When Howard Payne University freshman Karla Kalantar heard there would be a Baptist Student Ministry mission trip to provide hurricane relief in Galveston, she knew this was how she was supposed to spend her spring break. A Houston native, Karla remembers the day in September 2008 when Hurricane Ike came barreling through the neighboring community of Galveston. During the aftermath, she wanted to help with relief efforts, but never knew how. Nineteen months after the storm, Karla found an opportunity to serve and eagerly signed up.
The spring break team led by BSM Director Katy Blackshear was comprised of HPU students Ciera Culpepper, Angelie Lara, Nick Kresge, Laura Driggers, Leah Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Richard Reid, Jordan Villanueva and sponsor Rebecca Mainka, mailroom clerk at HPU. Working in the Galveston area from March 5-9, they assisted with hurricane relief, served the homeless and participated in a prayer walk around a Houston university.
When the team arrived, they were briefed by the non-profit organization One Mission Galveston on Hurricane Ike, the fourth costliest storm in American history.
“We hear about natural disasters and think that help is going out,” said sophomore Nick Kresge. “Learning about the situation in Galveston made me realize how much work still needs to be done. There is never enough help.”
The HPU team spent two and a half days taping, mudding and putting up sheet rock for a local woman whose home was in desperate need of repair. The first floor was uninhabitable, forcing her to live on the second floor, which she usually rented out to gain income.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to meet someone’s physical needs through my service,” Nick said. “In the Bible, Jesus healed people spiritually, but He also healed them physically and I think it is important as Christians that follow His example and do both.”
Homeless ministry was also a vital component of the trip. On Saturday morning, the HPU group served breakfast to homeless in the community alongside members of various local churches. Then, on Sunday, they spent the afternoon working with the Ecclesia Community Church and their homeless ministry in a neighborhood park. Beyond handing out meals and playing games in the park, the act of listening proved to be a valuable ministry.
Nick found that “many people there were hungry for food, but we saw that they were hungrier for fellowship.”
Finally, that Sunday, they met with Andy Dennis, BSM director at Rice University, and prayer-walked around the campus with him. Andy served for seven years at Howard Payne as BSM director before God led him and his family to Houston.
Reflecting back on the trip, Katy Blackshear found the week to be very rewarding.
“We had an incredible time hanging out for a couple of days, serving and being a part of something bigger than what we could do in a week,” Katy said. “The One Mission Galveston team is showing Christ’s love and sharing the Gospel with the people of Galveston every day by helping them with their homes, and we were privileged to join them for a short time.”
While help is still needed, hope is definitely present in the Galveston community. Karla Kalantar was particularly struck by the strength of the people affected by Hurricane Ike.
“It was amazing to see how strong their faith was,” she reflected. “They lost everything and yet I think that it made a lot of people stronger.”
Photos by Katy Blackshear
Top Photo: Nick Kresge (left) and Jordan Villanueva (right) hang dry wall in a Galveston home damaged by Hurricane Ike during the HPU Spring Break mission trip.
Bottom Photo: (left to right) HPU students Angelie Lara, Ciera Culpepper, Leah Gonzalez and Karla Kalantar serve breakfast to homeless in the Galveston area.
