Submitted by the Orcas Christian School.

A group of 14 high school students, three parents and two teachers from Orcas Christian School are giving up their spring break this year to travel to Belize for a mission trip aimed at building classrooms for nursing students at Belize Adventist Junior College in Calcutta Village.

The trip, which will take place from March 20 to April 1, is being coordinated by the Center for Youth Evangelism at Andrews University. Some staff members from the center will also join the group to lead the project onsite. The volunteers are working hard to raise funds for their trip, with students and parents contributing through various fundraising efforts. These include letter campaigns, bake sales and a benefit dinner, as well as accepting donations from community members and supporters.

The trip is a unique opportunity for the volunteers to serve others and help improve education in Belize, where the new classrooms will support the growing nursing program at the college. The team hopes it will provide much-needed facilities and inspire others to get involved in community service.

“At OCS we spend a lot of time teaching students the importance of being community-connected. This type of experience helps students to realize they are connected to a global community,” said Kami Griffin, trip coordinator.