Service has long been a part of the Southwestern Advantage (SWA) culture since the days of our founder, Reverend J.R. Graves. Past Presidents, Jerry Heffel and Dan Moore, have always noted “Southwestern Advantage is not a Christian company because companies do not have souls. But it is a company run by Christians.”
How Metanoia Missions & Ministries Began
The same holds true of Metanoia Missions & Ministries (M3), a company dedicated to serving those who are in need and at-risk. Beginning in 2017, alumnus Claire Whitcomb Greene (who sold for three summers while at Baylor University with the Dynasty organization), asked Trey Campbell, to consider bringing a team where she was serving as a missionary in Nicaragua. Trey considered it and a team was put together. While the organization Claire was with seemed great, having not been there, Trey wanted to make sure the team members had a spirit-filled experience. He put together a devotional experience used at night to break down the day, explore and build faith, and share experiences and testimonies.
This led to the dual nature of short-term missions that makes Metanoia unique. By day: service to others and the community. By night: a focused approach to personal and spiritual growth. The experience is by no means a vacation or “voluntourism.” It provides the team members an opportunity to not only evaluate who they are, but who they are through their faith. M3’s mission is to help others seek spiritual growth, change lives, honor God, serve humanity, and provide hope through international and domestic short-term experiences and long-term support.
“Seeing life through the eyes of others in different situations in another place opens both the eyes and the spirit. Transformational life change and spiritual growth go hand-in-hand. This is done through cultural awareness, personal and spiritual development, and life-changing, long-term impact,” shares Trey. “The trips have led to both life-change and heart-change.”
Metanoia’s Connection to Southwestern Advantage
Important to the M3 story is the connection with SWA, which is a corporate partner. Five of the seven cofounders are current SWA employees or recent alumni. In addition to Trey, Sara Mercier and Elizabeth Mendoza are cofounders, along with alumni Olivia Benavidez and Kyle Schiel. Jon Key and Madison Campbell complete the team of founders.
A precursor to the origin of M3 was the Sizzler Service Projects. Putting the service days together since 2011 has taught the team the value of finding a need and filling it. “It’s not about coming in and solving a problem, but rather coming alongside others, showing them love and giving them hope,” said Trey. The team with Metanoia has nearly 100 combined short-term mission trips and large-scale service projects between them. They currently have partnerships with organizations in Nicaragua, Jamaica, Mexico, and Dominican Republic. The missions take on everything from assisting with a deaf community, teaching micro entrepreneurship, farming, alcohol rehabilitation, church planting and evangelism.
Testimonials from Metanoia Participants and Cofounder
“The mission experience with Metanoia was one of the most meaningful and impactful eight days of my life. I have traveled to a number of places, but nothing compares to the week I spent in Nicaragua. It was very much hands-on and allowed us to emotionally connect to the communities we helped. You will notice the love, strength, and hope in all the individuals you meet, and it will leave a lasting impression,” said alumnus Vyvy Nguyen, who has attended two trips in Nicaragua.
“The mission experiences have played a pivotal role in the development of greater faith and helped many team members gain a new perspective or heal from past wounds in their life. We have been excited to see the growth in the past year with the business, but more importantly, we are excited to see the growth in the hearts of those who have attended,” said Sara.
For more information about M3 or to inquire about attending a mission trip, go to https://metanoiamissions.net or you can find the company on Facebook and Instagram.
