Rice students serve in San Antonio over spring break

Posted: 3/28/08

Rice students serve in
San Antonio over spring break

Brian Benjamin, a sophomore at Rice University, gives a boy a ride on his shoulders.

Thirteen students from the Baptist Student Ministries at Rice University spent spring break ministering in inner-city San Antonio.

Students built relationships with people who represented the fourth generation of their family living in public housing on San Antonio’s west side.

Working with the Urban Connection ministry, students distributed food from the food pantry, cleaned a neighborhood, organized space used for an after-school program and cleaned homes of elderly residents.

At an after-school program arranged by Urban Connection, Rice students helped children and young teens with homework and gave individual attention to students who needed tutoring. After tutoring, students were able to conduct a kids club where each student heard parables of Jesus and made crafts related to the stories.

“I was impressed with the willingness of students to give so much creativity for the kids club and amazed at how many children were just hearing the story of Jesus for the first time,” said BSM Director Andy Dennis.

Charles Reed, a junior at Rice University, helps children with homework.

Avery Cate, a Rice freshman, recalled one child who needed no help doing her homework, but “just wanted affirmation and attention that she probably wasn’t used to getting at home.”

Since two women usually provide the only staff for the tutoring program, the students were able to provide much needed attention and love to the children, Dennis said.

“It was a fantastic way for us to provide some much needed help to these kids in a tangible way to show them the love of God,” he said.