The Break for Change Belize team
Twenty-seven Bryan students and four faculty and staff returned from spending their spring break on various missions trips in the U.S. and Central America. This year, each trip was sponsored by an academic department or a student organization on campus to further build on the skills and interests of individual student groups.
The engineering department took an inaugural trip to Belize to assist H.O.P.E. Mission for Belize with multiple engineering projects, both onsite and at a local school. SSTOP (Students Stopping the Trafficking of Persons) visited the YMCA in Houston, Tx. to learn about immigration policy, refugee work, and anti-human trafficking efforts. The education department continued their annual tradition of partnering with Hope for Opelousas in Louisiana to work with local youth in achieving important life milestones. Finally, the Christian Studies department traveled to Costa Rica to help ESEPA Seminary and a local summer camp, where they focused on community evangelism and construction.
A fifth trip to Grand Goave, Haiti was cancelled due to political unrest. The trip has been rescheduled for next spring break.
Michaela Thomas, graduate assistant for Short-Term Missions, said, “All of the teams accomplished their specific goals, each of which fulfilled a specific need in the communities they went to serve. It was a great experience for them to get off the Hill and put into practice what they are learning in classrooms and at Bryan.”
Four more international trips are scheduled for the summer to the Bahamas, Jamaica, India, and Germany. For more information regarding short-term missions opportunities at Bryan, contact mthomas9328@bryan.edu.