Harms finds peace in travel, helping others

September 14, 2017

By David Nordby The Brillion News

BRILLION – A lot of people are trying to find their purpose in life. Clarence Harms appears to be pretty comfortable with his. “I just like to help others,” Harms said. “God put me on this world for a reason and he gave me a little talent, good experiences and good health.”

After previous mission trips to Latvia in 2013 and Guatemala last year, Harms spent six months of this year in Chile working with a missionary on construction projects. He brings his talents wherever it’s needed. He also enjoys the travel.

“One of the reasons I volunteer to go as long as I do is I enjoy trying to learn the culture and seeing what the culture differences are,” Harms said. “And they are different.”

Harms says he feels no travel anxiety over the cultural differences or otherwise. He traveled to Japan when he worked at Ariens and used to travel with his wife. He also has family around the country, including his son in Arizona.

When he’s on mission work, he uses modern electronics to connect with family and friends back in the States and enjoys meeting new people in the country he’s visiting. For Harms, traveling adds to the experience. “It’s exciting. I expect new things,” Harms said.

And he always keeps in mind a key piece of advice for mission work.

“One of the things they always tell you in volunteering is you have to be flexible and prepared for change, and that certainly happens.” A change in the middle of his trip included when he moved from a cold, damp apartment on a high school grounds during Chile’s winter to living with the missionary worker and his wife.

“You get into those kind of situations,” Harms said. “It’s just what you do.”

He laid brick and mixed mortar, did some building work on churches and high schools and did shop work. At the churches, he helped build a walkway at one and an alter at another. He also helped work on an addition to a church with a team from Alabama. Some of the projects take years with different groups coming in and helping throughout the developments. Harms says he’s happy to be a part of the process.

“When it comes to working as a team, that’s what I really enjoy,” Harms said.

Please see the complete feature in the September 14, 2017 edition of The Brillion News.