Kennesaw State, Dalton State BCM team sees lives changed during Jamaica mission trip

KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State and Dalton State students who traveled to Jamaica over spring break found the devastating aftermath of a hurricane. But what stayed with them was something stronger than the storm: the faith of the people they served and the saving power of the gospel they proclaimed.

During the trip, 26 students and leaders from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Kennesaw State and Dalton State ministered in churches, schools, and neighborhoods still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island last October with record sustained winds of 190 mph. By week’s end, three young adults had professed faith in Christ, a local church had been repaired and encouraged, and the students returned home changed by what they had seen God do.

Ken Jones, campus minister at Kennesaw State, and Brooke Childs, campus missionary at Dalton State and Kennesaw State, led the team in partnership with churches in the Fullersfield Baptist Circuit and Grange Hill Baptist Church.

On the first full day of ministry, the group split into teams and went to different churches in the circuit. For several students, the day marked an unforgettable milestone.

“Six of my guys preached their first sermons ever,” Jones said. “They did great, as did those leading worship music and sharing testimonies in each church.”

For Jones, the moment was deeply personal. “It was surreal to see these guys step up to the pulpit as I remembered preaching my first sermon in Jamaica as a Summer Missionary 52 years ago,” he said.

The students also spent time in local schools, which had only recently resumed classes after families displaced by the hurricane had been living in those buildings. There, the BCM team led assemblies, spoke about Jesus in classrooms, and connected with children through reading, art, and play.

“David was in a younger class at the board, pointing out letters. Arianna was with the older ones, reading to a few. Aly was in another room doing art work with a child. And in the last class, Garrison was arm wrestling all the kids,” Jones said.

Throughout the week, students visited the town of Grange Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods, making friends and inviting people to events at Grange Hill Baptist Church. A midweek community outreach brought grandparents, parents, youth, and children together for a cookout, games, shirt painting, and storytelling.

There, a 37-year-old mother of four named Tina prayed to receive Christ.

Jones reported that after professing faith in Jesus, Tina said, “I feel light, like the burden of my life is lifted from my shoulders.”

The team also served the church in practical ways, repairing and painting the sanctuary at Grange Hill Baptist Church and installing solar lights.

Pastor Douglas Fowles, who pastors several churches in the area, later wrote, “The members are happy for the new look of the sanctuary and the light in the night!”

For the students, though, the trip was never just about projects. It was also about listening, learning, and seeing how God was already at work among Jamaican believers.

In the team’s first devotional after arriving, Kennesaw State student Cole Palmer said, “I want to learn from these Jamaicans.”

The trip’s final night of outreach brought one of the clearest pictures of the week’s impact. About 100 grandparents, parents, children, and youth gathered for a cookout, football — soccer to Americans — and a service aimed especially at young people ages 12 to 25. Students grilled food, organized games, and shared the gospel with those who came.

“It was great to see a lot of young people come out, as many youth in Jamaica have left the church and are wandering, many finding gangs,” Jones said.

That evening, two young men, 23-year-old Rayan and Damar, professed faith in Christ. Cole had the opportunity to pray with Damar as he surrendered his life to Christ.

For Jones, the week was a reminder that those who go to serve are often themselves transformed.

“Students went to bless, but were blessed,” Jones said. “Their lives were changed in Jamaica. And we saw lives changed for eternity.”

The students returned with more than memories of a mission trip. They came home having seen the gospel bring hope to a place marked by devastation, and carrying with them bonds with new brothers and sisters in Christ.