BU’s Mission Club Travels to Ecuador and Spain
This summer, from May 9 through May 16, 2022, two groups of students from Bluefield University’s Mission Club went international.
The first group of students – Ana Barros, Mark Clary, Abigail McComas, Isaiah Rife, Michaela Rose, and Michael Vichiola – along with Bluefield alumni Elishia Pena, Cameron West and Mason West, went to Quito, Ecuador.
Several students spoke about their experience in Ecuador, including Rife who said his favorite part of the trip was spending time with the kids at the orphanage because it was “amazing” to see how the children could love other people, even strangers, when some of the children had the “worst beginning to life that anyone could imagine.” Rife also said the children changed his perspective on life in more ways than one.
“The trip changed me by realizing how blessed I am to have the friends, family, and life that I have today,” he said. “Sometimes us Americans get spoiled with what we have and tend to complain and drag ourselves down over little things that should not even matter.”
Rose, who also served on the mission trip to Ecuador, shared why she wanted to go on the journey in the first place. She said she was hesitant at first because she had never been out of the country and so far away from home, but after a week of praying and asking God what his plan was, she decided to go.
“The way God worked on this trip was absolutely amazing,” Rose said. “He showed me how much we have here and how blessed we are with everything we have. Not only that, but he also showed me what one of my paths could be after I finish my degree here at Bluefield University.”
In Ecuador, the students helped the orphanage employees by feeding the babies, painting wagons, helping to rebuild a nursery, providing activities, and monitoring the children.
The second group of students – John Balthazar, Elise Clary, Laurel Romano, Antowyne Shaw, Hannah Shockley, and Dr. Henry Clary, BU’s director of vocation, calling and mission – went to Madrid, Spain. Shaw shared how they served the people in Madrid.
“I think the trip helped the people we served because even though we were foreigners, we were kind faces who genuinely wanted them to be connected to the church and inform them of the gospel,” he said. “We did that by talking to students at the University of Spain, handing out the gospel of Mark, and sharing our testimonies at the church service.”
Shaw added that it was challenging to share the gospel in Spain with people who aren’t accustomed to Christians attempting to share the word of God as it is more typical in the United States.
“I’ve said that talking about God to people in Spain is like talking to a brick wall because most of the time you will be politely declined or outright ignored,” he said. “Because of that reality, there’s a big emphasis on forming relationships with people before mentioning the gospel.”
Shockley, who also served on the mission trip to Spain, said the country was a secular country, and younger generations, university students, and professors typically did not want anything to do with religion. She added that the trip made her appreciate the Christian community she lives in and all the opportunities she has on BU’s campus to grow her faith.
Bluefield University’s Mission Club has changed many people’s lives, and those people have also changed the students’ lives. For more information on how to get involved in the Mission Club, email Dr. Henry Clary at hclary@bluefield.edu.
Additional insights from Mission Club students.
“I enjoyed the fellowship with other believers and overall just being able to serve on the mission field again. We helped assist the Tias in taking care of the children throughout the day by taking them for walks, entertaining them with games, presenting Bible lessons, and feeding the babies. The trip shifted my perspective on life and taught me that I need to be more grateful for what I have. More than anything, I learned just how powerfully the Lord can be working in the lives of these little kids, and that gives me hope.” – Mark Clary
“One of the things that the trip did to help me was that it was as if God was teaching not just me, but everyone something every day. Of course, we can say that the big one is that we’re called to serve, even if it means hopping on a plane and flying halfway across the world. For me specifically, going to Ecuador helped me in taking that first step to helping spread Jesus outside of the US, and it was great to see what he’s doing even now. And I’m wondering already what Jesus is going to do when I go to Spain and the other team goes to Ecuador next semester. God is good.” – Michael Vichiola