By Stephen Sherwood, Staff Writer

Raising funds for mission trips can be difficult, especially for college students. Some students have their home churches, family and friends, and even the university that lend a hand with donations. However, some lack that support system and rely on their own ingenuity to make up the difference. There are a plethora of ways that students who took their passions to benefit their ability of sharing the Gospel with the world.

Rachel Ramsey, a junior interdisciplinary studies major, went on six mission trips to Renosa, Mexico through her home church in San Antonio. Ramsey also spent a good portion of the 2026 summer at Sky Ranch Day Camp in Dallas, something she was very excited for since she plans to be a teacher following graduation. 

Ramsey is currently preparing for her seventh mission trip, this time through the Spiritual Life department at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor which will see her and a group of other students assist a basketball camp in San Jose, Costa Rica. Through her time in Mexico she discovered a desire to learn Spanish, which has been a part of her studies at UMHB. Ramsey prayed to go on the Costa Rica trip so she could put her Spanish to the test and is excited to be able to better express her passion in Christ. 

At the end of the spring 2025 semester a friend of Ramsey’s hosted a farewell coffee popup to celebrate her graduation and say goodbye to Mary-Hardin Baylor. Ramsey took her passion for coffee, and the idea of her friend’s farewell, and turned it into an excellent opportunity to finance her trip. From the single popup she was able to raise $700 out of the $3,300. As of the interview with Ramsey she has raised a total of $2,200 of the $3,300 needed for the trip, the difference being donations from friends and family. Ramsey said she does not plan to expand past the singular popup event “I think it would lose its novelty if it was done more than once.”

There are other options outside of becoming a college barista. Jess Hill, a junior entrepreneurship major, felt called by her faith and her artistic spirit to create something that was both a representation of her faith and a symbol that God calls missionaries to “be fishers of men.” 

Hill is no stranger to mission trips, serving on four previous trips, three through UMHB Spiritual Life and one through a church in San Antonio. Hill keeps Mark 16:15 as the ultimate inspiration calling her to attend mission trips, “ And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’ ” Hill’s upcoming mission trip in December to Peru is through Temple Bible Church  assisting a local family of church planters who run a non-profit eye clinic and orphanage. 

Hill’s creativity sparked when she was preparing to go on a trip to India through UMHB with the 2025 winter team.When she was informed what team she would be on for the winter trip, Hill began campaigning for donations and thought about ways to reach her goal. Hill decided to make fish tackle keyrings after a few inspirations. The first inspiration? was the theme for the spring 2025 revival, Luke 5:10b – 11 “And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” 

While revival was the initial spark of Hill’s inspiration, the flame was lit when she was with her brother over the summer break and made a keyring decoration from one of his fishing tackles. After she attached the fish keyring to her purse, “People would see it and ask where I bought it because they really liked it, and I responded with how I made it.” Hill said “so I thought maybe I could sell them.”

Hill then began to make and advertise a handful of keyrings through social media. The creation took off garnering a large interest from across campus. Hill sold the keyrings personally to fellow students on campus and shipped others. Hill participated in the Cru Creations market. For her initial bout of sales for the winter mission trip to India she was able to raise  almost $1,000 of the $4,000 needed for the trip. The remainder of the funding was achieved through a mix of donations and sales, donations being the greater of the two.  

Since the success of the fish keyrings Hill has turned it into a small business that she operates when she can between classes. She has relied on the sale of the keyrings to make funding mission trips easier following the India winter trip.

For those interested in Global Outreach or learn of other ways to get plugged in with Spiritual Life on and off campus, visit www.umhb.edu/students/spiritual-life/home.

Courtesy Photo