Whether it’s in this community or in another country, some students strive to make a difference through service.

Wesley Coats, freshman; Andrew Oberhaltzer, junior; and Maverick Hanna, freshman, have all been on mission trips and will continue to work to make a difference by spreading their faith.

Coats has previously been on missions to Springfield, Mo., and helped around the Kansas City metro area with his youth group.

United Methodist Church of the Resurrection’s youth group, Rez Life, is the youth group that Coats participates in, and the people within have been encouraging him to go with them on these missions.

“I have always grown up in the church and had a faithful background, but my friends and parents helped me decide I wanted to go on these trips,” Coats said.

From playing with children in the neighborhoods to helping in thrift shops in Springfield, Coats explained that the trip was definitely worthwhile.

“The work experiences were definitely worth it because I am making an impact with my faith,” Coats said.

This upcoming summer, Coats will head to Dallas with another group of around 50 people.

Like Coats, Hanna will be going to Atlanta, Ga., this summer with about 40 others and adding to his past mission trips.

Hanna has been to Bolivar, Mo., and Oklahoma City to help with labor projects needing to be completed: sorting clothes at the Salvation Army and playing with children in small neighborhoods.

With all the work he and his youth group from Olathe Bible Church did in these cities, Hanna learned more about himself.

“I learned that I enjoy serving and tend to be a lot more outgoing once I get to know new people,” Hanna said.

Although enjoying serving in other communities, Hanna said that leaving the children and not being able to do more are some of the hardest things when he leaves a place.

However, Hanna said, “The trip is completely worthwhile, fulfilling and great to see the kids’ faces light up.”

And similar to both Coats and Hanna, Oberhaltzer has a past of mission trips he has been on, but on a broader scale.

Oberhaltzer has been to Panama the last three Spring Breaks, Guatemala last summer, Dallas, Texas, Chicago, Ill., and plans to go to Atlanta, Ga., this summer as well.

On his trip to Guatemala, he served as medical support for an organization that helped give civilians checkups as well as other medical attention.

“I just love traveling the world and now getting to see how my faith can work in miraculous ways through me,” Oberhaltzer said.

Alaina Urman, sophomore,  also went to Panama with Oberhaltzer’s group this Spring Break.

While on their trip, they built homes, held backyard Bible clubs with different activities and created new bonds with the people there.

Oberhaltzer said that one of his favorite things about the trips he goes on is the miraculous human connections he is able to make with those around him.

He explained a time when he was in Guatemala and his group was playing with the children in the neighborhood. He saw one little child sitting out by himself and not wanting to participate.

Oberhaltzer later went over and was able to talk to the child and learned that he had never learned about God or had the opportunity to pray. He became the first one to make that connection with the little boy.