In the wake of the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in late 2024, Corban University students decided it was their turn to step out of their comfort zones and make a difference. Giving up time during their winter break, a small team of three Corban students, two Corban staff, and two friends of the University packed their bags for a week-long service trip to Valdosta, Georgia. 

After wheels hit the tarmac, the team hit the ground running, partnering with local organizations Praying Pelican Missions and First Methodist Church of Valdosta to help clear debris, remove damaged material from homes, patch drywall, build fences, and provide relief to the local homeless population and those displaced by the hurricane. 

“We were stretched from the moment we got there,” said Corban University Area Coordinator Zach Fuller, one of the trip’s leaders. “Our students rose to the challenge. In this way, I truly saw them begin to thrive in embodying the mission of our university.” 

Corban senior Tiana Williams was surprised by the level of growth she was able to experience in such a compressed amount of time. “I went into this trip knowing that I was going to get to help others, but didn’t think about how much the Lord would use it to change me,” she said. “The trip was very moment-to-moment, need-to-need, so I had to take a step back and recognize that the Lord was asking me to lean on Him and be His servant in whatever way He asked.” 

While the workdays were long and hectic, they did not represent the most stretching time for Williams. Prior to this trip, she admits to being intimidated and even fearful of interacting with those experiencing homelessness. “I realized that I so often dehumanized them in my mind, without even recognizing it,” she said. The day she feared most, as they prepared for outreach to Valdosta’s homeless population, would later become the highlight of her trip. 

She recalls a simple, almost mundane moment of trading lighthearted jokes with one of the men they were serving whose favorite color of Gatorade had run out from their relief supplies. “It was such a simple moment, but I know God used that day and those small interactions to show me that, no matter our circumstances or the labels we carry, people are people, and we are all His children,” she said.   

Fear was soon replaced by compassion as she and the team learned that all that was often required of them was a smile, an offer of a simple meal, a listening ear, and an open heart. “It was the most life-changing part of the experience for me,” Williams said. “I felt so much care and compassion and empathy for those people, people who I had always been afraid of or ignored.” 

Although their days were mainly filled with clearing the physical destruction left by the rending winds of Hurricane Helene, with little time dedicated to human interaction in comparison, it was still the moments of personal connection with the people they were serving that resonated most as they helped to clear the way for new life in Valdosta. Even for a week, it was life they felt privileged to share with those they worked alongside. 

“I think it’s important for everyone to try a mission trip at least once,” said Corban sophomore Erin Sherwood. “Even if you don’t find it’s for you, you never know what God has planned for you or those you may meet, and we met some incredible people along the way.”  

As the team’s time of service came to a close, even after all of their tireless work, they knew they were leaving behind a Valdosta where rubble still choked the streets, people still cried out for help, and fragile life was left behind, still needing to be rebuilt. It was a hard reality—a hurricane’s devastation could not be cleaned up in a week, and Helene proved that what only takes moments to destroy can often take years to rebuild. In this, Corban’s team left with a heart to recognize the need for service, not just abroad, but at home.    

“I think it’s important for all of our Corban students to know that service can be done anywhere, locally, domestically, or internationally,” Fuller said. “For some of our team, we learned that missions work is something that we would like to explore more, while others realized God may be calling them to a different form of ministry. But we all realized that, even while missions work may not be for everyone, service absolutely is.”