Spring Break Mission Trips Focus on Students Gaining Experience in their Fields of Study

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Media contact: Lori Fogleman, (254) 710-6275
WACO, Texas (April 7, 2016) – This spring break, Baylor Missions sent 10 teams of 138 Baylor students, faculty, staff and alumni to four countries, including Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Haiti, along with domestic trips in Texas and Alaska. Each team had a discipline-specific focus to their projects, actively integrating their faith with service and learning.
“Baylor Missions trips allow students to gain real-world, international experiences in their field of study,” said Holly Widick, assistant director for missions at Baylor. “We want our participants to be able to do more than just identify social inequalities that they may observe in the world, but to be able to discuss faith-informed solutions to those inequalities.”
Katie Frost, a sophomore journalism major from San Antonio, traveled with Baylor Missions to Colombia.
“We worked with a local church and went to different cities and schools to share the Gospel and talk about how to get involved with the local church,” Frost said. “It was an incredible experience, and I learned from the hospitality of every person we met. The people were a true testimony of Christ’s selflessness and did everything to make us feel welcomed and at home.”
Baylor Missions spring break included the following locations and focuses:
Colombia, Community Development ¬— Eight students and one Baylor staff member partnered with Orphan’s Heart International to serve in the small village of Villeta, near Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. They engaged with children through Vacation Bible School, sports, crafts and music. Most of the children came from schools connected to the local church that partners with Orphan’s Heart.
Dominican Republic, Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) — AED, the premed honor society, sent 11 students and their faculty sponsor to serve in the Azua community. The group spent the week working in teams to provide health education to the community and continued the long-term construction work set in place by Orphan’s Heart. Students also gave lessons on nutrition, vaccinations, hygiene and growth and development.
Dominican Republic, Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) — Eleven MAPS students partnered with Good Samaritan Mission Council in La Romana, Dominican Republic, to serve in medical clinics, observing and practicing routine check-ups. Students gained a greater understanding of service in the medical field and through serving the underprivileged and underserved within the community.
Guatemala, American Medical Student Association (AMSA) — AMSA sent 19 students, two team leaders and a small team of guest doctors and nurses to serve in the communities of La Cieneguia, Huehuetenango, and La Victoria, Quetzaltenango. The team partnered with a local organization called Global CHE and was able to serve locals in a mountainous region where many are often unable to receive necessary medical care. The team set up temporary clinics that provided free care.
Guatemala, Accounting — Thirteen students and three accounting faculty members took an inaugural trip to Antigua, expanding opportunities for Baylor business students to use their consulting skills around the world. The team participated in Spanish classes in the mornings and, in the afternoons, performed a variety of consulting services, including internal control audits, nonprofit consulting and business consulting for locals in need of assistance.
Guatemala, Nutrition — This team of seven students and two faculty partnered with Mission Guatemala in Panajachel to assist with food preparation, complete nutritional assessments, conduct nutrition games and activities with children and give puppet plays.
Haiti, Medical — A new team of 12 students and two faculty partnered with Promise for Haiti in Pignon. Each day the group divided into smaller teams to visit rural villages and collect photos, videos and biographical data for a Promise for Haiti sponsorship project, work at the hospital to organize medical supplies and serve their needs, and shadow local and United States doctors and surgeons in the hospital clinic and operating room.
Alaska, Nursing — The Louise Herrington School of Nursing sent 10 students and two leaders on their first trip to Alaska. The team taught and helped in a Title 1 school health fair, a homeless shelter, a women’s shelter and a refugee center. They also shadowed several nurses in a hospital located on a military base in Anchorage.
Eagle Pass (Texas) Urban Mission Team — For the fourth year, 16 students involved in Urban Missions at Baylor and two staff members went to Eagle Pass to engage in literacy work and building meaningful relationships with students there. The team partnered with Literacy ConneXus, Special Olympics, Mission Border Hope and local churches.
Hunger in Texas, Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) — In partnership with the THI, six students and two THI staff traveled across the state to learn about policies, organizations and programs affecting hungry individuals across Texas. They explored how to serve and advocate on behalf of those called “the least of these” in Matthew 25:40. They explored the scope, causes and impact of hunger in Texas and learned about different types of interventions used to fight hunger, such as food assistance, state nutrition programs and advocacy.
“These missions experiences fuel students to discover and implement ways that they can use their education and vocation to serve God and others by living missionally year-round,” Widick said.
For more information, contact Holly Widick.
by Bethany Harper, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
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