Global Service Trip applications are open for spring break and the summer.

Global Service Trips are cross-cultural service and learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff, and alumni. These trips are shorter in length, usually about 1-2 weeks in length. A small group of students and two faculty members go to help with nonprofit organizations and local communities.

This year, there are three trips which include:

• Memphis, Tennessee during spring break with Service Over Self Memphis
• Jinotega, Nicaragua during the summer with Mision Para Cristo
• Ateiku, Ghana in the summer with Ateiku Christian Ministries

“The three trips that we are going on this year are new to Global Service Trips,” said Savannah Gery, travel coordinator for the Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service.

The Memphis, Tennessee trip will include students aiding in roofing and home repairs for underprivileged families. It will last from March 10-15 and the fundraising goal is $400 to participate. There are only three spots left.

During the summer, Jinotega, Nicaragua will have options for what service opportunities a student can participate in. These options include sports with at-risk youth, companionship for young mothers-to-be, VBS shadowing medical professionals, water and sanitation, community gardens and more. This trip will last from May 19-30 and the fundraising goal is $2,000.

The last trip will be in the summer at Ateiku, Ghana. This trip also has options for what a student can participate in which include website development, water and sanitation, agriculture, evangelism, capturing stories and creating media, accounting and procurement, assisting nurses, assisting teachers and more. This trip will last from June 2-15 and and the fundraising goal is $3,300.

These trips are funded in a variety of ways, which include fundraising. Group fundraising is used to ensure that every student who wants to participate has the opportunity. This means that, if a student were to raise more than they need, it would go to another. The Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service will help students navigate how to fundraise and the different ways that they can do this. People who want to donate can do so on the website.

Along with Global Service Trips, the Halbert Center offers students two other ways to engage in cross-cultural service and learning which include Worldwide Witness and Wildcat Academics on Mission.

Worldwide Witness trips consist of, on average, two students with a duration of two to three months. These trips are summer mission internships for all students. Students’ destination and type of work depend on their skills and interests. To fund these trips, students can also fundraise to cover the cost.

WAM is a three-week trip that is worked into degree plans. The Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service collaborates with departments to create a cross-cultural development project in their major, which they then go implement in the partnering community. Students will fundraise $750 for this trip. These participants receive six hours of credit (three hours in their major and three hours of Bible requirements).

“I took away how good God is and seeing God from a different perspective,” said Kaylee Hawes, sophomore nursing major from Flower Mound and participant of the WAM program. “Find a way to do it because it will change your life.”

For any questions or concerns, reach out to missions@acu.edu

or apply to join a 2024 Global Service Trip here.