Liberty students spend Spring Break bringing clean water, food to families in Honduras and rebuilding homes in North Carolina

Last week, two teams from Liberty University spent their Spring Break vacation serving others as the hands and feet of Christ in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and the outskirts of Asheville, N.C., as part of LU Serve Now initiative.

The Honduras team served alongside World Gospel Outreach in delivering water filters, food, and large pilas (water basins) to families. These pilas allow families to collect additional rainwater and provide a better way for them to wash their clothes.  The group also completed various construction and land clearing projects for two local churches.

“LU Serve Now is a really cool program I love about Liberty,” said finance junior Zach McClanathan. Traveling to Honduras marked his first international mission trip. “It is a free program to get into. I love the Lord. I love traveling. I love serving. Being able to join a group, program, or club where I could do all that was hard to pass on.”

While in Tegucigalpa, the team visited WGO’s children’s home, spending time with the children and learning why that home is so crucial to the community.

The students and team leaders also impacted the community through evangelism, sharing Christ’s love with everyone they encountered. Through meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of those they met, Liberty students provided a light for the Gospel in what may otherwise be dark situations.

“The students’ opportunity to step in and grow in their personal evangelism skills was fantastic,” said LU Serve Partnerships Coordinator Josh Griffin, a team leader on the trip. “Going into the trip knowing there was going to be service is one thing; everybody is on board, that’s why they signed up for it. But then to also have them share their faith as openly as they could, it was different. It was eye-opening for students to go, ‘There were people walking down this street, I should go talk to them and share my testimony with them,’ instead of just focusing on the service. There was service, but there was so much more that could be done. I think it gave them a heart to come back (to Liberty) and try to find ways to do the same in Lynchburg.”

McClanathan said the trip far outweighed his expectations. He said practicing intentional evangelism and witnessing people’s hearts changed by the Gospel further strengthened his own faith.

“As soon as I stepped out there and met my team and my leaders, the way I was fulfilled was in a way I hadn’t felt before,” he said. “I felt God’s presence in everything, and I felt like Scripture was on my mind and I was getting fulfilled by my team and leaders and getting poured into. I just felt God’s presence throughout the whole trip.”

Last week’s trip marked Liberty’s second to Honduras in partnership with WGO. Another team served in the area last fall.Griffin said Liberty’s continued collaboration with WGO allows both organizations to continue to advance the Gospel.

“It’s actually a really cool connection for students to see this relationship developing,” he said, noting his group saw one pila that had been delivered by Liberty’s previous team. “I think the goal is always to support the local church, but also in that, for them to say, ‘There is this university that cares about our community and they’re coming back.’ It wasn’t just a one-time trip.”

In the Asheville area, the LU Serve Now team assisted Samaritan’s Purse in continued rebuilding efforts following the devastation left by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. LU Serve Now has sent numerous teams to the region in the months and years following the storm.

During Spring Break, Liberty’s crew of nine students, two faculty, and one staff member split into two groups to complete home construction projects. They spent the week lifting barrels of concrete, installing flooring and doors, priming walls and ceilings, and more.

“Our team was just so phenomenal,” said Department of Social Work Associate Professor Dr. Paul Bernard, a team leader on the trip. “The members were such servants in being able to see needs constantly, even beyond the tasks they were given, just being able to serve the Lord in such powerful ways. They were doing things they had never done before, using power tools they had never touched before, let alone know what they are. Partnering with Samaritan’s Purse has been such an incredible blessing. (The staff are) teachers at heart and servants at heart.”

Although the team members hardly knew each other at the start of the week, Bernard said they quickly developed lasting relationships with each other through working side-by-side.

He said his squad helped build a new home for a single mother and her son who had lost their home in the flooding. Through conversations with the family, the team was encouraged by their faith.

“For all intents and purposes, he testified to God’s goodness,” Bernard said of the son. “He was so, so appreciative. It’s a great summary of these owners who went through this horrible tragedy of losing their homes with the fear of the water rushing in and taking their things. Their lives were in jeopardy. He was just talking about having to rescue his mom as a 13-year-old child. He was testifying about God’s goodness. God is definitely doing a work in him. He was talking about how excited he was for this new fresh start, that his mom is safe, and for this new kitchen and house they are getting.”

Liberty has a longstanding reputation for community service, consistently partnering with humanitarian aid organizations during times of need. LU Serve Now provides multiple opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to respond to natural disasters alongside partner organizations that embrace and support Liberty’s mission and purpose. Those interested in participating are encouraged to apply online.

The ongoing success of LU Serve Now is largely due to the contributions of generous donors. Visit the Serve Now portal to support future trips.