For the first time ever, Campbellsville University is sending a group of students on a mission trip to Peru, looking for a journey of faith, service and cultural connection. Guided by Trent Creason, the director of student activities at Campus Ministry, and Edgar Canales, a local Peruvian pastor and father of CU student Shalem Canales, the team will engage in community and worship alongside local churches and schools in southern Peru.
“For me, it’s a great blessing to know that college students can come to Peru,” Pastor Canales said. “This will allow them to experience another culture.”
The group departs the night of July 20 and will arrive in Peru the following morning. During their stay, the students will be based near the city of Arequipa, where they will work with local ministries to serve in schools, churches and neighborhood programs.
Josie Smallwood, a freshman majoring in political science, has always wanted to go on a mission trip.
“I’ve always wanted to go on a mission trip, but I didn’t feel called to a specific one, until Shalem invited me to Peru,” she said. “It just felt like a great opportunity I needed to take.”
For Smallwood, this is her first time traveling outside of the United States, and the experience promises to be both spiritually and culturally enriching. Still, committing to the trip wasn’t simple. The financial cost and stepping into the unknown were initial concerns.
“Saying yes to this trip felt like saying yes to God, even though the price scared me at first,” she said. “It’s a step of obedience.”
That attitude of surrender and faith is something that Trent Creason, one of the group’s leaders, encourages in all students considering missions.
“If you are walking with the Lord, you’re becoming prepared to be on mission. It’s not complicated,” he said.
He also encourages students to think beyond the trip itself.
“Sadly, we’re often more intentional about living out our faith on a mission trip than we are in our everyday lives,” he said. “What would happen if we flipped that?”
As the students prepare to go, Pastor Canales believes this trip will impact the visitors and every group they encounter.
“I’m really excited to welcome this team,” he said. “It’s not only about them coming to serve. We also believe God will use their visit to bless us, too.”
As he explained, the gains go both ways: the students will bring energy and encouragement to the churches, but they will also give the vitality of the Peruvian community and the challenges they face daily.
“Sometimes we forget that missions are not a one-way street,” Canales said. “We’re all part of God’s family. When they come here, we learn from each other.”
Smallwood, for her part, is ready to see whatever surprises the country holds.
“I picture Peru as a very mountainous and historical country,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to seeing how God moves through me and through the people around.”
