Spring break is normally a time for students to relax and refuel, however, several members of HCU’s Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) traveled out of the country to make a difference in the lives of others.

A group of four HCU nursing students, including Ruth Seguro, Dan Returan, Annette Offiah and Aaliya Strong, were invited to join BSM members from UT Houston’s McGovern Medical School and UT’s Medical Branch in Galveston on a collaborative medical mission trip to Mexico City.

Led by Andy Dennis, BSM Director at Rice University and the Texas Medical Center, the team provided medical services and spiritual care to area families in marginal areas of the city in conjunction with Texas Baptists’ Center for Missional Engagement.

Dennis shared in a ministry newsletter that the team served more than 300 patients during the Spring Break mission trip and was blessed to have 85 people surrender their lives to Christ.

Seguro, a junior nursing student, provided medical services to patients on the trip and also shared her faith and encouragement with a young woman who was a victim of sexual abuse by a family member. Seguro also connected her to a medical doctor from Mexico serving on the team, to provide information aimed at helping the young woman get out of the situation.

“I was so excited to talk to patients and help them not only physically, but spiritually. While I was flying to Mexico, I was praying that God would allow me to help those in need of Him. I was able to pray for people and talked about Jesus to many,” shared Seguro.

Strong, a junior nursing student, described the mission opportunity as an “exciting” and “impactful” trip that made her more confident of her calling to help others. During the trip, she was able to share the love of Christ with a man in his 30s who shared his struggle with drug addiction.

“I let him know that God loves him. That no matter what situation he is in, God will love him like any other person and will embrace him. Many of us seem to believe that God is hateful and unforgiving for our sinful actions when in reality, he wants to love us and free us from anything that is holding us back from building a relationship with him,” shared Strong.

After graduation, she hopes to work in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital or become a pediatric neuro nurse.

Returan, also in his junior year, was not able to speak Spanish but thanked God for enabling him to impact the lives of patients on the trip both medically and spiritually. He was deeply moved by the team’s encounter with a patient who had previously experienced a life-threatening medical emergency that rendered her unable to have children and spiraled her into a deep depression. After providing medical care, he and his team were able to refer her to a pastor who prayed for her and ministered to her spiritual needs.

“The spiritual healing that was able to take place amidst a medical tragedy was something I was deeply moved by and it gave me perspective on how God is the ultimate comforter and how the woman’s tragedy led to open doors regarding faith and relief of her spiritual and mental battles,” said Returan.

After graduation, he plans to become a pediatric registered nurse and pursue a master’s in Science and Nursing.

Nathan Mahand, BSM Director at HCU, enjoys seeing students engage in ministry opportunities and impact the lives of others.

“It is my hope that on a trip like this, students would connect their discipline of study to their vocation of being a Christ follower and learn what it looks like to be a Christian in the real working world,” said Mahand.

HCU students will have upcoming opportunities this summer to serve through “Go Now Missions,” a ministry of Texas Baptists that mobilizes Texas university students to share the love of Christ worldwide.