Category: Student Takes

Macy Hudson: When My Thinking Changed

Macy Hudson, a sophomore studying Faith & Social Justice and Corporate Communications.  She serves as the Data and Evaluation Chair for Belmont on Mission’s Missional Engagement Council, on the Room in the Inn leadership team, as well as a student leader for Plunge trips.  Today, Macy is sharing about her perspectives on being on mission have changed in her time of service.

For years, I had this dream: I wanted to go on a mission trip. I had seen all of my friends go with their churches, to another country, in matching shirts, to serve, and ultimately come back with a transformed life and a camera full of pictures. In my mind, these trips seemed perfect, and after many attempts to convince my church to go on one, I became closed off to serving anywhere except a third-world country mission trip setting. My church was particularly focused on serving the community I lived in, and I didn’t understand why. There were countries with no running water. No schooling. No understanding of Jesus. Coming up on my sophomore year of high school, I found myself filled with anger. Why did my congregation seem to only care for their people? Aren’t we as Christians called to serve the least of these? Filled with confusion and doubt, I signed up for a mission trip myself with an organization where I was able to go to Puerto Rico with high schoolers from all over the country. I packed my bag and flew to a new place, hopeful for revival and transformation in the community I would be serving. 

 

Two weeks later, I arrived back in Tennessee, with a new realization about my life. I was set on going on that specific kind of mission trip because it looked fun and appealing. I was so caught up in wanting to fill my own insecurity of feeling inadequate that the concept of being a hero or greater than thee caught my eye. My jealously of my friends’ experiences on mission trips was fueled by the lack of confidence in what my personal mission was as a beloved child of God. By centering those feelings on a single type of mission, I was limiting myself to experiencing only a single quality of God. It took me setting my pride aside to vulnerably uncover my deepest self. 

 

God has a quite ironic way of working. Upon returning home, I discovered my strong love for children in the foster care system. I felt a direct and clear call to child advocacy as a vocation and realized that I was made to serve the community around me. My church’s community outreach that I was quick to judge ended up being a great tool to get me plugged into local service. I was able to understand and deeply appreciate how committed my church was to serving their neighbors and how that is just as much a mission as a trip to another country is. 

 

This experience taught me not only humility but also vulnerability. Because I was drowning in self-doubt, I constructed a picture-perfect mission trip in my mind and chose for myself that this was God’s call for my life to me. This is not to say that this type of mission is bad in any way, I just didn’t have the right intentions towards these trips and was close-minded to any other form of service but them. Through this, God revealed to me how my story in God’s mission is one of openness. I became able to stretch my arms out and pray for God to use me how He pleases instead of praying Him to use me in the ways I desired. This small mindset change welcomed transformation in my life in abundant ways.  

If you have any questions about Macy’s experience, any of the programs that she is involved in, or Belmont on Mission in general, feel free to reach out to Macy or any of the Belmont on Mission team!  Be sure to follow us on social media @BelmontOnMission to stay in the know about what’s going on!

Jamie Keith: Who Does God Call to Serve?

Jamie Keith, a member of the Missional Engagement Council, is sharing with us her look at serving God, and what it looks like to find her place in God’s story through service.

When I came to Belmont as a freshman, I set a goal to graduate not wishing I tried something that I had the opportunity to do and to do things for my own enjoyment. This goal has pushed me out of my comfort zone and into wonderful new experiences. Since starting college, I’ve added a second major in economics, studied abroad in China, held internships, led the copyright society as the vice president, and been a spiritual life assistant for Freshmen. I am truly grateful for all these opportunities. At the same time, the more I experienced the more confused I became. I struggled to figure out how to fit all that I enjoyed and all that I was good at into a fulfilling and meaningful career. Can music business, economics, and legal studies somehow fit into God’s mission to redeem and restore creation? Through my experience with Belmont on Mission as a trip leader and student on the missional engagement council, I’ve been able to further explore the way my talents and interests fit into God’s story. One of my “Before I Graduate from Belmont Bucket List” activities was to go on a mission trip. I never imagined that meant I would be leading one. Last year, during my sophomore year, I co-led the mission trip to El Paso to work with Casas por Cristo. Going into the trip, I felt extremely unqualified to lead. First, I had never been on a mission trip through Belmont. Second, I am far from outgoing in a group of strangers. I was uncertain that I could connect to and lead a team of students on an international mission trip. Finally, I was a music business and economics student, not a faith and social justice student. I didn’t fit the typical profile of a student who should be leading a mission trip. I relied heavily on a phrase that the SLA team talks about often: God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. Throughout my experience as a trip leader, I saw the truth of that phrase. Within the first few days of the trip, I realized how limited my imagination was in envisioning the ways that God would use my existing skills and develop new ones. Except for my prior construction skills, most of my technical skills were useless. Instead, I had the chance to use my organization skills to plan the pre-trip meetings, communication skills to lead morning devotionals and prayer, language skills to develop relationships with the family, and ability to exercise patience and make sound decisions in stressful situations. I did not have to know everything going into the trip, and I still don’t know everything coming out of the trip. There will never be a situation in which I will be the perfect volunteer or leader, but God isn’t looking for perfection. God will provide the opportunities and the skills needed to serve to anyone who has the desire. This year on the missional engagement council, I’ve been able to combine my passion to serve others with my business and finance skills. I get to use my analytical and technical abilities to support the administrative work that is required to run the student mission trips. I get joy and satisfaction from the work that I do not just because I like working with numbers and technology but because by doing my role, I can help other people discover their role in God’s story. My experience with Belmont on Mission showed me that I do not have to fit a certain profile to participate in the work that God is doing. While I am still finding my place in God’s story, I find great comfort in the fact that I can be a music industry professional, an economist, or any other professional and still be able to faithfully participate in God’s mission. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

Follow us on social media @BelmontOnMission to stay up to date with everything going on in the future!

Ford Chittom: What Cliffs and Jesus Taught Me About Connection 

Today, Ford Chittom, a freshman Biblical Studies Major, is sharing with us what being in relationship means to him, and how that connects to being “on mission.”

A few years ago, I was stressed about the future, so I decided that the best solution was a  kayaking adventure. I drove my truck fifteen minutes from my grandparents’ house to the bridge  over Yellow Creek in North Alabama. Yellow Creek is a small tributary of the Coosa River that empties into Weiss Lake in a beautiful waterfall. I set out, alone, with my kayak, a cooler with a shameful amount of La Croix, and a life jacket that was too big that I had gotten to “grow into a few years before.” I pulled the boat over some rocky creek bank to the small, narrow, main channel. I paddled a few yards, but the water was too low so I had to drag my kayak over the rough rocks for a lot of the time. I alternated between dragging, pulling, and chugging La Croixs until I got to the first waterfall. I was unprepared for the twenty foot waterfall and I eventually pushed my kayak off and found a conveniently placed rope that I used to repel down. I pulled and dragged until I got to the big waterfall.

I planned on meeting my Dad and grandfather at the big waterfall so they could drive me back to my truck. I had no idea how tall the waterfall was beforehand and later learned that it was over forty five feet tall.When I got to the waterfall. I looked down at all the families and friends picnicking under the waterfall and swimming together. Alone, covered in mud, scared, and out of La Croix, I realized I didn’t need the adventure as much as I needed the connection with people. They were only fifty feet away from me, but they were so far away. I couldn’t just jump off of the waterfall or I would have gotten hurt. I couldn’t connect with people even though I was right there. I ended up throwing my kayak off of the waterfall in a safe spot and dangerously climbing rocks until I ultimately found my way down. When I finally reunited with my family at the bottom, I was so happy to see them and connect with them. The warm hugs and jokes from my family gave me more than a perilous adventure ever could. 

Sometimes we are only separated with someone by just a few feet, but so many more things. We get separated by our fear of rejection, our insecurities, our own selfish desires, and our phone screens. I’ve spent a lot of time looking for the feeling of satisfaction from adventure that we can only find through God and community. I was physically above everyone and we can often treat people with contempt when we feel intellecutually, morally, economically, socially, or spiritually above other people. God loves us and makes us all special. He designed us to be with one another and love one another in spite of our differences. God gifts us in different ways and he calls all of us to live in community to be the church. Jesus had his people during his time on Earth. He had twelve disciples that he spent most of his time with, and he served with. Being with the disciples wasn’t always easy. They argued about who was the greatest, betrayed him, sliced off some guy’s ear, doubted him, and took him by a bad fig tree.

However, Jesus did some great things with the disciples. He sent them out, and they witnessed to hundreds of people. He got to share in his ministry with them and help them grow in their faith. He also got to be friends with them. They went fishing together, stayed together, spent time together, ate together, and I bet they pranked each other. Jesus and his disciples grew so much from their investment in one another, but they also branched out to other people everyone and served everyone. He was friends with Mary Magdalene, Martha, Lazarus, and While he had a relatively small crew of people that he served with, Jesus was friends with Zacchaeus. He ate with tax collectors. He went to someone who lived in the middle of nowhere, cast out a demon, put the demon on some pigs, and the pigs ran off of a cliff (Yes I know I’ve said a lot about cliffs). He talked to the woman at the well and changed her so much that she ran into town and proclaimed his power. Jesus was not afraid to be with everyone and did not only spend time with the disciples. It is important to have a group that you really invest in, but it’s important to have people outside of that group. There’s so many great people in the world and Jesus did not limit himself to only a few to be with. He served and spent time with people outside of his inner circle. I think it’s important to do that also. It’s important to work out issues within a community, but don’t be afraid to let your circle grows. 

Another thing that Jesus did a great job of was being alone. Jesus retreated to the mountains for a whole night to pray about who would become his disciples. Just as Jesus did, it is very important to connect with God through prayer to prepare for connection with others. Psalm 121:2 says “my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and Earth.” God absolutely intended us for connection with others, but he also wants us to pray make him the source of my help. Jesus illustrates this especially with the greatest commandments “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the great and first commandment.And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:27-29.Jesus calls us to love and connect with God and with people. So go therefore and connect with people, love people, and make disciples.

We are so happy to have had Ford share this great message with us.  If you want to take part in relationship-based missions, check out global.belmont.edu before Friday! If you have any questions about Belmont on Mission, reach out, and follow us on social media @BelmontOnMission

Student Take: Abby Connolly Practicing a Discipline on Mission

 

Abby Connolly is a sophomore Experiential Design major.  Over the summer, Abby participated in the Athentikos trip to Guatemala! Today, she is sharing with us a little bit about her experience serving on a discipline specific trip.

 

“Coming to Belmont, I was amazed with how this community serves others. I knew I wanted to contribute in sharing my gifts to benefit others. Last year, during my fall semester, I met with Dr. Meaghan Brady Nelson so we could talk about the possibility of me going to Guatemala with Belmont on a Mission in partnership with Athentikos. If you have never met Dr. Meaghan Brady Nelson, she is one of the most wonderful and spunky professors I have gotten to know since my time here at Belmont. She is so passionate about art and has such a servant’s heart. She gave me a run down of what the trip would be like explaining that we would we doing art therapy with at risk youth. Immediately after leaving her office I called my mom and told her that I needed to seize this amazing opportunity that Belmont was offering. 

 

 

Fast forward six months later I began this life changing journey to Guatemala. I got to work with an older group of boys ages 14-16 who came from a very tough part of Guatemala. Having the chance to help them heal using art was an experience that I will never forget. One thing that I learned from the journey was that language is no barrier for love. It was so interesting to see the transformation of these boys through just one week at camp. They came in putting up walls, but by the end they opened up so that I could really get to know them and meet them in their suffering. As one of my boys Miguel said, “The memories will last a lifetime.” Belmont on a mission allowed God to not only transform my life but also the lives of the kids I served. The program also enabled me to meet so many new people from Belmont that I would not have gotten to know otherwise. If you are considering doing service whether it is here in our backyard of Nashville, or on another continent I would highly encourage you to do so and Belmont on a mission is an incredible place to start.”

If you have any questions about this trip, or any other Belmont on Mission trips, please reach out!

Acuña, Mexico – Student Reflections

Sarah: Despite our limited time, this experience was full of learning.  I learned many new skills such as how to properly stretch chicken wire, stucco the outside of the house, and install insulation and drywall. I also felt God teaching me to switch my mindset off myself and re-focus it on others.  I was pleasantly surprised by the genuineness with which the team engaged with each other, and it was so refreshing.  There were multiple times this past week where a teammate chose to speak a word of encouragement to me at a time when I was feeling drained, and it truly blessed me.  I praise God for Casas por Cristo, and the good work they are doing for His glory.  It was an honor to serve with the team in the community of Acuña, and I am so very grateful to have had this opportunity to learn and grow.

Mason: I was very much aware of the fact going into the trip that we would be building a house, but you can never be fully primed for what God is going to do throughout the journey. We knew we would be serving a family but had no clue that the family would end up being the compassionate people we know now. We also knew we would be hammering nails, but we definitely did not comprehend how many. In a short summary, besides a few bumps and bruises, there are no negative takeaways from the trip. We were able to further God’s Kingdom in exactly the way He planned and further our personal faith through the experience. I love and appreciate everything and everyone that God put in my life over the last week, as well as Belmont for allowing it to happen.

Elania: Coming back to Acuña is always such a humbling and beautiful experience. It teaches me all the things I take for granted each day and reminds me how big God’s love really is. I’m so grateful for the people who went with me, they were so welcoming and kind. Every relationship I built this week, with my peers and the family, I will cherish for a lifetime. I’m so lucky to have been a part of this amazing trip and work with Casas por Cristo. The city of Acuña and the people there are such a huge blessing. Casas por Cristo is such an amazing organization, and I encourage everyone to work with them someday.

Katie: As we leave Mexico, I just feel so joyful. This family now have a roof over their head and a house that is livable. Their previous home leaked every time it rained. I can’t even imagine living in a house that leaked when it rains. It made me realize just how much I can sometimes take for granted at home like a roof. Giving is always better than receiving. I am so glad I went on this trip again this spring break!

Grace: I learned that God can bring different communities together in so many ways and that we could show love to each other in so many ways. It was beautiful.

Jamie: My biggest takeaway from this trip is that God’s love and power have no boundaries. Most of us going on the trip had never met before, but our love for God brought us together to serve in a different country where none of us spoke the language fluently. Even though there was a language barrier, we were able to show the family the love of God through our actions which meant more than words. The most powerful moment for me was when we prayed over the family on the final day to dedicate the house. God was so present in that moment as everyone cried tears of joy and sorrow. I learned many skills on this trip and learned so much about myself and my faith. I know that God will continue to work in Acuña through Casas por Cristo, and I hope to stay in touch with Pastor Cristian and the family.

Guatemala – Days 1-2 Update

Mission to Guatemala, Day 1-2

Day 1:

We arrived early at the airport at 4:15am excited and ready for our trip to Guatemala! We got to our terminal and bonded while waiting for our flight. There was a delay in Nashville due to lightning in the area so we continued to chat and get to know each other while waiting. Our connecting flight was in Houston, TX and we had a quick bathroom break before boarding our flight to Guatemala. Once we arrived, we made our way through customs, picked up our team bags, and waited in line for our random immigration screening. Our vans were waiting for us, we piled suitcases into one van and we piled into the other two vans. We took in the sites of Guatemala City and the surrounding areas on our 1.5 hour ride to Antigua. About 15 minutes out of Antigua, we stopped at a grocery store where we split into teams of 4-5 people to pick up groceries and goodies for the week. This was an interesting experience because everything was in Spanish and cultural customs surrounding foods were very different. For example, eggs are not refrigerated and are kept on the shelves. We hopped back into our very full vans and heading to our lodging in Antigua.

Once we arrived at our house, we excitedly ran in and explored our beautiful homes for the next week! There are amazing homes with stunning views from the rooftop terraces. We are surrounded by volcanoes and mountains with 360 degree views. The architecture is exquisite throughout our gated community. It looks like every home is different and unique in its own way. We walked straight to dinner on the cobblestone streets of Antigua. We ate at Monoloco and ate nachos as big as our head! With full bellies and newly made friends, we headed off to bed!

Sawyer & Mallory

Day 2:

We woke up on our own time and sat on our various porches located throughout the houses to sip on coffee. Some enjoyed the views of Agua, Fuego, Atitlán, and Acatenango volcanoes from the rooftop. At 10am, we met as a team for a devotion and information session. Pablo shared a heartfelt story about the recent volcano explosion in 2018 and told us about the people we will be serving this week. He discussed his personal story on how he wanted to serve others and how he began his relationship with Belmont University. A teammate shared a personal story with his intentions for the day and week. We prayed as a group and another student led us in worship. We made a plan to pick up items from the pharmacy and other students headed to sightsee and shop Antigua. The pharmacy students needed supplies that the storefront didn’t have and the pharmacy actually sent someone over from another location with the needed supplies. This goes to show how much they value hard work and hospitality! A group that visited the Templo y Convento de Capuchinas learned that at one time Central America was one country and Antigua was the capital. They enjoyed the vastness of the convent, even though it is considered ruins. Other groups explored the square and marketplace to do some souvenir shopping and exploring. Many groups ran into a procession for the Stations of the Cross. This is put on by a local church every Sunday leading up to Easter. They had a full band, costumes, purple robes and hoods, burned frankincense, and 30+ men carrying a large, heavy float that depicted Jesus carrying the cross.

We ate lunch on our own and made it back to the house to take a team picture before dinner. When walking to dinner, we met a random man that recognized our Belmont t-shirts and asked about Julia the golfer from Belmont – shout out to Julia, if you’re out there! We ate at San Martin and had pastas, pizzas, and sandwiches for dinner. One of our interpreters for the week, Betty, met us at dinner and we all bonded over our experiences from the day. After dinner, we walked back and discussed our plans for tomorrow. The OT/PT/MT team will be heading to Keramion tomorrow to see the school, assess the children, and educate the staff. The nursing and pharmacy team will be heading to a brand new coffee plantation to screen and educate the plantation workers. We all unpacked and organized our supplies needed for tomorrow and prepped for our busy day tomorrow. We finally crawled into bed with our hearts and minds ready to help and learn from the people we will meet tomorrow.

Sawyer & Mallory

 

Student Take: Hayden Stover

We asked Hayden, a student athlete,  to write a bit about his experiences so far as he has served with Belmont through an athletic mission trip!  We are excited for you to read Hayden’s take on serving with his sports team and athletic community.

“This past December, I was fortunate enough to go on a mission trip to San Diego. When I first got the email about this opportunity, I genuinely felt God pushing me to go on this trip, but I felt very uncomfortable thinking about it. I had no idea who would be going, and I had no idea what we would be doing.  Even though I had my doubts, I constantly felt God pushing me to take the opportunity. So, I ended up taking a leap into the unknowns of this trip, having no idea what God had in store.

The first day of the trip finally came.  We had a few meetings to get to know each other, but I still felt like I didn’t know our group at all. My honest reaction when we finally landed in San Diego was “what did I just get myself into?”  Our first night there, before we started work, I tried to make an effort to keep an open mind. I still had no idea what God was planning for this trip, but I was confident there was something there. Even though I did not feel prepared at all for what was about to happen, our group was thrown into the deep end from the start.

Our first two days were highlighted by serving breakfast at the Ronald McDonald House and helping out sorting toys for a Christmas toy drive. But, most of our work on this trip was dedicated to serving the homeless population of San Diego. For me, our interactions with the homeless were the best thing that I could have asked for on this trip. The stories these people shared were so inspiring because even when it seemed like on the outside these people weren’t given a fair shot at life or it seemed like there was no hope, they still had unshakable faith which was so powerful.

As I’ve reflected on this trip over the past couple of months, I’ve found it so hard to describe or put into words what it really means to me. This was my second mission trip. On both of the mission trips I’ve taken, I went in with the mindset that I was going to help people or make a difference. But, both times I’ve come back more changed by the people I interacted with.

Before I left for this trip, I didn’t realize how much I really needed it. Not only did this trip revitalize my faith, which I didn’t know I needed before, but it also helped me find my identity in Christ. I put so much of my worth into how I performed as an athlete before this trip, and when I faced many injuries my first year and a half at Belmont, it almost seemed like on the outside there was no hope. But, this trip helped me grow in my faith so much and find my identity in Christ. This was an experience I will never forget, and I am so thankful for this trip and the people that went”

Thank you so much for reading Hayden’s take on serving with Belmont! If you have any questions about upcoming athletic mission trips, or any questions in general, please reach out!

Student Take: Hillary Barry

Today, Hillary is sharing about her anticipation in serving with the College of Health Sciences over spring break. We are excited for you to hear Hillary’s  take on preparing to go on Mission with Belmont!

“Over spring break, a multidisciplinary team full of faculty, undergraduate and graduate students from Belmont will be traveling to Antigua, Guatemala. I am getting the privilege to participate in the hopes of seeing the hearts and joy of the Guatemalan people and honing my own nursing skills through patient centered care.

Throughout our trip, we will immerse ourselves into the culture of the Central American country where we will spend 4 “work days” treating the Guatemalan people using our nursing, pharmacology, occupational therapy, music therapy, and interpreting skills. We will be promoting health, safety, and wholesome lifestyles by assessing and educating a wide population of the Guatemalan people.

Upon reflecting on my anticipatory feelings about the trip, I am looking forward to meeting the Guatemalan people and seeing the gifts and talents within my team. I am looking forward to seeing how each person’s specialty and love for Jesus will be utilized in a way that will truly bring value to patient health by enabling a wholistic approach.

This trip and this team is a gift from Jesus but the biggest gift of all is to simply be reminded that are lives are not about us, but about how we can best serve God’s people.”

If you have any questions for Hillary or about Belmont on Mission, CHS Missions or any of the upcoming trips, please reach out!

Student Take: Tiffanie Bohrer

The author Marianne Wilson once said, “Success means we go to sleep ay might knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others.”  Today, Tiffanie Bohrer shares with us her experience serving, and how her talents and abilities have been used and can be used on the mission field.  Tiffanie has great insight into the power that a short term mission has to pull you a little further out of your comfort zone, which ultimately stretches and grows your threshold for service, understanding, and empathy.  We are so excited for you to read Tiffanie’s take on serving the Kingdom!

“I am so very excited to serve with Belmont and Praying Pelican Missions this spring break! This past October, I went with Belmont to Memphis, TN for a weekend service trip called Plunge, and I am so ready to take my experience serving with Belmont  on Mission outside of the country. This trip is going to be different for me, being a freshman, because I am one of the younger participants. This gives me the opportunity to learn from older students. I also don’t know anyone on the trip very well so it is going to be a great experience with a brand-new community of people. Praying Pelican Missions does an amazing job of setting up short-term mission trips for teams just like ours. They work with a church and ask them what they need help with. That is where we come in. We get to be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving those in need in the Dominican Republic.

I have been on two other international mission trips to El Salvador and Jamaica, and I am excited to see how this one will differ from those two. Each of those trips were different in the sense that what we were doing for the community was vastly different because of how the communities operated. In El Salvador, we helped build two houses for two families. In Jamaica, we ran a Vacation Bible School and did more outreach-based activities with the local church in addition to doing various small labor projects. In Jamaica, I was stretched more than ever as I gave my testimony on the street to passersby’s.  I, then, was pushed even more as I was asked to give a message during the church service on Sunday morning. I learned about the country and the culture, but I also learned more about myself and the gifts the Lord has given. Going on a mission trip is a great way to put those gifts to use. The Lord calls us to be a light to those who need light and to spread the good news. I am so excited to do this in a place where I have never been to before.

I chose to go on this trip because I haven’t done an international serving trip in a few years, and I missed learning about different cultures. The Dominican Republic is a country where I have never been.  I am very excited to experience their ways of doing life and to serve them in any way they need possible. Mission trips are a great way to go out of your comfort zone and step into a place that is unknown while you act as an example of Jesus to those around you. You can serve in any capacity and anywhere in the world, but I am so excited to take it a step further and travel a bit farther to spread love and bring my own gifts to a place where I can effectively help.”

If you have any questions about the Dominican Republic mission with Praying Pelican Missions or any upcoming mission trips in general, please reach out!

Student Take: Elania Trimble

Today on the blog, we asked Elania to write about her experience in serving with Casas por Cristo, and how her time serving in the past has influenced her decision to serve with Belmont on Mission!  Here is Elania’s take on serving God by building the Kingdom!

“I have had the fortunate opportunity to not only work with Casas Por Cristo once but twice. I traveled to Acuña, Mexico in July 2016 and again in March 2017. My first time going, I was very nervous because I had no idea what to expect, and I had never gone out of the country for a mission trip before.

The first thing I noticed about Acuña was how small and brightly colored everything is. We met with Scott Dewitt, who was our trip leader and the Acuña field director. He told us a little bit about what to expect in the coming week. I honestly had no idea how a high school youth group was going to successfully build a house in only four days, but we were reassured that it could be done, and we were going to do it.

Our job site was in the middle of town and there was barely any room to move around, much less freely build a house. We had to build a lot of the parts in the middle of the street. It was the hardest work I’ve ever done in my life. Scott and his intern Alyssa took us step by step and by the end of day four we had a completely brand-new house. The most rewarding part of the trip was all the wonderful people I got to meet. The family we were building the house for had been living in one tiny house together. There were at least 10 people living there, and they were the nicest people I’ve ever met. I got to meet so many children from around town because they would all come visit us on the job site. They were so sweet and loved to help us out. We ended the trip with a little ceremony, during which we presented the house to the family.

Working with Casas Por Cristo was the most humbling and rewarding experience I’ve ever had. It made me realize how much we all take for granted in our comfortable and safe lives. The people who live there work so hard and get the bare minimum in return. They are so grateful for every little blessing in their lives and are the most kind-hearted people. The language barrier was not even an issue and didn’t stop me or anyone from connecting with the wonderful people of Acuña. When I saw that Belmont had a mission with Casas Por Cristo is was the easiest and fastest decision I’ve ever made. I am so excited to be going back to Acuña and can’t wait to make more lasting memories with Belmont on Mission over spring break!”

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