Forgoing beach towels, Carson-Newman students use spring break to help others

Dozens of Carson-Newman students recently returned from a spring break week that was anything but traditional. Grouped in teams, students took part in multiple mission trips around the globe – helping others, gaining real-world experience, and showing the love of Christ.

Students boarded planes traveling to Los Angeles, Hawaii and Honduras, while a team of nursing students took part in a medical mission trip to Ecuador. Carson-Newman also partnered with Morristown’s Arrowhead Church to send a team to southeast Asia.

Sophia Folk, a freshman dietetics major, was part of the team serving in Honduras. She recalled how the group was challenged to report where they saw God at the end of each day. For Folk, it was in the face of children. From the smile of a six-year-old, to a conversation about faith with an 8^th grade girl, each contact proved impactful. “These small interactions,” said Folk, “showed me how God sees joy in His children.”

From working a soup kitchen in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, to collaborating with Baptist Collegiate Ministries at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, students, along with C-N faculty and staff, worked to make a difference in the lives of many while sharing a message of hope.

“Watching our students share the gospel, pray for others, and participate in compassion ministry is truly a blessing,” said Jeremiah Young, director of C-N’s Campus Ministries, who oversaw the LA trip. “Carson-Newman invests in their students to allow them these opportunities to learn what it means to be a servant-leader. I consider it a blessing to have the privilege to lead students on these trips every year.”