, so I helped teach the kids how to hammer the nails on the roof, how to mix the concrete and paint the walls. I just did what needed to be done and anyone who didn’t know how or what to do, I helped them.”

When the team was not working, they were experiencing the culture first-hand. Dylan and Jeremiah were very familiar with the Polynesian cuisine and were rewarded for their knowledge. Dylan shares his fondest memory of the trip, “I helped prepare the Ummu (which is cooking of the pig) and I was the only one to do it honorary island-style, so they called me ‘The Island Guy.’”

Jeremiah’s fondest memory is one which only a father could appreciate. “When the song ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ by Creedence Clearwater came on and my son Dylan was working so hard, it started to rain. He immediately broke into dancing. It was an unforgettable moment in my life.”

Dylan discovered that life isn’t easy in Samoa. He noted, “There were many days when the skies were grey and it poured rain. Moments later, it was very hot and humid. My socks were muddy, my mosquito bites itched and I got bit by a centipede, but I enjoyed the hardship parts. Thinking back, the hardest part was that were no warm showers.”

The team discovered that working in Samoa is hard work and learned that hard work pays off.

With a parent leader who was a contractor, they were able to save time on their assigned projects, which allowed them to do other service projects for another nearby school.

As a father, Jeremiah learned even more about his son. He learned that Dylan has great work ethics and always thinks of others before himself.

While on this mission, Dylan made sure that everyone had a seat on the bus, enough food to eat and that the kitchen was always clean. He was the one that everyone counted on if they needed help.

When asked about his father’s participation on the mission, Dylan proudly shares, “He was the hardest worker I have ever seen and he was the happiest and most outgoing that I have ever seen him.”

Jeremiah glows with pride when he speaks of his son’s contribution to the mission trip. “I gained so much respect for my son Dylan and I am so proud of the person he has become,” he said.

“Never have I seen such a generous, thoughtful, hardworking and selfless young man in my days. I am very blessed to have him as my son.”

These two Canyon Lake men made a positive difference in Apia, Samoa.