Students at Mississippi College Blessed by Spring Break Mission Trips

Sarah Kelley, an accounting graduate student at MC, enjoying time spent with the local children in Atlacomulco, Mexico.

Serving poor families at medical clinics in Mexico and ministering to new West African immigrants in New York City were among life-changing experiences for Mississippi College students.

Thirty members of MC’s Baptist Student Union traveled thousands of miles for Spring Break mission trips that were nothing short of amazing.

The journey to rural Mexico opened the door for students to share the gospel with children and families in villages while others received free medical and dental care.

“In just a week, I fell in love with the city and every person in it. I learned that when Christ is working through you, love overflows,” said MC graduate student Sarah Kelley, 21, of Memphis. “I became incredibly attached to the people in Atlacomulco. Mission trips show that we are fulfilling the Great Commission, whether those trips be local or worldwide.”

Working on her master’s in accounting, Sarah was so deeply moved by her trip that she’s considering full-time missions-based accounting work, possibly in Mexico.

“God shows His love for us by allowing us to take part in His awesome plan by telling others about His grace and mercy.”

During the mission trip in Mexico, Dr. David Parks and Dr. Virginia Green provided dental and medical care. BSU Director Ben Maddox cut hair and kept tabs on the Mississippi College students during their travels across the border and back home to the Clinton campus.

They worked with young kids at a local Christian school run by the Marrero family. Sarah, who attends Eads Baptist Church in Tennessee, was part of the group leading devotions and playing games with the children.

Located three hours northwest of Mexico City, the remote villages were situated in desert locations with scenic views of the mountains. Over the course of the week, the MC students ministered to more than 160 Mexican children. “It was neat to see what God’s doing in the villages,” Maddox said.

While seven Mississippi College BSU students volunteered in Mexico, eight classmates traveled to New York City, and 15 students took part in missions activities in Panama City, Florida.

Nicole Poole, a 19-year-old elementary education major from Pearl, says her trip to New York was a blessing.

Working with West African and South Asian immigrants in New York, “we got the opportunity to teach women English and work with precious children,” Nicole said. “God truly blessed me on my walk with Him. Missions truly say a lot about our faith.”

There were some battles, too. At one point, the students got lost, walked a mile to a grocery store amid a cold wave in New York, and were overwhelmed at times by the constant rush of millions of people in the Big Apple. “However, the connections we made and the relationships we built, I wouldn’t trade for the world,” says Poole, a member of Meadowgrove Baptist Church in Brandon.

The Spring Break experience in New York City, Jackson Heights, Queens and Brooklyn was just as compelling for 21-year-old Katherine Mooney of Jackson. A rider with the Christian university’s equestrian team, the biology major says the March mission trip to New York was “amazing. It was like we stepped onto the streets of another country.”

Whether they ministered to women from as far away as China or talked to new immigrants from West Africa, the diversity of people they encountered on the streets was astounding. “I just wanted to let everyone of these people know that there is a God that loves them,” Katherine said. “Through everything we experienced, it just made my faith stronger.”

The Baptist Student Union at Mississippi College includes about 300 members. Some of the MC students are already planning their summer 2014 mission trips.

For more information, contact Ben Maddox at 601.925.3397 or Maddox@mc.edu. The BSU also maintains a Facebook page and can be followed on Twitter.