Something that many students find impactful during their time at Azusa Pacific University is the opportunity to have genuine conversations about their faith both in and out of the classroom. This helped to prepare Maya Diaz ’28, an international business and digital marketing and design double major with an honors humanities minor, for the conversations and experiences she had during her time on a Global Engagement trip to Spain this summer.
Diaz was drawn to the Spain trip because she speaks Spanish, so the language would be familiar while the setting would be new. The trip also emphasized working with local vendors and businesses, something that interested her as an international business major. While she didn’t know what to expect spiritually having never been on a Global Engagement trip before, Diaz was excited to serve in Santiago de Compostela, one of the most religious places in the world with notable significance to her Catholic faith.
The team participated in a variety of ministries that provided opportunities for immersing themselves in the culture. Diaz and the team worked with a local farmer to sell produce at her store that serves pilgrims, nonprofits, and the less fortunate in the community. They put together food baskets at the store and delivered them to locals as well. The store also sold soap made by women who have experienced domestic violence and trauma as a way to provide them with a source of income to eventually leave their negative situations. Later, the team visited local stores and participated in Sample Santiago, an event that encouraged pilgrims to involve themselves in the local culture through food, counseling, and community instead of just completing their walk on the Camino and leaving.
For three days, the team walked the Camino, a 40 mile pilgrimage. “It’s one of the
main attractions of the area, but we also wanted to relate to the pilgrims and be
able to have that shared experience to build relationships,” Diaz said. The walk was
a powerful spiritual experience, and it also allowed Diaz to participate in unexpected
relational ministry. On the final day of walking, she met an older woman from Texas
who decided to go on the pilgrimage after losing her husband and wanting to walk with
God while finding her new identity and leaning into her Catholic faith. The two walked
together and shared stories of their childhoods.
While it was an impactful journey, it was also challenging. Diaz successfully completed
the pilgrimage while learning that God is with us through our challenges. “We were
in an unfamiliar place, but we reminded ourselves that we were doing this with God
and that was why it was possible.”
Two of the girls on the team, including Diaz, were Catholic while the other two members came from a nondenomenational faith background. They all had the chance to attend a Catholic mass in one of the cathedrals, and it served as an opportunity for open conversations about faith between the girls. “I was able to share my faith, and for them to understand what being Catholic means to me was really special,” she said. The team also grew closer by exploring the area, trying new foods, going to the beach, and talking about their shared experiences and backgrounds. They were even able to bond with some of the girls from the host organization.
Diaz’s time in Spain taught her the importance of recognizing and appreciating people’s cultural, spiritual, and experiential differences. “For anyone going on a Global Engagement trip, have fun and be open minded about different cultural experiences,” she said. “Don’t cross compare things, just immerse yourself. God made us all different for a reason, so have fun looking into all the aspects of God’s creation.”