Being on a team of students with a common goal to serve others for the Lord is a powerful experience for anyone who goes on a Global Engagement trip with Azusa Pacific University’s Office of Service and Discipleship (OSD). Usually that goal has to do with relational ministry, working with children, or helping sick patients, but some trips require physical work as well. This summer, nursing major Sarah Gomes ’26 helped her team build a church from the ground up in Ensenada.
Gomes went on a medical Global Engagement trip to India last summer, and while it was challenging, she found it to be extremely fruitful and impactful. When sign-ups for this summer’s trips were about to close, Gomes knew that one of the co-leaders of the Ensenada group was looking for more members and she thought it could be a good way to spend her summer. “There’s no better way to spend time than spreading the word of the Lord and serving Him.” The India trip was a medical trip, so it was familiar to Gomes. She didn’t know what kind of ministry she would participate in on the Ensendada trip, but she decided to take a leap of faith and step out of her comfort zone to help others.
In Ensenada, the team of 10 students spent a week building the church with their host organization, Lazarean Home Builds. When they arrived, the foundation for the building was laid, but they had to use styrofoam, bricks, and sand to build the walls with the help of cement trucks. While that part required hard work, building the roof was the most challenging part. The roof was made of 43 individual trusses each weighing 200 pounds. “The work on this trip was originally designed for a team of 40 people, but there were only 10 of us,” Gomes said. “It was draining, but it was cool to see how we all devoted ourselves to the work and no one complained. Everyone was there for the same purpose, to get the church built, and that’s what we did.”
While building the roof, Gomes was pushed not only physically but mentally. However, the mental challenges of the trip led to spiritual growth. “I was hitting a wall and felt like I wasn’t doing enough whether I was building or taking a break while the other jobs were filled,” she said. “I realized that even talking with the workers from the organization or my teammates was still spreading the word of the Lord and helping me feel spiritually filled.”
Gomes was also able to connect with her team over their shared purpose, challenges,
and successes. “We had such a diverse group of people so it was cool to see how the
Lord called us all on this trip together,” she said.
While taking on such a physically challenging task brought the team closer together, the missionaries at Lazarean Home Builds also helped inspire them to keep going. Gomes said that the two main carpenters at the site had differing personalities but were extremely effective when working together which was inspiring. “Seeing their passion for what they were doing was encouraging,” she said. “We were so hard on ourselves because we wanted to make sure that everything got done before we had to leave, but they were so kind and reminded us to give ourselves grace.” The wives of the organization’s workers also helped to make the team feel welcome by home cooking each meal.
Gomes’ time in Ensenda had many highs and lows, but learning about the importance of humility and grace made everything worthwhile. “God’s grace and mercy was so abundant and could be felt by each team member and the people we interacted with,” she said. Gomes encourages anyone considering going on a Global Engagement trip to step out of their comfort zones if they feel called by the Lord to serve. “He will equip you and make sure that your purpose for Him is fulfilled,” she said. By the end of the trip, the team was able to fulfill their purpose. They successfully finished building the walls and roof of the church, creating a place where people will be able to worship the Lord for many years to come.