Each year, through TWU's Global Outreach program, students travel to Fort Babine in Northern B.C. to strengthen and continue Trinity Western’s over 30 years of relationship with the native reserve community, in partnership with the alumni-founded Streetcorners Ministry.
Students live, serve, and learn for a month within the Indigenous community of Fort Babine who are part of the Wit'at Nation. Together with alumni and members from Streetcorners Ministries, students develop and sustain relationships with Fort Babine's community and elders, spend time with youth and families, and help out with local service projects. Through this experience, students gain a greater appreciation for the history, culture, and peoples of B.C.'s Indigenous communities.
Spiritual growth through service
In reflecting on the trip, one student, Janaya, shared how the experience helped her grow in her faith and learn to rely more on God. She credits her teammates for their support, saying, "I think God put me on this team to build relationships and push me through my limits and show me that anything is possible with God."
"God used them in my life to help me step out of my comfort zone and grow as a person and in my relationship with Christ," she adds.
At the same time, Janaya, who is an education major, was inspired by the resilience of the Fort Babine community, reflecting, "It has also shown me through hearing others' hard stories that you can have joy in the pain."
Relationships that enrich
Another student who participated in last year's trip reflected, "Last year my time in Fort Babine was an incredible experience that allowed me to see how God works in various places and through different people, in powerful ways."
"Our team was granted the opportunity to live, listen to, and spend time with the Indigenous community living there," he continued. "Whether it was the elders, the youth or kids, I felt blessed by both the opportunity and the valuable lessons and growth I experienced there, as a human being on this planet and as a person of faith."
Preparation through prayer and study
Every year, students who participate on the Fort Babine trip train and prepare long before they embark in May. Over a period of several months, the students gather as a team for prayer and bi-weekly training sessions, as they learn how best to listen, love, respect, and serve alongside others.
TWU alumni Mike and Geralyn Cunningham are founding missionaries of Streetcorners Ministry, a ministry serving among native and non-native peoples in Fort Babine and in northwest Central Interior B.C. Their ministry team's primary purpose is to be available for the needs of people in our local area.
About TWU Global Outreach
Every summer, Global Outreach, part of TWU's Global Engagement Office, sends teams of students to participate in cross-cultural community development and missions projects. Learn more at TWU Global Outreach.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.