Back in September 2019, Tyler Troyer, of Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief, reached out to Joshua Gilmore, one of the campus pastors at North Greenville University, requesting help in serving families in Eastern North Carolina that had been affected by Hurricane Dorian.  

Gilmore, who leads the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at NGU, frequently deploys college students on various ministry teams that serve throughout the Southeast. This mission trip, however, took place over the students’ spring break.

Thirteen BCM students not only volunteered to serve hurting families of Lumberton, N.C., but they also gave up their school break to do so.

Sophomore Drew Reynolds led the team. Reflecting on the impact that the mission trip made on him, Drew was brought to tears. He stressed over and over how thankful he was to have been afforded the opportunity to serve those in need. He and the other team members considered it an honor to use their hands to glorify God and help their stateside neighbors.

Samaritan’s Purse provided foremen, food, housing and supplies for the mission team. Reynolds drove the university van to and from the work site, where the mission team replaced drywall, painted, and engaged in minor to major construction.

The aftermath of uncontrollable disasters like Hurricane Dorian are not easy to face, but the help of these college students made recovery from a trying situation a little easier for these families.

— Joshua Gilmore contributed to this story.