Faith in action: USMA cadets spend spring break in disaster relief

CH(COL) Bob Phillips, USA (Ret.)

“The best part of the trip was being able to connect with new believers and learn new skills,” said Cadet Liam Stanko. “It was extremely fulfilling to be able to work for the Lord.”

Cadets had the opportunity to interact with homeowners and hear stories of how the hurricane impacted their families. The families were overwhelmed with the generosity of SPI and very appreciative that cadets willingly gave up their spring break to serve.

“For me, this trip highlighted two main things,” said Cadet Tim Jolicoeur. “First was the impact that acts of service such as helping to fix someone’s home or building them a deck can have for Christ’s kingdom. The second was how big an impact pausing to listen and talk to someone has on their day and how big a witness that is of Christ’s work in me.”

Numerous conversations focused on the faithfulness of God and testimonies of His goodness in the midst of tragedy.

“I learned and experienced the power that prayer has,” Cadet Nik Beukelman said. “Getting to pray over the trip and Charlie and Elain, the homeowners we were serving, every day and watching prayer after prayer be answered was really cool.”

When SPI Chief Operating Officer and U.S. Military Academy alumnus Edward Graham heard we were coming, he invited the whole team to lunch at the SPI headquarters in Boone, N.C. He personally spoke to our group. He told us about his West Point experience and his 16 years of service, much of it as an Airborne Ranger in combat.

Cadets were locked in on his every word. And with the same mannerisms of his grandfather, Mr. Graham reminded the cadets that their primary identity is not found in being an Army officer. Their primary identity is found in being a follower of Jesus. Our cadets were truly inspired by his words.

“West Point is chaotic, and if I’m not careful, the chaos can creep up on me and distract me from what truly matters,” Cadet Sebastian Medina said. “The entire mission trip helped to remind me of my true purpose in life, which is to be a servant of God on this earth.”

The trip was an overwhelming success. Several cadets remarked that it was a life-changing experience.

“The most meaningful part of the mission trip was being able to draw closer to God and to build closer relationships with my fellow cadets,” Cadet Reece Oliver said. “I learned a lot from the Samaritan’s Purse employees I worked with on the site, both physically, with the work we did on the house, and spiritually, through the conversations we had and the love that they showed to the homeowners.”

Cadets learned about service to others, the faithfulness of God through tragedy, and what being the hands and feet of Jesus really looks like. They learned practical construction skills, built relationships with homeowners, and saw the impact of their work as a team.

“It was great to see cadets across all four classes come together to spend their spring break serving strangers they have never met and trying to draw near to both God and each other,” said COL Jamie Bluman, USA, the officer-in-charge for USMA OCF’s trip. “We all learned a lot, and I certainly grew in my faith to see so much fruit come out of just a single weeklong experience.”