The plans students from Louisiana State Universitys Baptist
Campus Ministry had made for their trip to New York during Christmas pretty
well fell through.
But that turned out to be not so bad.
The plans students from Louisiana State Universitys Baptist
Campus Ministry had made for their trip to New York during Christmas pretty
well fell through.
But that turned out to be not so bad.
The group originally was scheduled to spend a day at Staten
Island helping a Southern Baptist North American Mission Board church planter
begin a new church.
Some members from the group were also to visit Ground Zero
to distribute “relief phone numbers” from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
and to be open to counsel people. Those same group members also were scheduled
to work in a store operated by Samaritans Purse that allowed family members
victims to shop for their Christmas presents at no cost.
But cold and rainy conditions stopped the outside activities
at the church-starting site, so those students were forced to look for another
avenue of missions work, since that entire day was set aside for the activity.
Their cancelled plans led to team members ministering an extra
day at Ground Zero and other areas. Ground Zero is the site of the former World
Trade Center towers.
The trip to New York began when BCM Director Steve Masters
contacted the Metropolitan Baptist Association of New York Sept. 12 and offered
his groups services to meet any needs in the city. In late October, the
association contacted Masters to request help to meet specific needs.
Josh Causey directed the students during the trip and says
the changed plans brought extra blessings.
“When nearly everything fell through, we found ourselves having
to trust God to provide ministry opportunities,” says Causey, college minister
at Parkview Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. “Within 20 minutes, we had too many
options to pick from. At times, we questioned if God wanted us there, but he
was faithful.”
The Baton Rouge group divided into two teams. One team was
to visit fire stations, and the other group was to go work in the Samaritans
Purse “store.”
Michelle Masters was part of the group ministering at the fire
station that lost the most men as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Normally, visitors are not allowed to enter New York fire stations.
However, the students were able not only to talk with the firemen but to sing
Christmas carols and deliver cards made by children from around the country
for the firemen.
“I talked to the chief at the station, who lost a son (during
the Sept. 11 attacks),” says Michelle Masters, an LSU junior and a member at
First Baptist Church in Plaquemine. “He told me to be grateful for those people
God gives you in your life and take advantage of the time you get to spend with
them. When I visited the World Trade Center site not long after talking with
him, it made me think a lot about what he said.”
The group formed a circle in the street with the firemen, then
prayed and sang carols for them. “This brought on conversation about Christ
with others because they were shocked that wed stand in the middle of
the street and sing carols,” Masters says.
In addition to visiting the fire stations, Masters group
visited two charity hospitals, handed out presents to sick children they visited
on the hospital floors and spent time with other patients.
“The kids were happy to get the presents, and the parents were
thrilled because their children were getting to have Christmas,” Causey says.
“This gave us a chance to strike up conversations with the parents.”
Masters recalls one elderly woman they visited who could not
talk. “She didnt respond when we first went in, but after we sang carols,
she smiled,” she recalls. “We could tell it brought joy to her.”
While one group spent time with the firemen and hospital patients,
the team of students scheduled to work in the store operated by Samaritans
Purse learned they would not work there.
Causey admits it was disappointing at first, but God intervened
again.
The students had shared the gospel with others at Ground Zero
the day before but were not trained to witness in the manner they wished. Because
they were able to spend an extra day at the site, the students felt more comfortable
about sharing Christ.
BCM President Joey Dressler was part of the team that witnessed
at Ground Zero. He said that although his group was discouraged at first, they
came together as one.
“It humbled me a lot,” says Dressler, an LSU senior and a member
at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles. “We spread out and prayed that people
would come to us. I grew a great deal and had discernment for people as a result.”
Causey says that most of the time spent at Ground Zero was
challenging. “Some people were receptive while some were thankful for us being
there,” he adds.
The most amazing part of the trip was visiting with New Yorkers
in the subway and in their Harlem hotel, Causey says. By the end of the week,
the students did not want to leave the subway because they became fascinated
by the accounts of Sept. 11 New Yorkers shared with them.
Steve Masters says that next year the Baptist Campus Ministry
students might take a similar trip. “I think the New Yorkers may need (this
type of help) more next year,” he says. “By this time next year, a lot of people
will forget about those affected.”
Though the group may not have seen droves of people accept
Christ, Causey notes that many students shared their faith for the first time.
“From the reaction of some of the people we witnessed to, they had never seen
this side of Christianity,” he points out.
“I dont know if any decisions were made, but the fruit was planted.”