Going Into All the World
Approximately 331 FHU students and chaperones — roughly one-third of those who live on campus — experienced something truly transformative this spring.
Rather than vacationing with friends or spending a quiet week at home during spring break, hundreds of students dedicated their time to service by participating in one of 15 organized mission campaigns. Together, they helped make 11 domestic and four international campaigns possible, often fundraising, planning and coordinating much of the work themselves.
Why do they do it?
According to Michael Moon, mission chair for Omega Chi, “Mission trips will change your life in a way that nothing else can.”
Service in Action
Each of FHU’s five social clubs, along with several other campus groups, organized one or more mission campaigns during the month of March. Domestically, various groups traveled to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Texas and Wisconsin, while others served closer to home in Henderson, Tennessee. International campaigns took students to Cambodia, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Panama.
Omega Chi’s campaign to Anchorage, Alaska, partnered with local congregations to coordinate teaching opportunities, including a Living Museum VBS and a gospel meeting. The group also led worship services and Bible classes while helping meet practical needs in the community.
Additional outreach efforts included cooking, packaging and distributing more than 1,200 meals and over 200 winter-gear bags for the homeless, organizing a clothing and household goods drive, and converting a church classroom room into a sensory room for children with special needs.
Eleven students from Sigma Rho traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, to work with the Safe Harbor Boys Home, a program designed to support young men seeking direction and stability. Through hands-on work with boats, the program teaches responsibility and practical skills. Campaign volunteers spent the week cleaning boats and boatyards, pressure washing, decking and completing other maintenance projects.
Mission head Marlee Gary reflected on the group’s accomplishments, saying, “I was so amazed at what all we could accomplish with 11 people and one week.”
Xi Chi Delta students partner with Hemley Road Church of Christ in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.
Xi Chi Delta students assist with community Easter egg hunt.
Seeing God at Work
For the fifth year, Chi Beta Chi returned to Costa Rica, bringing 37 students and chaperones eager to serve alongside the congregation in Sarchí. In addition to leading a youth camp for Christian teens and hosting VBS programs at two local schools, students spend time doorknocking, conducting in-home Bible studies and inviting community members to nightly gospel meetings.
Throughout the week, the group experienced several encouraging moments, such as reuniting with individuals they had studied with the previous year and witnessing a baptism resulting from their outreach efforts.
In Bayou La Batre, Alabama, a group from Xi Chi Delta partnered with the Hemley Road Church of Christ to assist with a community Easter egg hunt, paint murals, support a food and clothing drive, and hold Bible studies.
Club member Malik James, participating for the second consecutive year, said the experience left a lasting impact. “This trip inspired me in ways I didn’t expect,” he said. “It strengthened my faith, gave me a deeper appreciation for service, and reminded me of the importance of connecting with others through love and compassion.”
Carson Kizer helped organize another Omega Chi campaign to Santa Cruz, Jamaica. One especially meaningful moment came while visiting and singing with sick and elderly residents at a local infirmary.
“What amazed me was that there were people in the infirmary who were completely blind, and yet when we sang ‘Amazing Grace,’ they rang out ‘I was blind, but now I see’ louder than anyone else,” Kizer said. “Their joy and devotion to God in spite of their present circumstances was incredibly awe-inspiring.”
Omega Chi student group with a Santa Cruz Church of Christ member.
Omega Chi students and sponsors partner with the Anchorage Church of Christ during their Alaska mission trip.
Lessons That Last
Though the campaigns lasted only a short time, their impact will remain with many students long after spring break has ended. Participants consistently point to lessons learned through these experiences — lessons about faith, service, culture, teamwork and the world that God created.
Moon said that he encourages every Christian to participate in at least one mission trip during their lifetime. “I believe that it is vital for all members to learn what life as a Christian is like in other parts of the country and world.”
Kizer echoed that sentiment, saying that he would readily recommend mission campaigns to other FHU students.
“Mission campaigns are, in my opinion, the most transformative experiences you can have as a student at FHU,” he said. “Doing the kind of work we did in a place that none of us call home allowed us to broaden our perspective on the world and understand what faith looks like for someone in a completely different culture from us. They reinforce the universal nature of the Christian faith, a faith that transcends cultures and geographic separation.”
