This past Monday in chapel, the Mitchell Center for Leadership and Ministry announced plans for the 2013 spring break missions campaigns. This being the second year for the Mitchell Center to organize spring break missions, the office has arranged 18 different mission trips for March 2013, including seven new trips this year.
Some of the new trips include Atlanta, Ga.; Huntsville, Ala.; Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Ecuador and Panama. Already existing trips include Riverhead, N.Y.; Stockton, Calif.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Natick, Mass.; Chandler, Ariz.; Port Angeles, Wash., Jamaica, Honduras and Nicaragua.
According to Brandon Tittle, assistant director of the Mitchell Center, although the center is still working with the supporting congregations and planning different work projects, the various locations offer a number of service opportunities ranging from helping teach VBS and tutoring to building houses.
“One of the churches and organizations we’re working with in Atlanta has kind of adopted a trailer park,” Tittle said. “They run an after-school program for low-income families. I know they do tutoring and I think they are going to also do a little VBS type of thing. For most of the trips, the churches won’t know exactly the specifics for projects until closer to January.”
Mitchell Center office assistant senior Katie McCafferty said that volunteers do whatever needs done.
“A lot of times the trips out of the country are building projects, building houses and things like that,” McCafferty said. “But you can plan and then come March their needs may be totally different. You just have to be flexible. You basically go do whatever they need you to do.”
Tittle said the trips can cost anywhere as low as $250 to as much as $1,600, depending on where one decides to go and what kind of transportation is involved. Most of the trips require purchasing airfare, but there are a few trips that will consist of driving.
Tittle said students can write letters to obtain financial support and/or many groups will hold fundraisers during the spring semester prior to the trips.
The Mitchell Center held an informational spring break missions fair on Thursday in the McInteer Rotunda with booths offering information about each mission trip.
Mission trip sign ups will be held Thursday, Oct. 18, in the student center. Students will be required to pay $20 upon registration as a commitment fee.
There are a limited number of available spots for each mission team with a minimum of 10 people per group, but some groups are more flexible. The Mitchell Center said they hope to have all trips finalized by the week of Oct. 15.
For more information concerning spring break missions, email springbreak@harding.edu or call the Mitchell Center for Leadership and Ministry at 501-279-4660.
