A group of nearly 30 students from Houston Christian University (HCU) converged on South Padre Island along with 38 other Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) groups from across Texas as a part of Beach Reach 2023 to transform the popular Spring Break party destination into a mission ground for Christ.
Since launching in 1980, BSM members from college campuses from across the country convene to share their faith and win souls for Christ. Ministry teams begin the day with prayer and reach out to Spring Breakers by offering van rides, passing out hotline cards and setting up early and late-night pancake hubs to gain an opportunity to share the love of Christ. Beach-goers also are invited for prayer, worship and a time of sharing each evening.
HCU BSM Director Nathan Mahand describes the trip as an invaluable opportunity for students to garner skills in sharing their faith by engaging with and praying for their peers.
“Many come looking to have the best time, and oftentimes that good time ends up with them finding themselves face to face with their own brokenness. The heart of the ministry is to provide free van rides for spring breakers anywhere they need to go in an effort to earn the right to share the gospel with them,” said Mahand.
This was HCU student Gabby Zacamitzin’s second year participating in Beach Reach. The HCU senior, who is studying nursing and hopes to become a pediatric nurse, saw God move in powerful ways during the two-week-long mission trip.
“One of the most impactful moments that I got to experience was one night when I was on the van. I got to share my testimony with this girl who was about my age on how God had been working in my life and the different things God had redeemed me from. I could see her heart opening up and she began to tear up. It was a sweet moment of sharing God’s love with her and how God had walked with me throughout my college career,” said Gabby.
The pair continues to connect through text messages to continue their conversations about Christ.
HCU junior, Kira Sprinkle, described the mission trip as life-changing, not only for spring breakers but for the ministry team. She gets “chills and a feeling of awe and complete joy” as she looks back on the experience.
“This is the most tangible feeling of closeness to God I have ever experienced. There is nothing like the uproar in that room when the tweet that someone just received Christ as their Lord and Savior comes across the screen. The room erupts in praise and clapping and joyful shouts, because of the brother or sister that has just crossed from death to life,” shared Kira.
The Dallas native is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Special Education and is thankful for the opportunity to serve others through this ministry outreach opportunity. She credits prayers lifted by BSM members “across the nation and world, who are praying at all hours of the night” for the powerful impact HCU’s BSM team and others were able to have during Beach Reach.
For HCU student Clifford Bradley, leading worship service for 800 students, and also participating in van rides and the pancake ministry outreach, are experiences he will never forget.
“It was truly surreal to see every student in the room pouring out their hearts and praise to God,” said Bradley.
On one of the van rides, he had an opportunity to share his testimony and impact the life of one of the riders.
“I got to share my testimony with a guy on a van ride and that same guy took another ride on another van and gave his life to Christ. I was truly speechless on how God was able to use my story to bring new life to His Kingdom,” said Clifford.
After several positive encounters with persons of faith on the vans, Mahand has often seen students “soften to the draw of the Holy Spirit on their hearts and commit their lives to Jesus.”
“This trip is invaluable for students to participate in. It is my hope for HCU students that they will garner skills in engaging their peers with the gospel now because it matters and that they will take these skills forward into the rest of their lives. I tell students often that if we did nothing else as a BSM, we would do Beach Reach,” said Mahand.
This year’s outreach resulted in 49 baptisms on the beach, 183 salvation experiences, 91 lives recommitted to Christ and more than 7,000 prayers with college students during the Spring Break mission trip.