Children’s ministry is a popular form of service. Azusa Pacific University’s Global Engagement trips give students the opportunity to work with children while learning about themselves, growing closer to their teammates, and strengthening their relationship with God. Six APU students spent four weeks in Honduras this summer on a Global Engagement trip. Students focused on serving impoverished children in the community through a partnership with an education and meal providing organization called Footsteps Missions, but were also surprised to find how God worked to make their team feel like a family.
One of the leaders on the trip was Kristina Yee ’24, a nursing major and psychology and nutrition double minor. Yee was a part of the Honduras Global Engagement team the previous summer and felt called to go back. “I was so moved by the purpose of the organization and have a strong desire to deepen my faith,” she said. “I continued to pray about returning Honduras this past year, and I believe the Lord called me to join the team again to grow on my personal faith journey.”
Senior social work major Nicholas Marquez ’25 decided to apply to be on the Honduras team for a chance to grow in his relationship with God and put his passion for service into practice. “I’ve been on four Global Engagement trips so far, but this trip allowed me to gain a different perspective on service as a participant rather than as a leader,” he said. Although there were financial challenges at first, Marquez was driven by the opportunity to work with kids and decided to apply. He trusted that God would provide and knew he could figure out the details later on.
APU students spent a few days planning and the next three weeks serving the children. Students worked in the organization’s Garden of Love and Hope Children Centers. The organization’s staff welcomed APU students as family and were inspirations to the team. “It was important to me to have genuine conversations with the people working in the ministry for advice,” Marquez said. “Some of the staff have been working with the organization for more than 20 years and don’t plan to change their career paths. The community was like a family, and they inspired me to look forward to my future plans in ministry.”
At the beginning of each day, APU students would read daily devotionals. “We started reading Philippians, and one of the excerpts in my Bible described the importance of finding unconventional joy in unexpected places,” Yee said. “I continually reminded myself that there was so much joy in the beautiful place I was at and that I should take in as much of it as I could.” The idea of unconventional joy is something that Yee would like to embrace in her own life and see spread at APU.
Marquez’s experience on Global Engagement trips and time in the social work program has given him opportunities to find his passion in children’s ministry. “I’ve volunteered with youth in the past, but I didn’t expect such a big difference in an environment where there was a language barrier,” Marquez said. “The children only spoke Spanish, but I found ways around the challenge. I used my actions and nonverbal communication as a way to show the children that I genuinely cared for them.”
Children went to the gardens to receive food and education. Many of the children do not have food at home, so the organization provided them meals at school. During meal times, APU students served food and talked with the kids. Marquez shared an impactful memory of his interactions with a little girl who joined the team for dinner. She noticed a little boy and his two younger siblings sitting by themselves. The girl offered to share her drink with them since they were homeless and had no food. “Afterwards, she told me she hoped they would get taken in and helped,” Marquez said. “For her to care for kids even younger than herself is amazing and something that I carry with me.”
Since making food for the children is one of the organization’s key components, APU students repainted the kitchen. The main cook wanted to brighten up the room with yellow paint, but students also included drawings related to the five bread and two fish biblical story.
Other ways students served included playing games, worshiping, tutoring, leading crafts, and preparing classroom activities. APU students also were invited to join the children’s annual camping retreat. They stayed in cabins, played games, and learned Biblical stories. Yee said that her favorite part of camp was worshiping around the campfire on the last night. “All the kids shared their gratitude for the work the staff had put into preparing the event and recalled their favorite memories and games that our team had planned.”
Having been on a previous Honduras Global Engagement trip, Yee found herself comparing the trips. “I kept reminding myself to let go of all expectations and welcome change because change can be such a beautiful thing,” she said. “Our team faced many challenges, and I struggled with the idea that I wasn’t a good enough leader. In those moments, I reminded myself that God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”
An important aspect of Marquez’s time in Honduras centered around the relationships he formed with his team leaders, including Yee. “Ministry is often emotional and everyday can be challenging, but I began connecting with my leaders about how they were doing,” he said. “I recognized that we all came to serve with our own stories and pasts that help us bring our individual perspectives to the table.” Trust in team members is a key component to successful Global Engagement trips. “These conversations allowed me to be vulnerable for the first time in a long time,” Marquez said.
“I see my team as my family now, and they made all the difference in helping me to let go of any doubts I had and be fully present in the last week of the trip.”
While the team grew closer, so did Marquez’s relationship with the Lord. “I got baptized on New Year’s Eve, and it’s important to me to stay in touch with my faith, but it’s easy for everyday life to get in the way,” he said. “It was challenging to put my trust in God on the trip, but I want to help people with all that I have, and this was a great opportunity to do that. Going to Honduras was the best decision I could’ve made because I felt truly connected with God.”
Yee also felt that her goal to deepen her faith was met in Honduras. “Prior to committing to leading the team, I wasn’t sure about my post grad plans,” she said. “I prayed to be put in a position where my only option was to trust in God. Although the trip presented many challenges for our team, I recognized that God was fulfilling my request and helping me to lean on Him. As I step into post grad life and the uncertainties of the future, I know that when I trust in Him my mind will be at peace!”
Global Engagement trips are ideal for people who love to serve others, but Marquez advises APU students interested in applying to recognize that everyone serves differently. “To serve is to be called, and not everyone has the same kind of passion for service,” he said. “It’s important to stick to your why and realize that doing this work will bring you endless amounts of joy. Not everyone’s calling is the same, and it’s great to stay true to yourself while remembering that all service is about spreading the word of God.”
Yee found that her passion for nursing has influenced her call to serve others. “As I step into a profession that is centered around service, I believe that service is being the hands and feet of Jesus,” she said. “When we serve, our gratitude for our Lord grows exponentially. We are able to follow His example by helping other children of God meet their material, spiritual, and emotional needs.” No matter how or where a person serves, Yee believes that service is an important step to take on one’s faith journey. She shared that her time in Honduras enabled her to experience gratitude in a different way and altered her mindset on life. “My experiences with Global Engagement trips have been the catalyst for developing my faith,” she said.
Similar to Yee’s nursing career, Marquez aspires to enter a career serving others through ministry, and his time in Honduras solidified his passion for his goals. “It’s a rare opportunity that you get to go out of the country to serve children,” Marquez said. “Supporting others came naturally on the trip, and I look forward to bringing this kind of service into my future ministry experiences. I’m grateful I had this opportunity because I know I made a difference in people’s lives. I believe I served God well in Honduras, and it was a pleasure going on a Global Engagement trip with APU.”