Education
AN EDUCATOR’S DREAM:
A Heart of Service
for Students By Markie Bazzy, Ozark Adventist Academy English & Drama Teacher
“Yes! I would be happy to,” I said in response to Mitzi’s request for a donation to the school’s mission trip. “Really?” She seemed surprised at my quick response. “Of course! It is my pleasure to help you go on this mission trip.” As a former missionary who served 12 years in the mission field, it is indeed my pleasure to see my students excited about participating in a mission trip— even if they are a high school senior and it’s their fourth trip. As an educator, not only do I teach in my subject area, but I also desire for my students to experience God in every way possible on an Adventist academy campus—especially through mission trips. The benefits of being
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part of a mission trip are numerous for students. There are things we teach in the classroom that are reflected in service through mission work: empathy, teamwork, life choices and spiritual growth.
Empathy
Throughout the New Testament, we read that Jesus had compassion for the people He met daily. For a student who is stressed by homework and daily life in a first-world country, compassion may not be a frequent occurrence. But send that same student on a mission trip, whether national or international, and they see the struggles of people who just need the basics: food, water, shelter. Morgan Wolzen, a 2020
graduate of Ozark Adventist Academy (OAA), says, “Mission trips opened my eyes to what exists beyond my ‘Adventist bubble.’”
Teamwork
Educators include group work in their classroom to facilitate working as part of a team. Mission trips do the same. Whether coordinating a Vacation Bible School, evangelistic series or building project, the team members have to work together to accomplish their goal. Derek Timms, current Religion teacher at OAA and 2005 graduate, participated in building a church in Mexico. Since his team was mainly OAA students, they already knew how to work together, and they were able to
