Tampa is a beautiful city: warm weather, sandy beaches and the smell of salt water everywhere you go. It’s also one of the upcoming locations that Union is sending students to for one of their upcoming GO Trips. The team will be partnering with Covenant Life Church to assist them in their different outreach ministries.
Kaylee Hart, a junior accounting major, was a part of the Tampa team last year and had great things to say about the things that are being done in Tampa.
“My team had the opportunity to partner with Covenant Life Church in a variety of ministries in which they were already actively involved,” Hart said. “One of my favorite activities was preparing small care packages for the homeless, striking up conversations with many of them, listening to their stories and praying with them.”
While in Tampa, Hart and her team learned about the people and culture of Tampa, the need for the people in Covenant Life Church and the GO Trip teams.
Cameron Woodard, a sophomore communication studies major, is one of the seven members of the Tampa team for 2019 and talked about his decision to join this team.
“I’ve been hearing about people’s experiences on GO Trips for as long as I’ve been at Union,” Woodard said. “I think it’s clear that going on a GO Trip is the perfect way to obey Christ’s calling on our lives.”
The team is also required to go through extensive training before they depart.
“The training was wonderfully uncomfortable,” Woodard said. “I felt that the training was preparing me for a lifestyle as opposed to a trip. It’s challenged me to view every day of my life as a day on mission, where Christ can use me for His purpose.”
Most importantly, the team wants their work to make a lasting impact on the people of Tampa.
“Going into the trip, we know it isn’t about having high expectations,” said Rachel Aristorenas, a junior marketing major and member of this year’s team. “But [it’s] more about being disciples of Christ and planting seeds, even if we don’t get to see the fruit of the seed.”
