Each summer, Azusa Pacific University's Office of Service and Discipleship partners with organizations around the world, providing students with opportunities to participate in ministry through Global Engagement (GE) trips. Many of the trips focus on youth ministry, evangelism, and connecting with others, but the Ensenada trip takes a different approach to service. Arturo Fraile Beltran ’27, a finance and business analytics double major, and the Ensenada GE team served the community by building a church and schoolhouse. Although their service was centered on physical labor, the connections they made with each other and the locals left a positive impact on their faith.
After doing research on the various GE trips being offered this summer, Beltran chose Ensenada because he was interested in using his hands to build something that would glorify God. When the team arrived in Ensenada, there was only a concrete slab base with rebar. Over the next few weeks, the team set up foam blocks, poured cement, built supports for the roof, installed the roof, and built the church from the ground up. The Ensenada trip is unique because it is so physically demanding. “I believe that God was giving us the energy to work every single day,” Beltran said.
The team was supported by a group of construction workers from Ensenada. Beltran speaks Spanish, so he was easily able to communicate and connect with the locals, including the construction workers. APU students and the workers shared meals and spent time together, creating genuine bonds during and after service. They also immersed themselves in the culture and community by connecting with the children who will be using the church as their school building and attending local church services.
The Ensenada team grew close on the trip, bonding over their shared mission as well as sharing meaningful moments after long days of building. “I have another friend group now at APU that I didn’t have before this trip,” he said. Each night, the team would have dinner together, play games, go to the beach, and set aside time to intentionally reflect on their faith through devotionals. Beltran said the team often invited the construction workers to join them at meals, on trips to the beach, and to their devotional times.
Beltran saw God at work in the small, slow moments of the trip. “I heard of and have my own testimony from the trip, but the highlight for me happened on the last day when we were about to leave,” he said. "It was at sunset, and I saw the sunlight penetrating through the clouds, and it just looked like it was pointing at the church. It looked like God was sending angels to it." This quiet moment of beauty reminded Beltran of the happiness that can come from the little things.
While interacting with some of the children, one of them asked Beltran why he looked so serious all of the time. “It was a good question. These kids always have the cutest smiles on their faces, and some of them barely have enough food to eat that day,” he said. “I learned to live happier with less, and seeing how much everyone served with what little they had inspired me.” On the construction site, there was a little boy who was about seven-years-old. He helped the team to build the church simply because he wanted to help out his community. “I didn’t go there seeking anything in return,” Beltran said. “I just wanted to glorify God and do something good, but that kid didn’t think about anything other than seeing needs in his community and wanting to help. It encouraged me to have a mindset of doing things without seeking anything in return whether it’s God’s love or something you need.”
Beltran shared that his biggest takeaway from the trip was the idea of living happier with less and relying on God. “God works through us, and He is real and risen,” he said. “I’ve been a believer all my life, and I have developed a much deeper connection with Him now that I’ve been on this trip. I saw him moving in my life in ways I haven’t seen before, and from all of the testimony of my life, the most impactful moments came from this trip.”