A Trip with a Mission
“Mission trips, mission trips, mission trips…” You may hear or see these words continuously amongst peers, at the chapel, in your email, or on posters. And you may be wondering what exactly a mission trip is? Is it an Indiana Jones mission, or a Mission Impossible adventure? It is a trip with a mission to be the hands and feet of Jesus doing kingdom work within and beyond the nation.
This experience is organized through the Shalom Project. For the 25-26 academic year, nine mission trips are being hosted. Students are being trained and are preparing to go to places such as; Argentina, Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Inez Kentucky, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, and Zambia.
On these trips, students can engage in culture, learn, serve in numerous ways, and grow in their connection with God while doing his work. The idea of these mission trips is to restore Shalom, to find ways to restore what is broken, and bring love and peace to places that need it.
The Argentina mission trip, scheduled for May 2026, is a Media Mission Trip. Media Mission trips are more focused on finding ways to share media skills and technology internationally. Students and faculty can teach media skills to people in different countries so that they can use media technology to further expand the kingdom of God.
This year, Shalom Project is partnering with the ONU Communication Department to host a media camp for youth in Argentina. The camp will teach children to do things such as photography, video, radio, and digital content creation.
You can learn more details by visiting the Shalom Project website.
Why Should YOU Go on a Mission Trip?
With prayer, on your personal journey with God, you will know when it’s the right time for you to go. When you say yes, God will equip you every step of the way. Always ensure you keep an open heart and open ear to hear where the Lord is calling you. There are places all around the world experiencing brokenness, so you may have the opportunity to help.
From a December 1, 2025 article issued in BBC News, Flora Drury said, “The death toll in the floods which struck Indonesia last week has now climbed to more than 500, with rescue workers still battling to reach affected areas.” Indonesia is one of many places around the globe facing destruction, hopelessness, and lack of resources. Mission trips are designed to go out and restore. So, in addition to going on a mission trip, research and see ways to help or pray for locations domestically and internationally that need shalom.
From the 2001 Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development, Stephen T. Beers analyzed data from students who participated in mission trips and said, “The strongest development was in ‘sensitivity to cultural diversity,’ increased experiences of a ‘sense of well-being,’ and an increase in the ‘connection with a community of believers’ as the major aspects of their development.”
Maori Brown’s Extraordinary Experience
Maori Brown is a graduate student getting her master’s degree at Olivet. She has attended three summer media mission trips: Paraguay, Netherlands, and Guatemala. She got to experience a new culture, record stories, and gain a lot of wisdom as she served.
“The experience in itself is a blessing and something that God moves through,” Brown said.
In addition to the culture exposure, opportunity to serve, and a deepened connection with God on the trip, Brown appreciated the new connections she made in these experiences.
“What’s so unique about mission trips is that you don’t know everyone who’s in the group…and you meet people in these different countries that you end up building a strong tie together,” she said.
