2008 Woodie Awards
Spring break missions impact lives near and far away
Charlotte Holman
Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: In the Spotlight
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Assistant Director of University Missions Deanna Collins led a team to St. Louis where they were able to minister in many different ways.
"It was pretty busy," said Collins.
The team stayed at a church named Compton Heights and worked with inner city youth.
SBU students worked with Haven of Grace, a shelter for homeless pregnant women. Collins and the students were amazed at the women's positive attitudes and their openness to the mission team.
The team also worked in a food pantry with Metro North Family Ministries and worked with the Winter Patrol, distributing food and clothes in abandoned warehouses and in tunnels under the city.
The team helped clean up a new church that was opening. They also got the chance to prayer walk in a Bosnian community and survey the people. The team asked people about their families, jobs and reasons for coming to St. Louis.
The team encountered drug addicts and drunks. Collins said that the entire trip was an eye-opening experience.
"There are no masks on the street," said Collins.
Through these encounters, the team learned of judgments they were holding onto, and God was able to change those.
"He changed the perception of what 'homeless' means," said Collins.
While the St. Louis team headed North, 10 students headed South to Canton, Miss. to work with In His Steps Ministries.
The team painted a house for an elderly woman who had recently been placed on dialysis for diabetes. Not only did the house need to be repainted, but the siding was full of holes. A retired contractor that was working with In His Steps decided that if the materials were provided, he would do the labor for free.
"That was really neat because we thought we would have to pay for it to be fixed," said junior Holly Stockard.
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