(Written by Tommy Wilson, one of First Baptist’s interns)

Thank you for all of your prayer and support for the “Return to Ike” trip. Our mission of telling people about Jesus and showing them His love through our hands was accomplished. Our team, made up of 25 UMHB students from around Texas, 2 men from First Baptist Belton and 3 from First Baptist Charlotte helped rebuild a church affected by Hurricane Ike.

We traveled to Beaumont, Texas on January 1 where stayed the week of the trip. We began work on Liberty Baptist Church in Bridge City the following day. We continued working there until the January 7, hanging sheet rock, taping and floating. We worked with the organization Nehemiah’s Vision.

During our week, we hung, taped and floated over 300 sheets of dry wall. We worked until our supplies ran out. They had hoped that we would complete the dry wall in the main sanctuary, but we got that knocked out in about a day and a half.  So, we kept working.  By the end of the week, we had all but three rooms completed, far beyond what Nehemiah’s Vision and the church had hoped for us to complete.

We really saw Jesus work through His Body that week and bring encouragement to the people in Bridge City.  On Sunday, we worshiped  at Liberty Baptist. We encouraged the congregation that once we finished rebuilding the church, it would be their responsibility, with God’s help, to fill it with new disciples. The church was so grateful that they provided us lunch on Sunday, three breakfasts, and snacks throughout the week.  On Sunday afternoon, we returned to the homes we worked on in October during the first trip. It was great to see the surprised faces of the people we served last time. Perhaps they did not really expect we would return to see them. We got another chance to pray for those families in person and show them a picture of Christ’s love that does not forget about anyone. That was one of the most remembered and moving days for our team on the trip.

Thank you once again for believing in what God had called us to do, and even showing it through your support. God used this trip to change the lives of the people of Bridge City and the lives of the people on the trip. I feel that God did just as much work on the team as He did for Bridge City.  So, thank you for doing the part that God called you to do to make that possible.