Randolph-Macon College students Kelsie Burton ’18 and Katherine Emerson ’20 know firsthand the personal rewards that come from giving to others. The two participated in a recovery mission in Puerto Rico February 3-10, 2018. Working under the leadership of David Hindman ’72, Burton and Emerson helped do significant tear-out work at Prinicipe de Paz United Methodist Church in Aricebo, which had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Maria.

The project, known as The United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Early Response Team, was sanctioned through the United Methodist Church (UMC); the team was the first United Methodist group from the mainland to offer such assistance since the 2017 hurricane season.

Before Burton and Emerson left for the mission, they were blessed and commissioned at a ceremony at Duncan United Methodist Church; a similar service took place at Williamsburg UMC where Hindman and the rest of the team were commissioned, blessed and provided with prayer partners. On campus, Barclay DuPriest, manager of the Campus Store, and Ellen Stack, director of advancement services, served as the students’ prayer partners.

From Demolition to Reconstruction
The team put in long days as they removed tiles, doors and windows in a church that had been ravaged by Hurricane Maria. This was Burton’s first mission trip, but, as an active member of RMC’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, she has lots of experience in construction—and in helping others. When she first heard about the mission trip, she felt called to help. “I knew I was meant to go on the trip,” she says.

Burton, Emerson and Hindman and the other team members helped to repair cracks in the cement floor on the second floor of the building and install temporary roofing to alleviate some of the flooding that continues to impact the church’s worship space on the first floor.

Burton, a biology major and Presidential Scholar, says the local residents were enormously thankful for the team’s efforts. “They were grateful for our help and we were thankful for their caring and hospitality,” she says. Although there were challenges—including a language barrier—there were many rewards, too. “The most gratifying aspect of our work was being able to help those who have been suffering for so long. And it was wonderful to learn more about the Puerto Rican culture.”

A Goal + A Leap of Faith
Emerson, a communication studies major, education minor, and Presidential Scholar, had made it a goal to go on a mission trip before graduating from college.

“When I ran into David on campus one day, it seemed I was being called to go—that I was supposed to take this trip,” says Emerson, a Legacy student whose father is Philip Emerson ’81. “The timing was perfect, and I felt in my heart that I could help a lot of the people in Puerto Rico. So, after praying about it, I took a leap of faith and committed to the mission.”

Helping Those in Need
Hindman, now retired, was the pastor at RMC’s Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church from 2010-2015 and currently attends Williamsburg UMC, which sponsored the mission. In 2006, he was the United Methodist campus minister at The Wesley Foundation at the College of William & Mary and organized a team composed of W&M students and members of Williamsburg UMC who did hurricane recovery work following Hurricane Katrina. The volunteers bonded in a special way and continued to make annual trips to the Gulf to assist with hurricane recovery in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Texas, until Hindman left the Wesley Foundation in 2010.

Collaboration
Last September, while Hurricane Maria was still blowing across Puerto Rico, Hindman and his co-leader (a lay member of Williamsburg UMC) had already decided they needed to help with the recovery effort.

“My previous experience at W&M, along with my mission experiences in my time with Duncan Memorial members and RMC students, proved to me the benefit of collaborative projects. We intentionally planned our Puerto Rico trip to coincide with the college’s break between J-term and spring semester, and RMC Chaplain Kendra Grimes helped spread the word on campus. We were thrilled that two Yellow Jackets signed up. In addition, Katherine is a member of Williamsburg UMC, so she was a great bridge builder, too.”

Determination and Teamwork
This was the first time that Emerson had done construction work—but she quickly learned that determination and teamwork are a powerful combination.

“I even used a tool that resembled a small jackhammer to open the cracks in the cement floor,” she says proudly. “I enjoyed learning from other team members about how to make repairs, and how to use some of the construction tools.” The stories she heard from church members touched her deeply. “They have endured such hardships, and some were without electricity for weeks or even months. It was very powerful to hear from a man and his son who had finally gained electricity while we were there, almost five months after the hurricane hit. Throughout everything their faith remained incredibly strong.”

The most difficult part of the mission, says Emerson, was having to leave Puerto Rico with some of the team’s projects unfinished.

“Throughout the week, church members would come to the church and see the progress that was made,” says Emerson, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, the Leadership Fellows program, and the Honors program. “Knowing that water would not be pouring into their church sanctuary was an answer to their prayers.”

Future Plans
Future trips are being planned, and the hope is to continue the relationship with Principe de Paz Church and with other RMC students.

“Katherine and Kelsie made RMC proud; they worked hard and brought a special spirit and energy to the nine other members of the team,” says Hindman. “We were all deeply affected by the warm welcome we received from the people we encountered at Principe de Paz Church and Tomas Soltero UMC, which provided housing for the team. As always, I see such RMC students and feel pride as a fellow Yellow Jacket and great hope for the future because of young adults like Katherine and Kelsie.”