Students will have the opportunity to go on two international mission trips for the first time.
The first trip is Jan. 1-7 to Belmopan, Belize. The second trip will be to the Bahamas in May.
Students will do construction work on both trips. The first one will be at a Methodist high school in Belize and the second on homes in the Bahamas.
Students can receive one hour of course credit for going on one of the mission trips.
“This year the trips are being offered concurrently through the study abroad office,” said the Rev. Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for church relations. “The students will meet for class once before the trip and once after the trip and have a reflection paper on the trip.”
The base cost of each trip is $700. If students want to take the trip for course credit, there is an extra charge of $500 for tuition. The extra tuition cost will be covered by full tuition scholarships or the block tuition rate if the trip is within the 16 credit hours allowed.
“We’re able to keep the costs for the trip low because of a grant we receive from the Woodworth Estate through the United Methodist Church,” Neff said. “It allows for about a $500 scholarship for each student, so the cost for them stays at $700, which is about the cost of the airline tickets.”
Belize and the Bahamas are both English-speaking countries.
“It allows our students to enter into relationships with our hosts and the people they encounter much faster than in a non-English speaking country,” Neff said. “Relationships form, some of them blossom into friendships. Many of our students come away with lasting friendships in these foreign countries.”
Oct. 1 is the deadline to register for the Belize trip, with a $250 refundable deposit. The Bahamas registration deadline most likely will be March 1.
Many students are already showing interest in the trips and have registered to go.
“I am excited about the trip because I love experiencing new cultures and having the opportunity to serve others,” said Madison Snow, biomedical science sophomore.
Brooke Irwin, nursing junior, said she is excited about the chance to serve in a foreign country.
“I’ve always had a passion for missions,” she said. “I started going on mission trips when I was 12 years old, and I have loved every single one of them. I believe that it’s very important to give back, and not only do I get to travel, but I also get to help others in need. To me, that is so rewarding.”
KC Curry, religion freshman, said she feels a higher calling to go on mission trips.
“I mainly want to go because it’s what I feel called to do,” she said. “I’m really excited to see how the people of Belize go about daily life and be there with them.”
There will be a nursing school trip to Belize at the same time as the Belize mission trip, led by Pam Boeck, clinical nursing instructor.
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