We love hearing the stories of what God has done at Beach Reach! It is exciting to hear the stories of how God has moved, and it continues to be exciting as these students return home, ready to engage their own campuses with the Gospel. Below are a few stories from students who attended Beach Reach at Panama City Beach and South Padre Island:
Panama City Beach
Beach Reach was really impactful for me. One of the most encouraging parts was seeing so many people my age living on mission. Meeting students from different BCMs across Arkansas and watching them all share the same passion and love for missional work was awesome. It was powerful to see people our age fully committed and giving up their break to work and serve others. At the same time, it was also hard to witness the brokenness that was all around us. Seeing so many people living for the world and searching for fulfillment in things that won’t last was honestly heartbreaking. But that’s exactly why what we do is so important. It reminded me that we can’t just stay comfortable in our everyday routines. There’s a world out there that needs the gospel, and we are called to go and share it. Something else that really stuck with me was seeing the power of prayer and the power of the gospel firsthand. You could actually see people thinking deeply about what we were sharing—their minds were turning as they processed it. It was a reminder that our role is simply to be faithful and plant the seed. We can’t change hearts or save anyone—only God can do that. Just getting to be a small part of that was really meaningful, and it’s something I’ll carry with me moving forward.
– Jordan, Weevil BCM (University of Arkansas at Monticello)
This was my second year serving at Beach Reach, and something I kept noticing through conversations is that so many spring breakers are just looking for fulfillment, but they’re trying to find it in the world, and it’s not satisfying them. That gave me the chance to share how I’ve found my fulfillment in God. I think one of the best parts about Beach Reach is that we’re their peers and we’re not preaching at them, just having real conversations, getting to know them, and sharing the Gospel naturally. One of the most impactful conversations I had was with a girl who said she was agnostic. After talking for a while, she asked why I was so happy just talking with her instead of being out at the bars on my spring break. That opened the door for me to share how much God loves us, how He sent His Son to die for us and raised Him on the third day, and how that love fills me with so much joy. After talking more, she ended up giving her life to Christ. Moments like that are why Beach Reach means so much to me.
– Serena, Meridian Community College BSU, Mississippi
South Padre Island
I went into this trip trusting that God was preparing hearts, but one moment made that especially clear. One night, a group of football players got on our van, and a guy named Tommy started asking me how to study the Bible and what I thought about fasting and Catholicism. He kept saying he wanted to hear from God. He seemed deeply troubled, struggling with doubt and uncertainty about his future, and was searching for ways to hear God more clearly. I asked why he was so desperate to hear from God, and he shared how distant God felt and how unsure he was about what was ahead. I related to that and encouraged him that his questions were actually evidence that God was already working in his heart. I reminded him that God is always with him, even when He feels far, and that He speaks through His Word and invites us to come to Him. As we talked and I prayed for him, he got teary-eyed. It was a powerful reminder that God had been stirring his heart and then brought him onto our van at just the right moment to hear the truth about Jesus.
– Laney Hall, West Texas A&M University
While on Beach Reach, the Lord used me to lead two people to Himself. Whether or not this faith they professed has taken root or not, I do not know; however, I do have full confidence that, as they have heard the Gospel of our Lord, nothing save hardened hearts can stand in the way of their being saved and baptized. At the very least, I count it a blessing that, regardless of what outcome these two choose for themselves, the Lord gave me the opportunity to effectively share the Gospel and to serve Him in that. The Scriptures say that, in our weakness, God’s strength is revealed in us, and that is precisely how the Lord chose to work in me. Upon the two nights that these two conversions occurred, I was at a low point. The first of these nights, day four of Beach Reach, I was under an immense amount of spiritual attack and was pushed beyond any personal strength to endure, yet the Lord showed me grace. Having shown me His grace in this, the Lord then proceeded to use me, in this point of weakness, to share the Gospel with this young man, Cole. During the second of these nights, the fifth and final day of Beach Reach, my voice began to go, yet the Lord again showed His strength as He used my breaking, croaking voice to share the Gospel one last time upon the very last van ride of the night. Although I could not properly speak, the Lord got the Gospel across to this young man, Louis. I was weakened, yet the Lord still chose to use me. He is pretty awesome. And that is an understatement.
– Timothy, University of Texas at Dallas BSM
