‘Things don't always work out, but God works it out': Campbellsville University students spend spring break on mission

By Christina Miller, student news writer

 

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky.—Campbellsville University students shared testimonies of their spring break mission trips during Oasis, the weekly Baptist Campus Ministry meeting at Campbellsville University recently on the first day back to classes.

Missions to Costa Rica, Florida, Dearborn, Mich., a road trip around Kentucky, and a road trip around the South, came down to one theme, “Things don't always work out, but God works it out.”

A team of men hiked through Costa Rica to reach the “unreachable” villages and witness to the people there. Because of the 110-degree temperature and having to hike for so long, one of the team members got sick. Ed Pavy, director of campus ministries, who led the trip, said after Brian House got sick he went to a town to get food. House brought the food back to a house where they had no food left. “God worked through this and blessed that family,” Pavy said.

Trevor Ervin, a sophomore from Glasgow, Ky., also became sick one day and had to stay behind. As he sat on the beach studying his Bible, he came across James 1:2-3, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

Logan Hazelwood, a junior from Salvisa, Ky., said, “It took us a long time to hike to the villages; people were dropping like flies. But, once we finally got there it was awesome. Getting there was a gift from God… to see the smiles on kids' faces.”

Campbellsville University football players and coaches visited six different maximum security prison facilities in Florida, and had the opportunity to visit the Youth Challenge Center of Florida, a last step camp for drug offenders.

Jim Hardy, assistant football coach, led the team to Florida for the second year and said, “The trip is always a blessing to me because I get to watch the football players bring a blessing to the inmates they minister to.”

Campbellsville University students, along with those from SportsReach, in front of the prison work camp in Florida during spring break include: Anthony Fugate of Knoxville, Tenn., with SportsReach; Lorenzo Hines of Fort Belvoir, Va.; and Jim Hardy, assistant football coach. Second row - Pat Henry of Bishopville, S.C.; Calvin Bini of Radcliff, Ky.; John Suddeth of Texas, with SportsReach; Jason Caudill of Knoxville, with SportsReach; Cody Wills of Junction City, Ky.; John Kiger of Texas, with SportsReach; and Henri Banym Baker of Elizabethtown, Ky. Back row - Drew Speer of Campbellsville; Stan Warrenhuffman of Cincinnati, Ohio; Jeff Demary of Columbia, S.C.; A.J. Brown of Pelham, Ala.; Lincoln “Bubba” Lawless of Campbellsville; and Jason Westbrook of Texas, with SportsReach.

The team played softball with the inmates and shared their testimonies and the gospel message in between games. Through their efforts in the prisons, in what could be considered a bad situation to be in, a blessing was born… 167 inmates made decisions to follow Christ.

 

Stan Warrenhuffman, a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, said, “We were in a roomful of football players crying and giving perspectives of their ministry. One-hundred different guys gave their lives to Christ.”

Calvin Bini, a junior from Radcliff, Ky., said his favorite part of the trip was the fellowship and seeing God work inside the prisons. “These guys are confined to their cell walls, but God frees them from their bondage of sin.”

Bini also said it was a spiritual revival for their football team members on the trip. “I realized we need to bring that back for the team and exemplify Christ in our lives to tune in to our mission with the football team here, all day, every day.”

Another team traveled to Dearborn, Mich. where their goal was to reach Muslims living in the area. Dearborn has the highest population of Muslims and the biggest mosque in North America.

Kristina Wallace of Hopkinsville, Ky. said she has a heart for Muslims. “Islam focuses on family… they do everything together. If one of the family were to convert to Christianity, it's basically decided they are no longer a part of the family.”

The team spent their time in churches ministering to the needs of those people who have been thrown out, and ministering to their Muslim families.

Another team went on a road trip across Kentucky called GPS sponsored by the Kentucky Baptist Convention. CU students met up with other college students from across the commonwealth and didn't know where they would be ministering next; they just followed where their GPS told them to go.

Kim Baker, a junior from Louisville, said, “We had no idea where we were going. It was neat to see and trust that God had a plan in what we did.”

Every day of the mission trip, the team spent a half-day with Find it Here, an effort to invite everyone in Kentucky to church for Easter Sunday.

Deborah Dean, a junior from Rising Sun, Md., said, “I felt God was telling us no matter how small the task, it's beneficial for God's purpose. It seemed pointless and repetitive at first, but we noticed God working because churches already had calls coming in about people wanting to come to church.”

 

 

 

Tomohiro Suko, a freshman from Japan, said he felt he grew up spiritually over the course of the trip. “I feel different in who I was before spring break. Now I am more enthusiastic to share the word of Jesus and share my faith.”

A group of five men went on a road trip around the South — what they called “Man Trip 2010.” This team traveled to Atlanta, Ga., Charleston, S.C., and Gainesville, Fla.

The day before leaving for the mission trip, their contact in Atlanta canceled on them leaving the team without a plan for the first day of the trip. But, God called them to do park ministry.

Kenton Hallinan, a junior from Louisville, said, “From the moment we set foot in Atlanta, even when everything else didn't work out, God still had a plan. We ministered where we didn't expect to.”

In Charleston, the team worked in a food bank sorting through thousands of cans. The food bank they worked at is one of 30 in the United States, and last year it put together 14 million meals for the South Carolina area. The team's work equaled 1,500 meals.

In Gainesville the team served meals to the homeless and helped put together medical care packages for Haiti.

Alan Haven, a junior from Shelbyville, Ky., said, “Maybe what we did didn't equal much, but God will make it fruitful and He will move.”

Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 3,006 students who represent 97 Kentucky counties, 30 states and 37 foreign nations. Listed in U.S.News & World Report's 2010 “America's Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 23rd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South, tied for fifth in “most international students” and

 

fourth in “up-and-coming” schools in baccalaureate colleges in the South. CU has been ranked 17 consecutive years with U.S.News & World Report. The university has also been named to America's Best Christian Colleges® and to G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his 11th year as president.