The popular image of college student activities during a holiday might consist of hanging out at the mall, connecting with their friends on social media, or going to the movies.
Not so for 23 Anderson University students over the recent Christmas break. They were ankle-deep in mud and covered in grime, providing much-needed disaster relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island, N.Y.
Along with 170 other students from seven universities across the nation, they pitched in to complete 38 projects – mostly cleaning up flood-damaged homes.
The mission trip was sponsored by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Associate campus minister Becky Walker, who led the group, said the trip was consistent with Anderson University’s goal to expose students to various kinds of mission activities. “Students did things they never expected to do,” she said. “They grew on both a personal and spiritual level.”
The students tackled jobs ranging from delivering meals for the American Red Cross to performing “mud-outs,” completely gutting ruined homes down to the studs and foundations and then sanitizing them.
“It was hard, physical labor,” said Jordan Niemeyer, a junior majoring in kinesiology. “We tore out walls and floors and then hauled away the debris. The toughest job was getting rid of all the mud that accumulated in the houses due to the storm surge.”
The response from the homeowners was overwhelmingly positive, she said. “They were deeply moved by what we did on their behalf, but it also benefited me. It broadened my perspective on how lives can be impacted by a disaster and allowed me to share the gospel with people who are hurting.”
Alex Richards, a junior majoring in history, had a similar experience. “Helping fellow Americans restore their homes was important,” he said, “but the ultimate factor was sharing the gospel with brothers and sisters in Christ.”
The trip made a lasting impression on Richards and about a dozen other Anderson University students. In January, they became certified “mud-out” specialists during disaster relief training sponsored by the Greenville Baptist Association.
Walker said the mission trip to Staten Island confirmed her belief in today’s generation of college students, particularly those at Anderson University. “They’re really stepping up and making a difference in the world,” she said.
During the Christmas break, Anderson University students also participated in mission trips to Seattle, Washington and Guatemala.
For the third consecutive year, students traveled to Seattle on a church-planting mission that included ministry to the homeless. Associate campus minister David Neace led a group of nine students.
Anderson University’s longest-running mission in the school’s recent history centers on annual trips to Guatemala. “Six years ago, we partnered with Engadi Ministries International to help rescue boys from drugs and violence,” said Greg Allgood, director of campus ministries and the mission team leader. “This year, our group of 14 students helped to build a boy’s ranch that includes housing and an educational center, the purpose of which are to show these young men that there is a way out of poverty and that gangs are not the answer.” – AU