Carolina flooding

LU Send Now sends two relief teams to serve

A team of Liberty University students was sent out Oct. 13 through LU Send Now to bring emergency relief to flood victims in Columbia, South Carolina, according to Director of LU Send Anna Strickland.

Strickland said the team returned Oct. 18 weary but energized by the rebuilding work they had done. The students spent almost six days cleaning up flooded houses near and around Columbia, according to liberty.edu. The team was backed by the prayers of Liberty students and staff, according to Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser.

“God used them greatly,” Nasser said in an update on the team’s work at Convocation Oct. 19.

Led by staff from LU Send, the Center for Global Engagement and the Office of Student Leadership, the teams worked for hours everyday on “clean up and demolition” on four houses in the area, according to Strickland.

Strickland said planning for the trip began as soon as news of the flooding was publicized. Although LU Send Now was prepared to move out on short notice, it was not expecting something so soon after its conception.

“As soon as we heard about the flood and the destruction that was occurring, we got in contact with Samaritan’s Purse and asked when it would be best for us to assist in the work they were doing there,” Strickland said.

LU Send Now decided to partner with Samaritan’s Purse for the project in order to best serve the community, according to Strickland.

“Samaritan’s Purse has a long-standing reputation for excellence in disaster relief,” Strickland said. “They also have … an excellent system for mobilizing volunteers.”

LU Send Now employees worked hard in order to quickly coordinate the trip, according to Strickland. As a result, their efforts, and those of Samaritan’s Purse, were rewarded by the gratitude of those they helped.

“There was a lot of opportunity to connect with the homeowners … and (the homeowners really) reached out to the volunteers in gratitude,” Strickland said.

“Our staff came together to work out the last minute logistics, and on Tuesday morning we all showed up at 6 a.m. to make the trip down to South Carolina,” Strickland said.

Students participated in a three-hour domestic relief training session given by the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia prior to the trip. However, Strickland believed there were many things students could only learn on site of the disaster.

“Students learned about effective flood relief, gained experience in teamwork, and learned more about how to serve and care for others in the midst of a traumatic life experience,” Strickland said.

The team stayed at Shandon Baptist Church while in Columbia and was provided meals by Samaritan’s Purse along with other volunteers. In addition to working on buildings and cleanup, Strickland said students were able to minister to local residents through their actions.

“The people in the community were continuously thanking those who were serving,” Strickland said. “We saw a lot of community blossoming in the neighbors that came together in support of the homeowners affected and reaching out to the volunteers in gratitude.”

Strickland said the students displayed the attitude and character that the flood victims needed to see.

“(It was great to see) our students’ genuine and encouraging attitudes and heart to serve continuously,” Strickland said.

Another team from LU Send Now traveled to South Carolina Oct. 21. They continued to clean up and gut flooded homes. LU Send Now committed their teams to the direction of Samaritan’s Purse and will continue in relief efforts as Samaritan’s Purse sees fit, according to Strickland.

Liberty student Zach Scott, who was a part of the second LU Send Now team sent to South Carolina, said is was a privilege to be able to support those who had lost so much.

“It’s been a huge blessing just to come down and help and meet these people,” Scott said. “We’re really lucky to have this opportunity.”

Steptoe is a news reporter.