Students and faculty from H2O Church will go on a mission trip to Mexico over spring break.

From March 21-27, the group of 15 will be partnering with Back2Back Ministries, an organization based in Ohio dedicated to caring for orphans in Mexico, India, Nigeria and Haiti.

“People are going to need to be emotionally and spiritually prepared to see poverty and interact with orphans,” said Chelsea Rinehart, a full-time staff member at H2O going on the trip.

While there, the group will be working with a children’s home in Monterrey, Mexico.

“We are going to be flexible and do what they tell us to do,” Rinehart said. “We’re going to try and meet their immediate needs, in a mix of doing projects as well as just paying attention to and loving the kids.”

Kaylea Safrit, a sophomore nursing major joining Rinehart, said being with the kids will be her favorite part.

“I’m really excited to just be in the orphanage and hang out with the kids,” Safrit said.

While there will be rewarding work, there are also challenges that will come with the mission trip.

“The most challenging part will be leaving and figuring out what to do next,” Rinehart said.

Besides the challenges, there are also rewards involved, like seeing the kids feel loved, Rinehart said. The group will also take away important lessons with them.

“One, just being exposed to poverty, which they will have a greater perspective on what they have, which will lead to greater generosity,” Rinehart said. “Two is interacting with orphans. A hope I have is that people will consider adoption and foster care, or even being a long-term worker at an international children’s home. I hope it’s a catalyst for orphan care.”

Nathan Ference, a sophomore nursing major also going on the trip, is looking forward to the trip for multiple reasons.

“I’m going into this not knowing what to expect, and I’m OK with that,” Ference said. “I’m excited for that to become very real.”

Overall, Rinehart said the mission trip reveals the objectives of the church.

“We believe the church should be justice seekers,” Rinehart said. “We should care for the oppressed, the marginalized and the orphans. This is an opportunity for us to do that.”

In the past H2O has traveled to Amsterdam, Pittsburgh and Columbiana country. Each year the organization partner’s with Kent State’s Alternative Spring Break program to encourage students to work on community projects.

Contact Skye McEowen at [email protected].