As spring break approaches, many Northwestern students look forward to going on the yearly Spring Service Partnerships missions trips (SSPs). SSP trips give college students an opportunity to live out their faith in a practical way, serving alongside ministries in the U.S. and internationally. However, these trips are not spontaneous. They require months of planning from the Campus Ministry Team, and the various SSP student leaders and advisors. Many SSP teams have been meeting since before Christmas break.
Hope Wallace, the leader of the Coldwater Foundation trip to Grand Marais, MN, says “My team meets once a week to go over a spiritual lesson that will prepare us to have the right mindset and heart posture throughout the trip. These lessons foster fruitful conversations that allow us to get to know one another well.”
This heart posture is important since teams will be working with many diverse groups in unfamiliar places. The leader of the New Orleans SSP, Jordan Bjork, explains that during her team’s preparation, they are “talking about subjects that may bring uncomfortable conversations. This is a good thing because then when we go, we know how we fit into what the ministry is already doing and has been doing for a long time with open minds and humble hearts willing to learn.” Dana Van Ostrand, the staff adviser for this SSP says, “Entering into a new ministry, in an unfamiliar place, and being challenged to serve well and respectfully is a significant task.”
SSPs, like the name suggests, are a partnership. In each location, the NW team will work alongside an already established ministry. “We are only a part of a tiny fraction of what this ministry does, and I am honored to be able to give,” Bjork said. The teams work hard to build relationships with their ministry partners and serve in any way they can. However, these are not the only relationships built during the trip. The staff adviser for the SSP to Baja, Mexico, Mere Reyes says, “I am thrilled about the friendships that we will build in our SSP group.”
Part of the roles of both the team leader and the staff adviser is to help facilitate the development of meaningful connections and personal growth for those going on the trip. “I am excited to learn about different culture and get the opportunity to share the gospel and my testimony with them and also help my team members grow in their own journey and share their faith,” said Miriam Rete, the student leader for the Costa Rica SSP.
SSPs are an incredible opportunity for students to be challenged in new ways. Chris Nonhof, the adviser for the Opelousas, Louisiana trip sees SSPs as a great opportunity to expand student’s minds. “The best part of my job is getting to see students engage the world beyond the four walls of the classroom,” said Nonhof, “While I like to think that there’s joy within my classroom on a typical day as well, there’s something special about experiential learning and making real connections with other people. SSPs are a great example of that.”
