Baylor Summer 1 and 2 Missions Teams Serving Others in Texas, Around the World
Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (June 18, 2019) – Throughout the summer, Baylor Missions is sending nine teams of 130 Baylor University students, faculty, staff and friends to locations in Brazil, Guatemala, India, Peru, Uganda, Zambia and McAllen, Texas. Each Baylor University Missions experience fosters informed global engagement that promotes the integration of faith with discipline-specific learning and hands-on service to contribute solutions to real-world challenges at home and abroad.
“We have some really interesting trips, including the Baylor Jazz Ensemble serving in musical missions in Peru for the first time and our Baylor incoming freshmen participating in the fourth annual Missions Line Camp to Guatemala,” said Holly Tate, assistant director for global missions-student engagement at Baylor.
The thoughtful initiatives allow students to present their respective academic perspective and passions to enhance and diversify the way the University approaches community challenges and solutions around the world, Tate said.
To document each teams’ journey, students are using the hashtag #BearsOnMission on Instagram and Twitter. Photos also will be posted to www.facebook.com/bumissions and on Instagram @BUMissions.
2019 June BUMissions Teams
Brazil BSM/Vertical Team: (June 2-13): This new team is made up of 13 members of the Baptist Student Ministries and Vertical Ministries. The group traveled to Manaus, Brazil, to work alongside Brazilians in the Missionary Adoption Program (BGCT), who are serving within the Amazon communities while assisting with health, community involvement and service. Students explored the health issues of communities along the Amazon River, learned about environmental issues in the region and developed skills for how to share the gospel in effective ways for the Brazilian culture through engaged service.
India (Hyderabad) Nursing Team (June 6-14): The first group of nursing students from Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) to head for summer missions experiences served in Hyderabad, India. Seven students and two nursing faculty leaders provided education to rural health care workers on CycleBeads for family planning. Additionally, the team hosted a full-day workshop to teach local women about “The Pad Project” and help them develop a cottage industry. They also taught NICU (newborn intensive care unit) nurses bundled care for central lines in infants and how to conduct quality improvement projects.
2019 July BUMissions Teams
Zambia Nursing Team (July 4-24): Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) is partnering with Northrise University in Ndola, Zambia, to serve the community through “Impact Ndola,” a community-wide outreach involving university students, staff and faculty and partners from around the United States. The team, composed of 15 students, two faculty and a staff member, will apply what they are studying at Baylor as they visit local schools for vulnerable children to conduct general screenings and health and hygiene education. The team specifically will have the opportunity to work hand in hand with Northrise University nursing students. Students will visit the local children’s hospital to learn more about the state of health care in the community. During the team’s second week in Zambia, they will spend a week in Lusaka supporting Family Legacy, an organization that serves orphans in Zambia, in their various clinics. The team will work alongside their medical director and Zambian nurses.
Peru Jazz Ensemble Team (July 13-24): The Baylor Jazz Ensemble mission trip to Peru will be an opportunity for members to be forever changed through their experiences getting to know Peruvian people, history and culture. This team of 23 is looking forward to a variety of performance experiences from local schools, church congregations and outdoor venues to large municipal auditoriums. They will have an opportunity to meet fellow jazz young musicians in Lima, who are looking forward to learning from each other. The team also will travel to Machu Picchu for the first time.
Uganda Medical Team (July 17-31): Baylor Missions’ new Uganda medical team of a nurse practitioner, two nurses, 11 students and two family members will spend about 10 days at Restoration Gateway. The team’s role will be to observe and assist in the recently opened 180-bed hospital and outpatient clinic and observe and reflect on how this faith-based mission is serving the people of rural Uganda.
India (Bengaluru) Nursing Team (July 22-Aug. 3): A team of seven students and faculty from Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing will spend July in Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, India. This experience will provide an opportunity for students to integrate faith and learning through the discipline-specific vocation of nursing to serve a long-term global partner and enhance cultural humility and intercultural competence among students through transformational relationships built in Bengaluru. In addition to shadowing at Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) and going on medical visits in rural villages and urban slums, nursing students will provide educational sessions on lifesaving skills such as CPR and first aid to an elementary school near the hospital. They also will provide a birthday celebration for children in the DJ Halli slum as a part of the hospital community outreach program. A needs assessment on Kangaroo Care will be administered by a doctoral nursing student, and several in-services will be given by a second doctoral student.
Guatemala Missions Line Camp Team (July 26-Aug. 2): Baylor Missions is sending a team of 13 incoming freshmen, two current student leaders and two Baylor staff members to Antigua, Guatemala, for the fourth annual combined missions trip and Baylor Line Camp experience. This trip allows incoming freshmen to learn about Baylor history and traditions while beginning to exercise their faith and serve internationally as new members of the Baylor community. The team will serve through One More Child Global at Colonia Infantil, a malnutrition center in San Juan, to help children suffering from malnutrition.
2019 August BUMissions Teams
Uganda Christian Pre-Health Fellowship (CPF) Team (Aug. 5-22): In 2007, Restoration Gateway was started by Baylor alumni Dr. Tim and Janice McCall in obedience to a vision from God. Its purpose is to “help restore righteousness in every domain of northern Ugandan society.” In August, this 17-member group, including Christian Pre-health Fellowship students, who are aspiring medical personnel, along with faculty leaders and a medical doctor, will serve for two weeks at RG. While at RG, their primary responsibilities will be developing relationships with the children, most of whom are orphans, and shadowing a variety of medical personnel in the recently opened 180-bed hospital.
McAllen Nursing Team (Aug. 11-16): A team of eight nursing students and two leaders from Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas will travel to McAllen, Texas, where they will work with Texas Baptist River Ministry missionary Vanessa Quintanilla serving the local colonias and volunteering in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Respite Center. The respite center provides a place for men, women, children and infant refugees to rest, have a warm meal, shower and change into clean clothing as well as receive medicine and other supplies before continuing on their journey.
ABOUT BAYLOR MISSIONS
BU Missions seeks to create tangible opportunities for students to understand how they can use the knowledge and skills they gain here at Baylor University to love people around the world and in the Waco community.
As part of the Office of Spiritual Life at Baylor, our Mission is to nurture theological depth, spiritual wholeness and missional living in the students, staff and faculty at Baylor by offering integrated formational programming, transformative missional experiences, competent pastoral care and worship that is responsive to the Christian Tradition and sensitive to the culture.
Global Missions collaborates with faculty and staff from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds along with our global partners to implement spiritually rich and challenging experiences for our students. It is our hope that the students who participate in our trips not only enjoy the experience (which is important), but also discover a sense of vocation and calling as they see first-hand how they can use their discipline to serve.
Learn more at www.baylor.edu/missions.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.