March 27, 2000

LYDIA SANTIBANEZ, a student at Truett Theological Seminary, presents a Bible to David Lopez, pastor of Iglesia Bautista de Trinidad in Guadalupe, Mexico, where the students led revival services during spring break. Other students are preparing to present the pastor with hymnals, because the congregation had none. (Photo by Laura Cadena)

Truett students firmly grounded
despite ill winds of difficulty
___Laura Cadena
___BGCT Student Ministries
___EL PASO--The desert winds and dust were blowing about 40 miles per hour, but students from Baylor University's Truett Seminary were determined to get their roofing job completed by the end of the day.
___They already had suffered setbacks in trying to purchase lumber for their job at the

DAN BROWN, a Truett Seminary student, prepares items for a breakfast to be served at First Baptist Church of El Paso during spring break.

church in Reforma, Mexico.
___Their perseverance, however, drew attention to the gospel message they came to spread during spring break. It also allowed them to help ensure a Mexican church's future.
___"We took the roof off on Monday, and we had to wait for the material," explained Mike Mitchell, a second-year student from Cameron. "The whole right side of the roof was exposed. We were just waiting for the new roof panels. They finally came in just as the sun was setting, so the inside of the church was exposed when we left that day."
___The next morning, students awoke not only to rain, but tremendous winds in El Paso. They worried things would be a mess at the church. Fortunately, everything was safe.
___But just as they finished cleaning some debris from the rain inside the church, part of the roof flew away, and it just got worse from there. The wind was so strong it knocked the students a few feet away if they stood up.
___So flexibility became a major requirement for completing this roofing project. Students improvised in whatever ways they could to get the job done.
___Some of the student volunteers, as well as local children who had come to see the construction, were used as human paperweights to keep the roofing felt from flying away. Two students attempted to nail the paper down on the roof, while two other students tried to brush tar onto the roof as sand and tar flew all around them.
___For every two nails the workers attempted to drive, one was snatched away by the wind.
___"Most people would have given up on this job," said Bill Kennedy, volunteer missionary and member of First Baptist Church in El Paso. "They were just an outstanding group of young people who have great hearts and a willingness to serve."
___The day after the roof was put on, Kennedy returned to the site with the students to

CHRIS BRYAN, a Truett Theological Seminary student, applies caulking around the windows of Iglesia Bautista del Centro, a clinic and church in Juarez.

inspect their work. They discovered full-grown trees had been uprooted by the winds, but their roof remained intact.
___"It is a good roof because it proved itself on day one," Kennedy reported.
___Because of their perseverance, word spread through the El Paso/Juarez Valley of the roofing job that was completed in high winds.
___"This was incredible; it was the most intense thing I have ever done," Mitchell said. "After we were finished, I was sorry our mission trip was over, and I thought that after what our group ... had done we could go and do anything else."
___The week after spring break, Mitchell said, he had to face numerous tasks he doesn't like to do. "And I thought, this is nothing like being up on the roof. So it was a life-changing experience."
___Besides the roofing crew, 22 other students held revival services at Northgate Baptist Church in El Paso and at two churches in the Juarez Valley. Two people professed faith in Christ, and eight people rededicated their lives to Christ.
___Students also painted Del Centro Baptist Clinic in El Paso at the request of the staff. What appeared to be an easy task caused some local controversy, though. On the south wall was a mural of Che Guevara, a Mexican revolutionary and controversial figure. The 20-year-old El Paso landmark had been painted by a group of Bowie High School students as an art class project.
___As the students prepared to paint over the mural, word spread to the local artists that their painting was about to be destroyed. They arrived at the clinic site questioning the reason for painting over the landmark. Truett students met with the local artists and explained they had nothing against Guevara but were painting the entire building at the request of the clinic directors. The artists understood, but the students still found themselves featured on the local evening newscast.
___Overall, the goal of the mission trip was achieved, the students said.
___"This mission trip means our students have a chance to serve, to see other cultures, but more importantly to be involved in the ministry. From that standpoint, the mission trip is invaluable for them to use their theological education outside our seminary walls," said Rene Maciel, Truett's director of student services.


Send this story to a friend

SPRING BREAK MISSIONS Where did Jesus spend spring break? Med students give injections of compassion Many traveled across the state, but experienced different world For more photos, see the Beach Reach webpage at www.beachreach.org.

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!