Tag: Missions

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!

Trip Spotlight: CHS Guatemala and CoffeeMed

In addition to the immersion and international Belmont on Mission trips over spring break, many colleges within Belmont hold discipline specific trips. The College of Health Sciences routinely runs international trips to conduct health screenings for the people they serve. Over the past few springs, CHS has travelled to Guatemala to serve in this way.

In March, students and faculty in nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and social work will be travelling to Antigua, Guatemala to provide some basic health care to the workers on Guatemalan coffee plantations. Students and leaders will provide health screenings, patient teaching programs, and medicines and vitamins to the citizens in Antigua. In providing this vitally important aid, the plantation workers are reminded of their humanity in the midst of less than ideal working conditions.

Students are expected to raise the funds to pay for this trip via the CoffeeMed program. The CoffeeMed program is a really important interdisciplinary partnership that enables interaction between the commercial coffee industry and the healthcare industry. Students sell coffee from Kafes Guatemals in their local communities to fund the trip, which covers the cost of medical supplies and more. Here is a video of Belmont student’s involvement with CoffeeMed from March 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OePGDG4wZA

If you have any questions about upcoming mission trips, or the CHS Guatemala mission, 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!

Host Partner Spotlight: Praying Pelican Missions

Each spring, Belmont students travel with Belmont on Mission all over the world to serve the Kingdom of God. While some teams stay in the United States to serve more locally, many teams travel abroad. In doing this, it is really important that groups partner with organizations that are well established in that area because those organizations know the context that students will be stepping into. In doing this, Belmont students are able to effectively serve and have a lasting impact.

This march, a group of students will be traveling to the Dominican Republic to serve with Praying Pelican Missions. Praying Pelican Missions connects the local church on a global level through short-term mission trips. Praying Pelican Missions acts as a catalyst for groups who wish to serve. They organize groups to work directly alongside local ministries where they can work to meet the real needs of the community. Praying Pelican Missions has the goals of genuine, long-term impact in healthy short-term mission trips. This is achieved through genuine partnerships, long-term relationships, and sustainable ministry.

In just over a month students will be in the Dominican Republic beginning their ministry. Students will do a variety of service projects with many different organizations in the community. If you have any questions about Praying Pelican Missions, or any upcoming International trips, 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!

Host Partner Spotlight: Casas por Cristo

Over spring break, many Belmont students spend a week serving with Belmont on Mission. Groups of Belmont students travel to numerous locations both in the United States and abroad. International trips are a chance to be immersed in a local culture outside the U.S., grow in understanding of the cares and concerns of those communities, and promote fellowship and mutuality in your interactions with others. In other words, while there are opportunities to serve and complete projects, the emphasis is on learning and relationship.

This spring, a group of students will travel to Acuña, MX to partner with Casas por Cristo in the mission of building a house for a family who needs to be reminded of God’s love for them. For over 25 years, Casas por Cristo has been fulfilling their mission of building and serving the kingdom of God; there are now over 5,000 CPC homes in the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and soon Nicaragua.

During their time in Acuña, students will be building the Kingdom of God in more ways than one. Casas por Cristo seeks to build homes, relationships, and opportunities for growth. In striving to build the Kingdom, CPC cultivates opportunities for growth in structured experiences. Through these structured experiences, CPC builds relationships between people who, otherwise, would never have met.

The service that Casas por Cristo provides to so many communities is amazing. Through the building process, there are unique opportunities presented to us by God to serve each other. CPC’s guiding statement is as follows: “We are dedicated to meeting the physical need of better housing as a ways of also meeting the spiritual need for Jesus Christ.”

Belmont on Mission is so excited to be partnering with such a wonderful organization. If you have any questions about upcoming mission trips or Belmont on Mission in general, please reach out!

Student Take: Calla Quinn

Today, Calla is sharing about her experiences so far serving in Tennessee, and her anticipation in serving with Border Servant Corps in El Paso, TX over spring break. We are excited for you to hear Calla’s take on preparing to go on Mission with Belmont on Mission!

“I grew up in church and have had experience serving primarily in the Nashville area. Never having been on mission out-of-state, I am equally excited and curious to go on Immersion to El Paso!

I chose this trip for several reasons, but what first caught my attention was the circumstances of the people we’ll be serving. As a pre-law student interested in immigration policy, I was drawn to this trip in particular because I know it will provide me with insight and fuel my passion for serving the underserved. The opportunity to encounter such a divisive subject in a fiercely direct and personal way will offer me a broader perspective and help me better understand the cultural and political dynamics surrounding this issue.

That being said, there are plenty of things about this trip that scare me (in a good way). I know I am going to experience things that push me out of my comfort zone and leave me with more questions than answers. Many of the folks with whom I’ll interact are living as marginalized people in every capacity; racially, culturally, and economically they are frequently categorized as “unwanted.” I hope to unlearn my ignorance through this trip by navigating uncharted waters. Most of all, I hope to grow in my relationship with God by learning and developing the ways in which I’m called to show others His love.”

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

Host Partner Spotlight: Border Servant Corps

Each spring, many Belmont students choose to spend their spring breaks on a mission trip with Belmont on Mission. Some students participate in Immersion trips, which 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 have the opportunity to see what God is doing through domestic churches and ministries, and join them in awareness and mission.

In just under two months, students will work with Border Servant Corps in promoting and demonstrating justice, kindness, and humility. This will be achieved through the exploration of community, simplicity, social justice, and spirituality in the U.S./ Mexico border region. In every interaction, Border Servant Corps functions out of the call in Micah 6:8 to “Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly.”

Students will travel to El Paso, TX to experience accompaniment-style immersion, during which they engage relationship and first-hand educational experiences about border issues, and community engagement, ensuring that members of the community are also engaged and immersed in the education and service of the borderlands.

Border Servant Corps seeks to love those who are in the midst of trying times, and educate those who have the ability to serve them. If you have any questions about Border Servant Corps or upcoming Immersion trips, please reach out!

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!