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24 January 2012
This year’s selection includes trips to near and far to bring the love of Christ to others.
Linking arms with the Missouri Baptist University students, a group of Romanian children, unable to speak English, communicated through the game of Red Rover.
This outreach to the children occurred on the AMP (A Mighty Passion) mission trip to Romania the summer of 2009.
Some of the AMP mission trip activities center around sports evangelism, door-to-door evangelism, construction, relief work and children’s ministry, said Jonathan White, MBU campus minister.
For 2012, AMP is offering students several mission trip opportunities to Chicago, Haiti and Atlanta.
Informational meetings for the trips will take place in the library reference room from 12-2 p.m. Jan. 26 and Jan. 27.
From 12-12:30 p.m., the Atlanta Urban Plunge trip will be explained; 12:30-1 p.m. the Chicago spring break trip; and both 1-1:30 p.m. and 1:30-2 p.m. the Haiti trip.
The purpose of AMP is “Know Christ. Love students. Impact the world,” White said.
At the informational meetings, students can learn more details about each specific mission trip, including the issue of cost.
Though the cost might seem like a far-off goal, White said a majority of funds for mission trips come from students sending support letters to family and friends.
Joshua Smith, junior, went to Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, the summer of 2010 and 2011.
Smith said Haitians’ way of living in poverty and in an atmosphere of intense heat starkly contrasts with Americans.
Smith’s time there changed his perspective: “It was encouraging to see how their faith flourished in those types of conditions."
Smith described the 10-day trips, involving a few days of vacation Bible school activities of sharing biblical stories to children and handing out evangelistic tracts to villagers.
“Physically, it’s taxing being there,” Smith said. “Conditions are different. You eat two meals a day. It’s hot. You get exhausted but by the end of the day, it feels rewarding.”
Kekua Lupton, senior, shared a similar experience. She went on three mission trips to Haiti and one eight-week trip to East Asia.
“It was a culture shock for sure, especially in Haiti,” Lupton said.
For more information on upcoming trips, come to the informational meetings or contact Jonathan White at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Elizabeth Busekrus is a senior majoring in English. Busekrus is a reporter for Timeline Online.
Email: ebusekrus@yahoo.com