#wacowednesday

Name: Sarah Lairmore Major: Medical Humanities Year: Senior Years of Service: 3

This week, we get to hear from Sarah, a member of the Urban Missions Advisory Council and a volunteer at the Kate Ross Kings Club.  Each Thursday, this group gathers together to provide a safe environment for kids to have fun and learn about Jesus in.  Their goal is to “be examples of God's love to kids who desperately need it by forming relationships with them, teaching them about Jesus, and being a positive, consistent influence in their lives.”  Here’s what Sarah had to say about her time of service with Kings Club:

I first got involved with Urban Missions during my freshman year, when a friend of mine spoke warmly about her experiences at Kings Club and invited me to join her one week. My first time there, I could see how much the program meant to both the children and the volunteers. I was a bit overwhelmed when I heard the Baylor students calling each of the many kids by name, but I soon fell in love with the program; I have been volunteering there consistently ever since.

Urban Missions was so important for me as a young college student, because it gave me the opportunity to see faith put into action at a time when I was wrestling with some big questions. College is a time when we learn a lot in the classroom and about ourselves, but serving in the community is what took this to the next level for me.

Because I have been serving at the same location for 3 years, I have built strong relationships with the people at Kate Ross. I have seen the kids grow up, and have been humbled by their openness, adaptability, and maturation into bright and caring young people. I have also learned about my Waco neighbors who live differently than we do in the Baylor bubble. Serving with Urban Missions uncovered a passion for serving and connecting with others that has spilled over into every area of my life. Not only have I looked for other opportunities to serve, but it has taught me to be a more genuine and dependable friend and more inquisitive student. As a pre-med student, my goal to become a physician has been challenged and expanded; I plan to continue to prioritize service as a physician.

Spending time with the kids is the highlight of my week, and helps me to keep life’s stresses in perspective. School is important, and it can take a lot of our time and energy, but I have found that taking some time to invest in others helps to center me and realign my priorities.

My experience with Urban Missions has taught me that mission work does not always manifest itself in a dramatic way. In this instance, demonstrating to people of my community that I care for them was something I could do right now, in my local community. In this way, missions became something much more accessible and applicable to everyday life.

Are you ready to break out of the “Baylor Bubble” and serve in your community?  Why wait when you can start now!  Check out our website to find out how you can make this possible!

Name: Audrey Dodds Major: Biology Year: Senior Team: Salvation Army Team Years of Service: 4; 2 as a student leader

Audrey, like many college students, has a busy life.  The fact that she switched her major to Biology later on only made her schedule even more packed.  Between trying to fit in classes to graduate on time and spending summers doing internships, Audrey didn’t have a lot of free time.  After switching her major, she knew she wouldn’t have any time to go abroad for missions trips, but she still wanted to serve and be a part of missions at Baylor.  She joined Urban Missions because it could be incorporated into her schedule without taking up a huge block of time all at once like other trips required.  Although she is so busy, Audrey made time in her schedule to serve.  “I have found that my schedule is more flexible than I think it is,” she said.  During the week, her schedule is really packed, but weekends are freer.  So she simply shifted her schedule to prioritize serving.  She does more homework and studying on weekends than she used to do so that she can serve each week.  “If you put it in your mind that you’re going to be there every week, it’s not difficult to make it happen,” she said.  “But you can’t make it an option.”

The team Audrey leads at the Salvation Army works with the Children’s Character Building program on Thursday nights.  One of the most eye opening experiences for Audrey during her time serving came from one of these Character Building programs.  She said they recently did a unit on drugs for the 4th graders.  “I was thinking, ‘there’s no way they need this already,’” she said.  “But they do.”  What Audrey’s team and the Salvation Army are doing is working to prevent and counteract problems like this that the kids are already dealing with.  Before this program, Audrey didn’t really think about what was going on in the children’s home situations.  Since then, she has realized how important it is to keep showing up and putting on programs like this for the children.  “This could be the most consistent thing they see all week,” she said.

Before serving with Urban Missions, Audrey never thought she would want to work with kids.  “I was convinced that I didn’t want kids and didn’t like kids.  But when I started serving with them, I realized how cool they are!  I now know them as individual people who have a lot of value,” she said.  Recognizing the value of those you’re serving is something Audrey is very passionate about.  “We’re trying to bring Christ’s love into a community that is broken,” she said, “and it’s important for us to know that those we are serving are just as valuable as we are.”  Audrey said that Urban Missions has caused her to confront her human tendency toward a “savior complex.”  “If I wasn’t doing missions weekly and consistently, I wouldn’t worry about having a ‘savior complex,’” she explained.  “I wouldn’t have a fear of feeling better than anyone else—I wouldn’t even notice it.”  Consistency has caused Audrey to confront these prideful tendencies we all struggle with and allowed her time to work on these problems.  “I want to impart value on the children I work with, but in order to do that I need to make sure that I know these people are just as valuable as I am.  And I have to be humble in order to do that.  I wouldn’t think about being humble if I wasn’t intentionally trying to be humble.”  Through her experience with Urban Missions, Audrey has been able to follow in the footsteps of Christ and learn how to become a better servant leader.

Oftentimes people assume that in order to live missionally as a Christian, you have to have a career with the word “Ministry” tacked onto it.  Audrey recognizes that this is not always the case.  Through her experiences with Urban Missions, Audrey has seen God soften her heart and shift her career goals.  Although before she never thought she would want to work with kids, now she’s considering using her Biology degree to go into medicine as a Pediatrician.  “This service has added something to my life that I was afraid of and didn’t want to look at,” Audrey explained.  “My major hasn’t completely changed because of it, but it’s changed the possibility of what type of medicine I want to go into.”

So, what is there to lose by joining an Urban Missions team?

Nothing, Audrey says.  “Urban Missions has taken nothing from me.  The only thing I could have possibly lost is watching a couple hours of Netflix.  But it has given me so much more life.”  If you don’t think Urban Missions is for you…well, it is.  However, Audrey recognizes that it’s not always easy at first.  Audrey actually started Urban Missions serving with a different team, but after a year of serving, realized that area of service wasn’t the right fit for her.  She said that if after committing to a team for a period of time someone finds that they don’t click with the type of service that team is doing, sometimes they just need to find a better fit.  “Urban Missions has so many opportunities, you don’t need to leave the organization to find somewhere you fit, she said.”  However, that doesn’t mean you should always “team hop.”  “You get what you put in,” she said.  “But at the same time, explore your weaknesses and explore what you’re truly called to do.”

Are you ready to make room in YOUR schedule to serve in Waco this semester? Check out our website for a full list of places you can be a good neighBEAR every week with Baylor Urban Missions. 😊

Name: Destiny Reynolds  Major: English Year: Senior Team: Blue House Team  Years of Service: 4; 3 as a student leader 

As a freshman, Destiny came to Baylor with a passion to serve. Throughout high school, she was the president of the National Honors Society and was always setting up and leading service projects. Coming to Baylor, she couldn’t let her passion for volunteer work go to waste, and when she found out about Urban Missions at Late Night, she decided to check it out. She knew she wanted to work with kids, and the “Blue House” Urban Missions team provided her with an opportunity to both hang out with kids and focus on their education. The Blue House was started many years ago by Crossroads Fellowship Church. In the Blue House, they host regular programs for children and their families. Destiny leads Urban Missions’ partnership with the Tuesday and Thursday evening programs, which focuses on helping kids with homework and playing educational games, all while building relationships with the children.

Destiny described her first day serving at the Blue House to me: 

“I was nervous,” she admitted. The Blue House has many rooms, splitting the kids up into age groups—little ones through high school. That day, she walked around the house looking into rooms, trying to decide what age group she wanted to work with. She had already made up her mind that middle school was out of the question. But as she walked by the middle school room and peeked in, a little girl yelled at her, “Are you afraid to come back here!?” “I couldn’t show her that I was!” Destiny said, “So I went into the room and have been there ever since.” 

After being at the Blue House with the same children for four years, Destiny has been able to form relationships with the children. Where before they would try to intimidate her, now they embrace her and enjoy having her come. “If you miss a week, kids are asking where you were,” she explained. “They’ll say, ‘I was waiting for you!’ or ‘I was here on Thursday and you weren’t!’” The kids are a big part of what keep her coming. Destiny has a big heart for the Blue House group because she shares a special connection with some of the kids there. She talked about how most of the kids she works with are growing up in government housing, and as a kid, she also lived in government housing. “Growing up, I would have loved having older people coming and showing me that I can succeed, that there’s a better life,” Destiny explained.

Destiny has also recognized the importance of long-term service and commitment to effect change. Over the past four years, she has seen a lot of growth in the children. She told a story of an Easter egg hunt her team gets to do with the children each year. One year, a little girl ended up coming late, and all the Easter eggs were gone. Without prompting from the student leaders, the other children rallied together and collected eggs from their own baskets, making sure the little girl didn’t leave empty handed. “These kids would not have done that eight years ago before the program started,” Destiny said. Seeing this happen affirmed to her that she and the other volunteers were actually making a difference in the kids’ lives, even when they don’t always recognize it.

Most of what Destiny does with the Blue House group is focus on education—another one of her great passions. Destiny talked about how education is so important to guarantee success for these children. Since serving at the Blue House, Destiny has become much more passionate about education and helping these children with homework. She said since getting involved, she has had more of an urge to speak up about developing education and finding more funding for public schools. “If we just fix education, everything will get better,” she said, “because education creates more intelligent citizens.” Destiny’s experience as a student at Baylor has also helped to shape these passions. “The University makes you a more well-rounded person,” she said. “You come into contact with people of different religions, races, and cultures. They’re sitting right next to you in class, and you have to get used to it and learn how to relate with them.” The focus the Blue House Team puts on education is extremely important to Destiny. “We’re teaching them to work, then play,” she explained. Through this, they’re teaching the children to prioritize their education over other activities.

Through Urban Missions, Destiny has seen God at work in her and in the lives of the children she works with. She has felt God give her patience when the children are difficult to work with, and has seen the reward of her service through the growth in the children. Destiny’s passion comes from moments like that. “You’re going to be living in this area for at least four years,” she said, “why wouldn’t you want to sew good seeds in the area that you’re living?” Destiny explained how she sees the goal of Urban Missions: “We reach out to people that are right here next to us. We live in a ‘Baylor Bubble,’ but right next door is poverty. We try to pour into the kids as best as we can, but also let them affect our lives.” She explained that you don’t have to go far to be a part of Missions. “Kate Ross is literally right across I-35; you can get there in two minutes,” Destiny said. “If you don’t start now, you’re never going to. If you want to start living that life of service, step out your front door, and it’s right there.” 

If you are interested in serving alongside Destiny and her team at the Blue House, click here to learn more. For information about ALL of the Urban Missions experiences available this semester, visit our website.