RIVERSIDE (May 13, 2013)—California Baptist University sent its first 16 teams to their respective fields of service last week, in the 2013 season's first wave of volunteers participating in International Service Projects (ISP), United States Projects (USP) and Summer of Service (SOS).

 Forty-one teams will serve in 19 countries this summer, with more than 370 participants involved. Groups departed May 8 and 10 for Spain, Russia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, France, East Africa and Japan.

As they leave the campus, each team gathers to pray at the Kugel, a 5-ton granite globe inscribed with the Great Commission. This year's theme for the programs is "Awaken."

"Biblically, we are called to the idea of awakening to what's going on in the world," Jared Dobbins, assistant director of mobilization, explained to parents and friends at the send-off on May 10. Dobbins said that it wasn't that anyone in the group was special for contributing their time and energy but that they were willing to follow God's leadership to various regions of the world.

CBU contributed nearly 35,000 service hours in 2012 through ISP/USP/SOS, administered through the Office of Mobilization. The flagship programs, which celebrated their 15^th year in 2012, sent a record 422 volunteers to 20 countries.

 

 

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