March 19, 2017
East Texas Baptist University students spent their Spring Break serving others with the love of Christ in a jungle of Belize, St. Tammany Parish of Louisiana, and on South Padre Island in Texas.
Ten ETBU students led by Dr. Lisa Seeley, Director of Global Education and the Great Commission Center, recovered water wells and shared the good news of Jesus Christ in Otoxha, Belize, a remote jungle village without electricity or running water.
"Seeing how different our cultures are was eye-opening," ETBU sophomore Abbey Sturdivant said. "Even though we are so different, we are all equal in the eyes of God."
ETBU partnered with Hope Springs Water to support the organization's mission of drilling and reclaiming water wells and teaching public health and hygiene-related practices. The ETBU students were grateful for this unique opportunity to learn about another culture and help provide essential needs for an entire community. The group slept in a thatch building in hammocks while they stayed in the jungle. The students were impressed by the generosity of the families in the region.
"The families in the Belize jungles have so little, yet they were so willing to share with us," ETBU freshman Cristal Monzon-Hernandez said. "We were blessed beyond belief by the people of Otoxha as we sought to be a blessing. God is truly at work in the hearts of the people of Belize."
In Slidell, Louisiana, East Texas Baptist students participated in Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge. The group worked on a new home build with the East St. Tammany Parish Habitat chapter. The ETBU students hung floor joists, decked flooring, and framed walls on an elevated pier and beam home that will be above flood level once complete.
"The work is more strenuous than anticipated," ETBU sophomore Joe Soto said. "But, is very rewarding at the same time."
Before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the East St. Tammany Parish Habitat for Humanity only built 1-2 houses a year. Due to an increase in volunteers and financial support, the chapter has been busy building homes in Slidell for families in need of quality housing with about 50 and 60 houses a year.
"Overall, this experience has been challenging, but it's worth all the hard work," ETBU sophomore Jake Williams said. "It's awesome how our work this week will impact a family we've never even met before and to provide them with a quality home."
Then on South Padre Island, 40 ETBU students from ETBU ministered to other college students in conjunction with the Texas Baptist Student Ministry's "Beach Reach" Spring Break mission. The ETBU Tiger students worked into the early hours of the morning, giving rides and feeding pancakes to Spring Breakers, who excessively indulged in alcohol.
According to the group leader Marc Yates, BSM Director at ETBU, the Lord presented ETBU students with scores of opportunities to minister and share their personal faith in Christ as they helped students remain safe over Spring Break. Yates stated, "Throughout the week ETBU students planted seeds in the hearts of the students with whom they shared the hope of the Gospel."
The ETBU students began their days at 8:00 a.m. with half the team serving pancakes at Island Baptist Church and the other half giving rides. In the afternoon part of the team engaged Spring Breakers in conversations on the beach, while the other mission students gave rides to and from the beach. The days each ended with an 11:00 p.m. - 3:30 a.m. shift transporting students, who needed assistance getting to their holiday residences.
This group of students has countless stories of the conversations of hard times and heartache shared with them during the Beach Reach Mission Trip.
Junior Kelsey Dagle shared a small encounter she had that confirmed to her why she was there. "A group of 6 people got on our van, and immediately the conversations were spiritual. We didn't do anything; God was already doing a work in them." Dagle continued, "By the end of the ride, which was well over an hour, four of the students rededicated their life to the Lord! Praise God for His faithfulness to His promise not only to me but to all of us Beach Reachers that He is present and moving on the island."
These students went out with many prayers and support behind them.
"We are grateful to have committed Christian servant leaders in our East Texas Baptist students, who are willing to sacrifice their vacation time for the blessing of others," ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn said. "May we all have their same attitude and ministry commitment, reflecting the call to love and serve by Peter in 1 Peter 4:8-11, 'Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins [...] Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.'"