Spring Break Missions
From Texas, to Guatemala, to Greece, and beyond, Baylor Missions spent this spring break serving our global neighbors! 145 students, faculty, and staff served on mission teams across six countries this past week. Trips with Baylor Missions combine faithful worldwide service with discipline-specific education. Across eight teams, students were deeply impacted by sharing the love of Christ with the world, experiencing different cultures, growing in their faith, and using their vocations to impact communities near and far.
A number o trips allowed students in medical-related fields to bring their classroom knowledge abroad. A team of students from the Multicultural Association of Prehealth Students (MAPS) and the Baylor Medical Student Association (BMSA) travelled to the Dominican Republic to spend the week working in clinics, hospitals, and a local ministry center. Students from the Pre-PA Society volunteered in pop-up clinics for refugees in Greece. Both trips connected these students’ medical studies to global Christian service as they cared for others and observed the ins and outs of global healthcare initiatives.
Other trips gave students from the Hankamer School of Business opportunities to apply their majors to the mission field. Business majors spent the week in Guatemala providing assistance and consultation services to local entrepreneurs trying to make a difference in their communities. A team of graduate accounting students travelled to Amsterdam to help a Christian nonprofit organization with their accounting needs. The business skills these students learn in the classroom were used to empower the efforts and ministries of their global neighbors.
Baylor's multi-year partnership in Guatemala with mission organization One More Child and local church Luz de Vida bought in two teams to assist with ministry efforts. A group of students studying interior design continued their work renovating the church’s space set in motion last November. They were joined by a team of Silver Wings ROTC students and other volunteers to paint a mural designed by the interior design department and connect with the local community. Both teams helped Luz de Vida continue to improve their ability to make their congregation and community thrive and be transformed by the gospel.
Additional trips allowed students to meet the physical needs of others with the love and service of Jesus, no matter what they study. A group of Honors College students engaged with feeding programs, anti-trafficking resources, refugee services, single mother empowerment, and sports camps in Costa Rica. Students from across campus joined the BearAid Disaster Relief team to continue to rebuild homes in San Angelo damaged by last summer’s floods. Our students know there are people in need both near and far, and they were able to extend their aid in faith.
These quick looks into our trips are only small pieces of the full picture of the faithful service our students engaged in this past week. Hundreds of stories of service, love, and growth happened this spring break, both in the lives of our students and the communities they impacted. Our prayer is that students’ experiences from their trips will continue to be a source for transformation for many years to come. We look forward to our upcoming trips in the May minimester and summer, and how our students will continue to faithfully engage with the world.