Students help students during missions week at children’s home

BEEVILLE—Gabby Ruguleiski couldn’t wait to set foot on the campus of South Texas Children’s Home Ministries.

Gabby Ruguleiski of Humble (far right) joins backyard Bible club kids and fellow mission team members in song at First Baptist Church Beeville after the rain chased the group indoors from the park where they had been meeting.

“My sister came a few years ago, and she told me all about it,” Ruguleiski said.

The 13-year-old joined 44 other youth from Humble Area First Baptist Church in making the 200-mile trip from near Houston to Bee County recently. The previous three summers, student ministry trips from Humble have focused on projects around the children’s home campus, but this year’s mission took on a new dimension.

“This year our week turned into a multifaceted mission camp with teams made up of not only Humble youth, but also students from South Texas Children’s Home Ministries and First Baptist Church in Beeville,” explained David Humphrey, youth pastor at Humble Area First Baptist Church.

“During the day, the teams participated in different mission projects around the campus and community, and then we all came together for worship in the evenings.”

Projects included a backyard Bible club at a park, partnering with Habitat for Humanity on a project in Beeville, a Vacation Bible School on the STCHM campus for the younger children and a grounds maintenance crew that helped pick up limbs from recently trimmed trees all around the children’s home campus.

Torrential rain that fell off and on during the week could not dampen the students’ spirits, and students said blessings flowed as they grew to know one another and worked side by side. Ruguleiski served on the backyard Bible club team.

“The first day when we pulled up to the park, no one was there,” Ruguleiski said. “But then a truck came, and one kid got out, and then four more kids. There ended up being 12 kids that first day. When it rained, it was so neat seeing everyone under the bus stop—still singing. We shared one-on-one with the kids using gospel bracelets, and I realized that we can share the gospel anywhere, and you don’t have to be afraid.”

Mike Bryant, youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Beeville and several of the Beeville youth handed out fliers in the neighborhood around the park the week before and served free snow cones during the Bible club. Graham Traylor, a senior from First Baptist in Beeville, was part of the team.

“Walking through the neighborhoods in our area to invite people made me see that we don’t have to go to another city or country to do missions,” Traylor explained. “There are needs to meet right here in our town.”

The Habitat for Humanity team spent much of the time sloshing around in the rain as they worked, but Clayton Elder, pastor of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and chairman of the Beeville Habitat for Humanity Board, was pleased with the team’s work.

“This house had greater needs than the scope of the project, which was painting and weatherization, but the team went the extra mile to help replace boards and a few other things as well. To me, that shows the compassion of this group,” Elder said.

“I have worked on some house projects before,” said 16-year-old Christopher Douglas from Humble. “but this feels different to me, in a loving sort of way. It’s been an extraordinary experience being with the kids at the children’s home, in the atmosphere there. We went jogging on the campus yesterday, and I even saw a rattlesnake. You just don’t have the chance to see things like that in Houston.”

Debbie Taylor, one of ten adult sponsors from the Humble church, led the Vacation Bible School team on campus for the preschoolers and elementary age children who live at the children’s home.

“The kids were amazing,” Taylor said. “We were able to see the harvest of three of the kids that asked Jesus to come into their lives. I know that seeds had been planted before we came, but it is always fun to see God at work. It is so comforting to know that these children have house parents and staff who love them and care about their future, here on this earth and eternally.”

Becky Moore, director of student ministries at STCHM, noted the joy in seeing students from the children’s home and from Humble work alongside each other this year and sharing Christ through the Bible club.

“We have a special friendship that has been established over the last three years of the Humble group coming to serve and love our kids,” Moore said. “They truly have a heart to serve, and it is a blessing to see them in action among our kids.”

Dustin Weeks, a Dallas Baptist University freshman, is serving an as intern at Humble Area First Baptist Church this summer. “Just seeing what God has done this week has been incredible,” Weeks said. “Lives have been changed.”

Mateo, age 15, is one of those transformed lives. He moved to South Texas Children’s Home only eight days before the mission week began, and he was in awe at how the Humble youth handled the services. “It made me realize that just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact on other people,” Mateo said.

After Weeks delivered a sermon based on John 14:6, Mateo accepted Christ into his life.

“It is always great to see kids helping kids,” said Eron Green, president of STCHM. It is so important to start at an early age to help children see the need to put others first and follow Christ’s example. This partnership between Humble Area First Baptist Church, First Baptist in Beeville and our own students allows children to do just that. God uses children in special ways to help other children, and it was great to see the students working together for a common goal and purpose.”