Student Missionaries Reflect on Spring Break

College students and spring break typically paint a picture of sunshine and relaxation. For one group of Tennessee Tech students, spring break was spent serving others at the Nashville Rescue Mission.

Chi Alpha Campus Ministry devoted their week to staying at the Nashville Rescue Mission. While staying at the mission, students cleaned the facilities and served meals.

Tennessee Tech student, Katelyn Gipe said she learned a lot from the trip.

“I realized just so many times throughout the week that they are just like every other person,” Gipe said. “That just some sort of circumstance, one instance in their life changed their trajectory.”

The Tennessee Tech students spent the entire week alongside the Life Recovery participants.

Another Tennessee Tech student, Angelina Ortiz said she felt welcomed by the women in the Life Recovery program.

“It was just so cool to see how these women welcomed us in,” Ortiz said. “How they were just so genuine and transparent about their lives.”
Chi Alpha continued the tradition of serving at the Nashville Rescue Mission and plans to return next spring, Chi Alpha staff member Taylor Lucas said.

“I would love to, even in the summer, continue to go back as often as possible because we’ve formed a lot of close relationships with the staff members there,” Lucas said. “It’d be cool as well to see some of the program guys, to see them graduate.”

The student missionaries also want to return to the Nashville Rescue Mission.

“I would definitely go again next year,” Tinch said. “There is always more to learn and it was just so rewarding to get to know them. They live such a different lifestyle than I have and I think that’s definitely important to get to know people different than you.”