Spring break was always a welcome respite from the drudge of class, work and routine in general. While many students went home or on vacation to relax, a group of students traveled to Silver Springs, Md., to serve others as part of one of Harding's spring break campaigns. Initially, the group was not sure what they were getting themselves into. "We were a bit starry-eyed at just the idea of being near Washington, D.C.," senior Justin Vogl said. "We knew thel-e were so many opportunities to serve; we just didn't know the specifics." The mission team's host, JodyVenkatesan from the congregation in Silver Springs, suggested the team organize a food drive for the Bethesda Naval Hospital Red Cross, which hal-bored injured men and women from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I have a great respect fort he military, so we were very excited about the thought of helping those fighting for our freedom," Vogl said. "I felt honored to be serving those men and women who have served our country so honorably." The group began by handing out 250 flyers at the Metro station and 200 more door-to-door in neighborhoods. Later, they held a devotional at the Venkatesans' home with some local teens, at the end of which a collection for the food drive was passed around. In the process, the group raised over $1,000 for the recovering soldiers. "The generosity from everyone was overwhelming," Vogl said. "The church in Silver Springs also chipped in money to help us buy more supplies." The team filled four vans full of food and water and delivered them to Bethesda Naval after a few days of preparation. The Red Cross workers were grateful beyond words; the hospital's food supply had run out the day before, and the workers had been unsure where they were going to get additional supplies. "When Ifirst heard that they ran out of supplies the day before we delivered the food, I thought it was coincidence," sophomore Hector Felix said. "Then I started to think about it and realized that coincidences don't happen. It's all part of God's plan." The soldiers in the hospital we1-e most impressed that a group of college students from Arkansas had given up their spring break to serve strangers in Maryland. In the process of delivering the food, much of the group had opportunities for small talk with the soldiers, thanking them for their hard work and sharing their beliefs. "God used us that day to show His love for the soldiers as well as fulfill a bigger purpose," Vogl said. "On mission trips, you feel good about yourself because you are doing good but you don't always get to see the effect of your work.That day, we got to see the effects of our work." All of the students on the trip agreed that giving back to the men and women who had given so much for the U.S. was extremely rewarding. "It was an awesome feeling knowing that God is active in everything we do whether we think about it or not," Felix said. The biggest reward was knowing their services arrived just when Bethesda Naval needed them most. "Those men and women were in the hospital for their service, [but] they don't get to see the effect of their sacrifices," Vogl said. "We hoped and prayed to have shown what they meant to all of us." Nicole Cuillo 16 student life
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