I love experiencing the eagerness of this current generation of college students to be personally involved in service to humanity. They desire practical ways to put their faith into action.
I saw this recently as I drove a group from Auburn BCM to Vidor, Texas, to join with 220 other college students and assist in any way they could with ongoing Hurricane Harvey flood relief efforts.
These students gave up their fall break from classes to travel 600 miles one day, put in two full days of relief work and travel 600 miles back to school over a long weekend.
Several of these road warriors had tests waiting for them on their first day to return to class. Study notes and books came with them on the trip.
Here is a description of one student’s takeaway from her first experience with disaster relief:
“As a new member of BCM and a newcomer to Auburn University, it was amazing to walk into the fellowship hall on the first evening and realize that every person in the room was there with a common faith, purpose, and love for God and for each other. It was one of those moments when you understand exactly how being a part of the Body of Christ works and the unity that comes with being in the Body.
“Another piece of the trip that stood out was the visibility of hope. The first day, as my team gutted Candy and Charlie’s house, Charlie walked around in a bit of a daze.
“Conversation was vague, and he seemed so at a loss, remaining aloof for most of the day. By the end of the second day, the entire house had been gutted and pressure washed, ready to be rebuilt.
“The change in Charlie was incredible. You could almost see God reaching down and placing hope in Charlie’s heart. Although he remained somewhat shy, he was eager to make small talk and be involved in parts of the work. Just looking at his face showed that he was starting to open up and realize that God was still in his life and there to help him begin again.”
