Students Respond with Piedras Negras Disaster Team

April 27, 2007 - Ministry needs, like Texas weather, can often change with little warning.

When a tornado ripped through the border communities of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras this week, several BUA students sprang into action at the request of  Fred Ater, a congregational strategist for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. With only a few hours notice, Jaime Massó, Ulysses Flores, Jerónimo de la Cruz, and Norberto Prado volunteered to spend all day Thursday ministering to devastated families in the aftermath of a tornado along the Texas-Mexico border that killed at least 10 people, injured more than 70 and destroyed 20 homes at earliest reports.

Student Jaime Masso provides this eyewitness account of his experience:

"It was Wednesday afternoon and I was on my way to church. I received a call from Griselda Escobar, from the Office of Student Development. She invited me to go to Piedras Negras on Thursday with a group from the BGCT to assist the victims of the storms. Without thinking twice I replied 'count me in.'

Afterwards I found out that other students were also invited. Jeronimo Cruz, who was the pastor of a church in Piedras Negras before coming to Baptist University of the Americas a year ago; Norberto Prado; Ulyses Flores; and myself. We all put on hold papers and other assignments to go and assist the people there.

Our driver managed to get us into the most destructed area, where the tornado hit hardest. Trees littered the streets and hung over some houses, pieces of metal from roofs making knots in the few trees that were still standing. None of the trees had foliage, all was gone. The houses were mostly destroyed. Walls turned down, doors broken, and windows disappeared. Again, people just sitting down thinking and reflecting on what has happened.

Waiting for the food to be cooked, our group of students from BUA took the initiative to go and walk down the streets close to our station. We talked to people, asked them about their feelings, gave them time to talk out some of the frustration and pain. We prayed with them and stayed with each person for a few minutes. It wasn't really possible to give big words of encouragement, just being with them in these moments seemed to comfort them.

The feedback we got from people was that they did not know about a storm coming. Nobody seemed to have been aware of it. They shared with us what they did to protect themselves. They hold on t anything they could grab with all their strength. The adults covered their children with their bodies to protect them from whatever the wind brought into the house.

One older lady said they were already in bed when they heard the winds blowing. She held to a door in the middle of the two living areas of the house while her husband held to the other side. Her son with his three children sleep in the first room. He grabbed and held his children down in the bed. Suddenly the roof was not there anymore, everything that was light-weight flew out with the roof. The only thing they could do was hold-on with their hands, though their strength was exhausted. They said that for a few minutes the winds calmed down. That was the opportunity for them to run to the bathroom, the strongest and smallest area of the house. There they were a little bit safer. They stayed in that small space until the winds calmed down. They shared their story while tears ran down their faces. This family was astonished that they survived the storm with just one of the kids receiving some with small scratches.

On our way there I was thinking about what I should expect to see in preparation for the scene. Being originally from Puerto Rico I am used to seeing the aftermath of a hurricane. However, I have to say that I never saw anything like this. Most people were sitting down on whatever they found in what was left of their houses. Their faces were showing a huge sense of insecurity due to their inability to deal with this by themselves. There were no electricity and for a few days they would not get any. Suddenly water started to come out. People were happy as if that was the first time it happened.

Reconstruction will take months, but a good spirit is there. One man took some time to hang up Mexican flag on a piece of wood from his roof. There is hope for these people. I think they will adapt and rebuild. It might take a life time, but I can say because I was there, they will go on."

 

Sígueme to Fiesta Photo Gallery

April 20, 2007- The Sígueme Mentoring program and student council staged the first-ever Fiesta block party event on campus Friday, April 20th. Though flyers somehow did not get distributed through the schools to area students as planned, the BUA team worked hard to pull off a fun event that undoubtedly laid a foundation for years to come. Many community partners joined us including Southwest General Hospital, Agape Pregnancy Center, Esparanza Counseling Center, South San Filadelphia Baptist Church, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, Buckner Children & Family Services and Communities in Schools.

 

Student Council Election Results

April 30, 2007- The votes are all in and BUA has another strong group of student leaders chosen by their peers to serve as the BUA Student council for the 2007-2008 academic year. 

The new council members include: Katie Polcyn, President; Ruben Burguete, Vice-President; Adriana Perez, Student Representative; Nancy Davila and Manuel Martinez, Senior Representatives; Cesar Casasola and Belkys Rodgiguez, Junior Representatives; Vanessa Tomasini and Jaime Cortez, Sophomore Representatives; and Francisco Espinoza and Victoria Pineda, Freshman Representatives.

Asked about what might stand out in his memory from serving this past year, outgoing president Abraham Garcia commented, "I think that one of the things that stands out the most is how the students had the confidence to share their hearts with us and I believe they did that because of the trust and the openness to listen to each one them that this council demonstrated." One of the things Garcia learned as a leader, he says, "is that no matter who, what, where or why I serve, that which matters most is the 'attitude'. If you have a good attitude you will build great relationships and trust, and then you will be able to work together as a TEAM."

The outgoing student council also includes Carlos Ramos, Santiago Vazquez, Adrian Ramirez, Francis Rodas, Katie Polcyn, Adriana Perez, Adriana and Bolivar Pila and Darryl Crooms.

 
 

Arnie Adkison

   June 10                Shearer Hills Baptist Church

 

u Holly Villarreal, wife of BUA student Roland Villarreal, pregnancy with complications