REACHING AREQUIPA By Micaleigh Coleman Each year, Global Outreach senL studcnLs, including sophomore ElizabcLh Tripp, to spend their summers as inLcrns in different mission fields around the world. Sophomore Elizabeth Tripp was one of those intrrns. Tripp applied and was accepted to do an internship in Arequipa, Peru, "·here she spent eight weeks engulfed in the culture, learning Spanish and doing as much as she could to help the community. Arequipa was unique in that they approached missions holistically. Tripp and t\\·o other interns from different schools focused not only on the spiritual needs of the area they were in, but also on the school systems,jobs a nd health of thf' community. "I feel like it is important in mi.siom to know the culture around you."· Tripp said. '·If you stick out, it will be hardn for people to rclaLc to you.'· It was irnporta11t to Tripp to immerse herself in the culture as much :is possible to help her form relationships \\'ith Lhosc in the area. The hope in \rcquipa was to form friendships and to look for opportunities to talk about the Gospel in those relationships. .Justin l\1organ. a long-term missionary in Arequipa, agreed with Tripp's approach. "All the parts ofa human being arc important," 1\ [organ said. ·Their emotional. physical. physiological and spiritual pans [arc] all importanL. Trust is a real problem in Peru, so \\'e wouldn't get far ifwe didn't build strong relationships first." G a r:, J ackson, instructor of the College ofBiblc and l\Iinistry and the clirrctor of Global Outreach, said that it \l as harder to form relationships in ~hon er amourns ofti111c and suggested that students should not e\Tn call .-hon-term missions "missions," but instead, ".-piritual tourism.'· " \ \'c wouldn't call a person's hobby their trade," J ackson ~aid. ·'That" ·just their hobby. Som times short-term work can be a piritual hobby, but I \\'Ouldn't call it mission work." J ackson said he low'd Global Outreach missions bcca11Sc they pro\'icle I life-changing experiences for the students i,wolvcd. "H arding students arc able to experience crosscultural missions firsthand under the guidance and mcntorship ofexperienced missionarie · and local church leaders," J ackson .aid. " G oel is defini tcJ _, Sophomore Eliz;abeth Tripp spent the summer in Arequipa, Peru, on a Global Outreach summer internship which spanned eight weeks in J une and July 2016, While she was there, Tripp submerged herself in the culture and language of Peru. I Photo by Julia Reinbold I
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