A mission trip is a short-term trip in which a group of people come together to help a community in need. Campbellsville University has been doing this type of trip for many years and plans to do several more.
University Minister Trent Creason, who also serves as the director of student activities at Campus Ministry, is one of the people in charge of making these trips happen.
“One of the main objectives of this type of trip is to help the students grow as people,” he said. “To give them a time and a place to evolve spiritually.”
For example, CU’s last mission trip in December of 2024 was to Atlanta, Georgia, where students and staff helped refugee children have fun, do their school assignments, and helped them with different needs.
“What I was looking for in this retreat was to obey God and to learn,” Shalem Canales, a Peruvian student at CU, said. “I wanted to replicate what Jesus did when he was on earth.”
This type of trip marks a turning point in the lives of the students who participate.
“It was an unforgettable experience,” she said. “I learned to be comfortable in the discomfort because working with refugees was something new for me and I learned everything they went through to get to that situation.”
Allan Garcia, a Cuban student, faced some challenges during the trip.
“It was a little uncomfortable because none of the refugees spoke Spanish or English, so it was a challenge to communicate with them,” he said.
“Anyway, it was a very special trip for me, because I could get out of my comfort zone a little bit more to help the others.”
Both students agreed it was a unique experience and that living among different people and cultures within the same group was amazing.
This year, Campus Ministry has several trips planned. During spring break there will be a trip to Texas and during the summer there will be three more trips to Northern Ireland, Puerto Rico and Peru.
Creason invites anyone interested in going on a mission trip to follow Campus Ministry’s Instagram page, @cu_campusmin.
“In 15 years working at the university, I have never seen anyone regret going on a mission trip,” he said. “You will always come back better than you left.”
