At Biola, the message of “impacting the world for Jesus Christ” is a common theme that threads itself in chapels, class lectures and even everyday conversations, as students discuss what it means to be disciples of Jesus. The Student Missionary Union’s Short-Term Missions Department actively walks this out by assembling and equipping students for the mission trips that go out each winter and summer break.

To the ends of the earth

This year, SMU sent out four teams: team France, team India, team Dominican Republic and team Indonesia.

Team France, led by junior intercultural studies major Emily Kearns and junior biblical studies major Ryan Robinson, journeyed into the French Alps to work at an organization called Champfleuri. With their team of one man and four women, they ministered in the cities of Grenoble, Albertville and Valence. According to Kearns, their main mission there was to do what the French people do by skiing and snowshoeing through the Narnia-like alps, connecting and ministering with the local youth and serving the communities through service projects.

Sharing the gospel in France

One of their most powerful experiences came through their productions of the Lifehouse “Everything” skit, which portrays the power of Jesus’ redemption. Each member of the team played a role in the skit, with Robinson acting as Jesus. Kearns explained that despite not being able to speak French, they were able to share the gospel through the skit. Even though the locals could not understand the words of the song, she continued, they were visibly moved by the performance and message being told.

Reaching India

Junior Lauren Belieff and Natalie Anna led their team to India to work with the Dahlite people. For the first part of the trip, the girls worked at a women’s center, where they were able minister to a number of women who had been brought out sex trafficking and prostitution. “It was sad and touching to know a little bit of their background,” Anna said. “It’s very amazing to know the hope we have in Christ.”

After working at the women’s center, the team went to minister in a school where children were brought out of the slums and given an education. This school was a place of refuge, especially for the young girls, Anna said, because it brought them out of the streets where they were susceptible to being kidnapped and trafficked. Anna commented that the highlight for the team as a whole was to go into the slums and see the poverty and depravity, because the team was full of love for the Hindu people there.

Change of plans in the Caribbean

Originally, team Dominican Republic was set to go to Haiti. However, due to the cholera outbreak and political unrest in Haiti, the group had to change destinations at the last minute . With a determination to keep going as a team, leaders Conner Cress and Chauntae Richardson led their team to Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital city, as well as the mountain community of Manobou.

“We entered into this team to glorify God and act in obedience to his calling,” they said. “It therefore did not matter what country he placed us in… He was guiding and leading us and we needed to trust in him.”

Despite the last minute changes and having very little knowledge of the work they would be doing in the country, team Dominican Republic went ready to serve. They worked mostly with youth, and helped with light construction work in both cities, building steps in an office building and building doors at a local Manobou church. “This was one of the greatest forms of ministry that God ended up raising for his glory,” Richardson said. “God was so good to our team and he used us to truly accomplish what he had set out for us to do.”

Team Indonesia looks towards the long-term

Lastly, junior biblical studies major Brandon Pettit and junior intercultural studies major Alisha Elmo led a team to various cities throughout Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bandung and Makassar, a city on the island of Sulawesi. They worked primarily with the Jaffray Seminary, ministering and connecting with students there, who come at their own risk from all over the Indonesian islands to study the Bible. The team lived on the campus, and began their trip by visiting different cities and islands. Although Elmo said it felt like sight-seeing, the team was able to engage and observe the culture which empowered them to more effectively interact and minister to the people at the seminary and the other local churches where they also served.

Through their connections with the seminary and the students, Elmo said the team has decided to continue their relationship with the school in hopes of sharing resources that Biola has with the students of Jaffray. “[Being there] made us realize that there is potential for connection between Biola and Jaffray,” Elmo said. “They have such a potential to reach their own people.”