Growing up, Luis Chinos often felt like he didn't belong. 

Raised in a broken home, he never knew his father and struggled through a difficult relationship with his mother. Without strong family support, financial stability, or close friendships, Chinos carried a deep sense of loneliness and worthlessness. 

"I felt very alone and small," he said. "I felt unloved, and I felt unworthy of being here." 

Those feelings eventually led him to a dark place. At one point, Chinos questioned whether he wanted to keep living at all. But in that moment of despair, he encountered Christ. 

"God met me where I was at, and He saved me," Chinos said. 

That decision marked the beginning of a new journey. 

As he began following Christ, Chinos searched for the biblical community he had long been missing. Eventually, he felt called to transfer schools and enrolled at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. 

The transition wasn't easy, but God quickly provided the community he needed. Friends encouraged him to attend the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) on campus. At first, Chinos resisted. 

"I didn't feel like I’d fit in," he said.  

Eventually, his friends convinced him to give it a chance.  

"I found, for the first time, true Christian friends," Chinos said. "It felt like I finally had community." 

The relationships he formed helped him grow spiritually and personally. Through conversations, fellowship, and even the group's tradition of gathering at Braum's after meetings, Chinos discovered something he had rarely experienced before: people genuinely cared about him. 

"Having people ask me questions about myself made me feel like people truly cared," he said. 

As he became more involved, Chinos also connected with a local church, where he began serving and was eventually baptized. His faith continued to deepen, and before long he joined the BCM leadership team. 

Through leadership opportunities, retreats, and ministry experiences, Chinos began sensing that God was calling him to something more. 

A conversation with BCM Director Luke Dawson helped him better understand that growing sense of fulfillment. After serving in various ministry settings and reading about vocational ministry, Chinos began to recognize God's direction for his life. 

That calling became even clearer during a summer internship at First Baptist Church in Rogers. 

Working with students, serving in Vacation Bible School, and experiencing church ministry firsthand confirmed what God had been stirring in his heart. 

"I felt a sense of fulfillment that I had never felt before," Chinos said. "It was a call to ministry." 

Following that summer, Chinos returned to Fort Smith and had the opportunity to serve as a student missionary at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith through funding provided by the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering. 

Today, he serves in student ministry at Palestine Baptist Church, investing in young people and walking with them through challenges similar to those he once faced. 

"Being able to walk with students through their hardships as I wished someone walked with me through my hardships is very fulfilling," he said.  

Chinos believes BCM played a crucial role in helping him discover both community and calling. The friendships, discipleship, and ministry opportunities he found there transformed his college experience and ultimately shaped the direction of his life. 

For college students considering getting involved, his advice is simple: 

"Go to BCM." 

He credits the ministry with helping him build lasting friendships, connect to a local church, and grow into the person God created him to be. 

Chinos also believes God is working powerfully on college campuses across Arkansas. 

"Students are more open than ever," he said. "God is moving." 

As he looks toward the future, Chinos hopes God will continue using him to reach more people with the gospel. 

"There are still a lot of people who don't know Jesus," he said. "I pray that God continues to use me, this offering, and the local church, and together we can share the good news of Jesus throughout Arkansas." 

For Chinos, the impact of the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering is not theoretical – it's personal. 

"It has changed my life," he said. "I've seen the impact on the campus, in the local church, and in the people around me."