Dominican Republic – Midweek Update

The trip had a rough start. Our plane got struck by lightning on the ground before we got on, which took out the navigation system and had us spend the rest of the day at the Nashville airport. By the time we got to our hotel in Miami, we got 3 hours of sleep before getting up for our new flight to the Dominican Republic (DR).

Thankfully our host partner, Praying Pelican Ministries (PPM), was gracious and was able to accommodate our new plans. We settled into the church where we are staying at and got a nice overview of the DR and how PPM works in the community. We got assigned to a local pastor, pastor Wesley, who leads a church and school in a poor neighborhood of Haitian immigrants. Our mornings consist of installing the water filters which we brought and then doing sports ministry with the children in the afternoon. We even did a skit about the parable of the good Samaritan, which could rival any professional acting Troupe. We do various activities in the evening including playing basketball with the neighborhood kids at the local court, hosting movie nights for the school children, and doing devotionals for the group. We are blessed that our group from Belmont has good synergy and I think everyone will be truly blessed by this experience.

As someone who struggles with the benefit of short-term mission trips, I have been encouraged by several things. The first is that the Haitian community is blessed by not only the water filters, which are desperately needed to help prevent disease, but also by our presence. Pastor George (who partners with PPM and often accompanies our group as a translator) said that our physical presence helps the people in the community believe in the work of pastor Wesley and the fruits of his labor. That hope is something so intangible and immeasurable that I often forget its true power, and it cannot be bought with money. God does not need us to accomplish His work here, but He is gracious in making us a face of the hope He gives to this community. The second encouraging thing I have received is the group’s response to the experience. Having travelled a fair amount myself, it is hard to reimagine my first time placing myself in the shoes of someone born and raised in a completely different community with a completely different reality than I. But seeing how God is using this trip to work in the hearts and minds of each member of the group reminds me that these trips are an invitation from God to open our hearts and allow Him to give us a glimpse of His work in the world and begin to break our hearts for what breaks His.

On a personal note, I have been blessed by being able to use my French and help translate for the group. The official language in the DR is Spanish, but Pastor Wesley speaks French, Spanish, and Creole in the Haitian community. Many members of the group have commented on how they desire to communicate so much more to people but don’t have enough Spanish to do so, so it is nice for me to use what I have learned at Belmont to be of service to those around me.

The book of Job has been powerful for both me and the group during this trip as we consider the proper response to the poverty and suffering we see. Pray we continue to experience God’s mercy and grace here in the DR.
“He causes the [storm] to come, whether for correction, or for His land, or for His mercy. Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wondrous works of the Lord…God is awesome in majesty. As for the almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, in judgement and abundant justice; He does not oppress. Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.” Job 37:13-14, 22b-24, NKJV

— Sean Grossnickle, student leader

Acuña, Mexico – Day 1-2 Update

  • Belmont Mission Trip in Acuña, Mexico on March 11, 2019.

The whole team made it safely to Acuña on Sunday evening after a long day of travel. We all met at school to catch a ride to the airport at the early hour of 4 am. Daylight savings, of course, had to be on Sunday. We flew from Nashville to San Antonio where we rented two vans to drive to Acuña. Our first stop on the way out of San Antonio was Whataburger, a Texas classic, to eat lunch/breakfast for many. We drove for about 3 hours before arriving in Del Rio. In Del Rio, we stopped to pick up snacks at Walmart. Since we arrived early, we hung out in the Walmart parking lot playing football to pass the time.  We eventually met Scott who is our project leader this week from Casas por Cristo. He directed us on how to cross the border and instructed us on what to do if we got stopped or separated.

We only had to drive for a few minutes before arriving in Acuña. We had no issues crossing into Mexico which was a huge relief. As soon as we crossed the border, it looked like we stepped into a different world. We drove through the city to the place where we are staying for the week, a former church. After dropping off our belongings and setting up our beds, we explored the area around us. Scott brought us to a Mexican restaurant to eat dinner. We all shared giant platters of meat and queso and tried these bubbly lime drinks called limonada mineral.

Full and tired from such a long day, we still had enough energy to visit the site where we would be building the house and pick up supplies. When we returned to the church, we hung out on the porch to get to know each other better and play card games. All of us went to bed early to recover from our travel day and prepare for a week of hard work.

(written by Student Team Leader, Jamie Keith)

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Here are some additional pictures from the team’s first day of work on Monday!

  • Belmont Mission Trip in Acuña, Mexico on March 11, 2019.

Guatemala – Day 3 Update

Monday morning our team woke up with anticipation for our first treatment day here in Guatemala.  We were looking forward to discovering the ways that we can both bless and be blessed by our encounters with the workers at the coffee plantation, as well as at Keramion.  We were split into two groups, the first consisted of nursing, pharmacy, and nurse practitioners.  This group headed out to the coffee plantation.  Their mission was to focus on assessing and treating workers from multiple coffee plantations. Our group was given a tour that demonstrated the intense process involved in harvesting, processing and packaging each bag of coffee that is made.  It was extremely insightful at how much time, effort and physical work involved in getting one cup of coffee.  Afterward, stations were set up to monitor each individual’s blood pressure, blood sugar levels, height, and weight. Based on those findings, the workers were then directed to either the pharmacy or nurse practitioner students for further health assessments and possible medication administration and education.  The day was fast paced, and Belmont students and staff were able to see over 130 workers!  This is likely the highest number of workers seen by Belmont on Mission in Guatemala in a single day.

Highlights of the day include a nurse practitioner removing a significant ear wax impaction, which led to him reporting significantly improved hearing afterward.  Other workers needed compassion not only in terms of their health assessments, but also in terms of the significant traumas many have experienced in the area.  One woman, in particular, lost her son due to cancer approximately two months ago.  The emotional trauma of her son passing made it difficult for her to focus on her health.  She was overcome with emotion just relaying this story to one of our students and really needed someone to listen to her story.  The Belmont team was able to identify her high blood sugar level and recommend her to follow up with her doctor.  The end of this first day left each student feeling proud of the work they accomplished, but also humbled at how hospitable and genuinely happy the Guatemalan people are.

Occupational therapy, music therapy, and physical therapy students traveled to a day program dedicated to children up to 21 years of age who have disabilities. This facility is truly a miracle, and a blessing to experience.  Gricelda, and her husband Eric, along with their adult children run Keramion.  Gricelda was able to tell the students her story about how she was led to serve this population.  She experienced more than one serious health condition, and during that time she felt God gave her the vision of Keramion.  The interpreter, Betty, was so helpful during the day today to relay information between Gricelda, her family, the children and our students.  Everyone was involved in the success of this day, including Keramion’s teacher Elvis, and our driver, Jose.  The students were able to observe and assess each child today to determine their recommendations that they will educate the staff on and implement on Wednesday.  Highlights of this group’s day included one little boy who was mesmerized by Melia’s guitar playing.  This was a great opportunity for our music therapy student to shine.  Another was a little girl who loved to lead the therapists in exercise and gave each student a kiss on the cheek when it was time to leave.  Overall, today was a wonderful first day and we are all looking forward to seeing the blessings the rest of this week has in store for us.

Marissa, Caleb, & Micah

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

 

Prayer Requests for Spring Break Missions

Starting Friday of this weekend we will be sending out all of our spring break Belmont on Mission teams to serve for the next week! Months and months of preparation has led to this point, and it has come time to trust God with our students, leaders, and host organizations. Over the next week, please join us in praying for the groups as they serve. There are so many ways you can be praying, so here is a short list of ways you can be praying that God will be moving and working.

  • Students

    • For low anxiety as they head into a new environment with new people. For the students’ ability to be fully present with their team and the people they will be serving.
    • The journey ahead is long – Belmont on Mission’s vision is for short term mission trips to be more than just a week long, “mountain top” experience. Students will be stepping into a lifelong journey of discerning how they can use their gifts, talents, and abilities to best serve the Kingdom of God. With that, students may discover a way that they can connect their call to serve the Kingdom of God with their vocation! We are praying and seeking growth in heart, mind, and soul.
      • Psalm 143:10

  • Leaders

    • For leaders’ abilities to continuously be able to lead with wisdom and grace in every situation. Also for patience as they navigate group dynamics and foster intentional and empathetic community as they serve. We ask that their ability to create unity among the group will be encouraging to all.
      • 1 Peter 4:7-11

  • Location

    • We pray for the community in which these students and leaders are about to step into. We thank God for the amazing host organizations that groups are working with, and we ask for continued safety and security for everyone.  Please be praying that Belmont on Mission’s presence is not only positive, but effective in the communities that will be welcoming us.
      • Proverbs 19:21

If you have any questions about Belmont on Mission, please reach out!

Mission Trip Resources

In less than a week we will be sending out groups to serve all around the world for spring break! As we near the beginning of spring break, we wanted to remind you all of some of our resources to make sure that your mission trip experience is the best that it can be!  All Belmont on Mission resources can be found on our website.

Leaders, there are numerous resources under the “Team Leaders”  tab which would be hugely beneficial as a supplement to the resources you already have.  From spiritual formation to budgeting tools to risk management— anything you may need is available!

In addition to logistical resources, there are a number of videos, podcasts, blogs, and organizations linked at the bottom of the age.  These are all publishings that highlight the ideas of responsible engagement with poverty, missions, and justice.  We highly encourage you to look towards these resources for inspiration and guidance as you navigate leading a meaningful and purposeful mission trip.

Students, all of these same resources are available to you, should you feel like you need them; however, there is a tab on the website just for you!  Click “Students” to see all the resources and opportunities specially designed for our student body!

If you have any questions or concerns as we head into spring break, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Student Take: Devanie Coombs

Today we have Devanie Coombs talking about her anticipation to serve with DOOR in Denver over spring break!  We are so excited for you to read about Devanie’s heart for missions!

“Hello everyone! My name is Devanie Coombs and I am a Neuroscience major that is going on the Denver Belmont on a Mission.

For me, I serve in our community around Nashville doing elementary outreach with the neuro program or serving our community through mentorship/giving back with my time. What is interesting is that I have never been on a mission’s trip. I am excited to go on the Denver trip because I get to be emerged in a community that needs help, explore my faith and how I can impact Denver’s community through Jesus, and finally, I get to go on this trip with various honors and neuroscience individuals that care about serving and want to express their faith.

For me, this trip is a chance to explore a region I have never been too, see the need of the people I have never met, strengthen my faith in God through serving him, and traveling outside of Nashville, where I have grown up in.”

If you have any questions about upcoming mission trips or Belmont on Mission in general, please reach out!

Trip Spotlight: DOOR Network – Denver, CO

Earlier this semester, we posted a host partner organization spot light on the DOOR Network.  DOOR is an amazing ministry which connects students and teams with their broad network of nonprofits and churches in cities around the country to cultivate long lasting, impactful, and effective change.  DOOR has multiple programs located around the country in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and Miami.  Each program base has specific curriculum that brings the cultural context into account.  This spring break, we have two opportunities to serve with DOOR.  One group will travel to Atlanta, GA and one group will be traveling to Denver, CO.

Denver, CO is a very interesting city, home to a large population of refugees as well as a very welcoming community.  Political leaders have made it a goal for the city to support as many refugees as possible, and it is through the work of volunteers through organizations like DOOR. DOOR is “dedicated to providing life-changing experiences for our participants rooted in relationship and solidarity with local communities and neighborhoods.”  Belmont on Mission is so excited to be partnering with such a great organization.

While in Denver, students will 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.  Students will be working in a young, thriving neighborhood which, unfortunately, it is not immune to the issues of poverty, police brutality, and low performing schools.  In this, Belmont gets to partner with DOOR in community development and immersion in such a beautiful community.

If you have any questions about DOOR or any upcoming Belmont on Mission trips, please reach out!

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!

Program Spotlight: Athletic Missions

Happy Homecoming Week!

Belmont is a service-centered community.  From the classroom to student organizations to mission trips, serving the world in which we live is valued highly.  The sports teams here at Belmont are also very service minded.  Whenever their game and practice schedules allow, our athletes can often be found on the mission field.

Ryan Neises, the coordinator of academic services and sports ministry, works to create and cultivate impactful missions experiences.  Just like Belmont on Mission, the aim of athletic mission trips is to make lasting, effective change.

As a result of busy team travel schedules, it is difficult for members of the athletic community to participate on a spring break trip, like many other Belmont students.  Bearing this in mind, Mr. Neises works tirelessly to make sure that all the athletes have the opportunity to serve on a trip; many athletes have expressed their gratitude for this.  Many teams go on trips over winter break, at the start of the school year, and when school gets out in the spring.

If you have any questions about athletic ministry or Belmont on Mission, please reach out! Be sure to take advantage of the Missions Monday homecoming activities throughout the day!