Category: Atlanta

Atlanta – End of Week Recap

When we got to Atlanta we did not know what to expect. Atlanta is such a big city and there’s so much to do there. We met with our partnering host, Anquette and she helped us get settled in at the church. We had an orientation about DOOR and what it means to have a “serving is a lifestyle” mindset. She also told us that words can affect people in different ways so instead of referring to homeless people as homeless people, we call them our friends without homes. We did some exploring our first day and learned a little about the history of Atlanta. We visited the MLK Center, Center for Civil and Human Rights, and also the Atlanta Zoo. Our first service day, we helped serve our friends without homes food at Action Ministries, a women’s community kitchen. The women were so excited to see us and were grateful that we were there serving them. We served them a hot meal and dessert and we did it restaurant style to show hospitality.

 
Our next service site we went to was the Lost-n-Found Thrift. There we learned the history about how they started and the population they seek to serve. This organization serves members of the LGBTQ community, ages 18-24 and provides tons of services to them. We helped sort clothes, organize sizes, as well as tag them and put them on racks. 

On Wednesday, we went to Mercy Church which was the groups favorite. We went in with the intent to do some work but the pastor just wanted us to talk to our friends without homes. So we did, we met so many different people with awesome personalities. A big takeaway from this experience was that the group saw that no matter their (our friends without homes) circumstances, our friends knew that God was doing something great for them in their future. They kept happy thoughts and were really excited we were talking to them. One of our friends said that he was really grateful that we were talking to them because most of the time people never talk to them. We got to serve them breakfast, we got to worship, and eat lunch with them. We even wrote haikus about St. Patrick’s Day with them. As a student leader, I truly saw the students grow during this moment. There was no comfort zone, we were all family.

Our last site was fun. We went to Gillian’s Farm and met with Farmer P who showed us how to pull turnips and shovel mulch. We also got to feed goats and a sheep. Farmer Peducated us on the importance of growing your own food and how beneficial it is. He enjoyed having us and told us that the turnips we pulled would be donated at an event later on this month. 

I can say that this experience was the bombdiggity. I really appreciate all the students and their willingness to be open-minded about the work we did and how it resonated with what God has planned for us in our future. We all hope to keep serving is a lifestyle apart of our lives from now on.

Student Take: Tayviana Scott

We asked Tayviana to write a bit about her experiences so far as she has served with Belmont on Mission, and as she prepares to serve this March in Atlanta with DOOR Network.  We are excited for you to read Tay’s take on serving God through serving in the Kingdom.

“Growing up I went to church every Sunday, but as I got older and life began to change I didn’t go as much. When I started school at Belmont all the freshman got an opportunity to participate in PLUNGE, a four-day fall break immersion experience for first-year students. I had never heard of mission work before then, so I was very excited about doing God’s work. After such an amazing experience partnering with the Medici Project, I wanted to do more.

In the Fall of 2017 I led my first mission trip ever to Indianapolis. I was very nervous, but my two other team leaders and awesome staff leaders helped a lot. We partnered with Shepherd’s Community and served around their community.

In the Spring of 2018, I joined some other students on a mission trip to Acuña, Mexico partnering with Casas Por Cristo. My favorite moment from this trip was the reaction from the oldest daughter of the family we were helping when she saw the tattoo I have on my wrist. Her eyes got really big and she smiled from ear to ear. She snatched my wrist and ran towards her family, dragging me behind her to show them. The next day we came back to finish working on their house, she had came home from school to show me her wrist where she had tried to replicate my tattoo on herself with a marker. My heart swelled and right then, I knew that interacting with people while serving God is what I should be doing.

In the fall of 2018, I lead another mission trip to Memphis, TN partnering with Serve 901. Seeing how many opportunities there were for people to come and serve filled my heart with joy. I know that anytime I feel like serving there is always a place to go.

I am really excited about partnering with DOOR Network. From doing a bit of research I feel like the students and I are going to have a great time serving in Atlanta. I love to keep an open mind about places and organizations I know little information about so the experience feels real.”

If you have any questions about Tay’s experience, Belmont on Mission, or upcoming Immersion, International, or Plunge trips, please reach out!

Host Partner Spotlight: DOOR Network

Every spring break, Belmont students have the opportunity to serve on a mission trip with Belmont on Mission. One type of trip that Belmont on Mission has to offer is an Immersion trip. Immersion trips are a chance to be immersed in a local culture and to grow in understanding of the cares and concerns of communities here in the United States. Students will have the opportunity to see what God is doing through local churches and ministries, and join them in awareness and mission.

 

 

This March, students will join with Door Ministries in Denver and Atlanta as they discover new and exciting opportunities for outreach and reflection in two growing cities. The DOOR Network is a faith-based nonprofit that works throughout the nation to cultivate flourishing communities. They are “dedicated to providing life-changing experiences for our participants rooted in relationship and solidarity with local communities and neighborhoods.”

As a unique opportunity to learn and serve, Door’s Atlanta and Denver programming helps groups to spend time serving with a variety of local agencies and ministries and learning through evening speakers and activities. The experience is about more than preparing a meal at a soup kitchen or playing with children at a day camp. It is an opportunity to work alongside local community members, to learn from local leaders, and to listen to the stories of neighbors, clients, and churches.

The Atlanta experience is centered around the question “who is our neighbor?” Door uses teaching from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as other writers and theologians, to look at this question in biblical context. Students will learn about the role of Atlanta in the Civil Rights movement, and even get the chance to visit the King Center to see how, today, Atlanta remains one of the greatest centers of social justice, activism, and human rights.

The Denver experience will give students the opportunity to gain a better understanding and broader perspective on the roots of problems plaguing the Denver area like poverty, police brutality, and low performing schools. Students with work with various agencies that Door has connected with in order to best serve the community, and “make a change to bring heaven to earth, through love and justice.”

 

Door’s mission to open the door for individuals and groups to “encounter the city through the eyes, ears, and heart of God” is perfect for any student wishing to learn more about his or her place in God’s Kingdom. If you have any questions about the DOOR Network, or upcoming Immersion trips, please reach out!