College Spring Break Missions Experience

COLLEGE

Missions Experience

Campbell Student Perspective

By Ainsley Blasius Campbell University Student

Cooperative Baptist Student Fellowship at Campbell University was able to join BSF Western Carolina with CBSF University of North Carolina Ashville on a mission trip to Charleston, South Carolina over spring break. We worked with Metanoia, an organization focused on asset-based community development, for five days in the North Charleston area. We were able to create a park for the community by cleaning up the area of debris, building a fence and spreading mulch over the area. We also had the opportunity to partner with Water Mission and help them prep for their Walk for Water fundraiser. The team there worked on cleaning tents, loading trailers full of buckets and creating gift bags for donors.

Three members from Campbell went on the trip and it meant a lot for a portion of our group to go. As the newest CBSF group in North Carolina, it was nice to meet students and leaders from other universities who value the Cooperative Baptist expression of faith. Our group was able to make so many new connections with other college students.

For me, it was an amazing experience, because it was my first mission trip and changed the way I think about serving others. Working with Metanoia helped me better understand that missions are more about seeing the value in a person rather than just doing an act of service for them. This experience created a deeper sense of connection for the group as a whole and individuals who attended, myself included.

UNC Asheville Student Perspective

By Zachary McClure UNC Asheville Student

This year during spring break, Baptist Student Fellowship from both Western Carolina and the University of North Carolina Asheville, along with CBSF at Campbell University, were involved with a local mission in Charleston, South Carolina. Our collective group of college students volunteered our time to assist a community development organization called Metanoia. We worked in a neighborhood, located in North Charleston, where we created a park for the local community. The park was built upon the site of a condemned building that was previously removed. Our job was to clean up the remaining debris, build a perimeter fence and create walking paths and sitting areas within the park. During the last two days of the trip, we were given the option to involve ourselves in another organization called Water Mission, and aid them in setting up a fundraiser. Students were able to help carry buckets, clean tents and prepare gift bags for potential donors.

This trip was one of my biggest highlights of my freshman year of college. It was an amazing experience to be able to meet new people from different schools and to collaborate with them to help restore a community.

The best part of the trip was talking to other students that share the same faith as myself and gaining a better understanding of how children of God can come together and do the Lord’s work. This trip inspired all of the students to engage in missions and helped us create friendships that will last far into the future.