Other than prayers and maybe sending donations, there was very little that Baylor student-athletes could do to help when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico nearly seven months ago.

But, a group of 19 student-athletes from acrobatics & tumbling, equestrian and football and two leaders with Baylor Sports Ministry will travel to Carolina, Puerto Rico, next month (May 13-21) to assist in the disaster relief efforts with Iglesia Bautista de Metropolis.

A freshman Western rider for the equestrian team, Carly Salter said she made the decision to go to Puerto Rico as soon as she heard about it.

Being from Mobile, Ala., "where hurricanes and other bad storms happen almost every year," Salter said, "I'm going to Puerto Rico because I know what it's like to have your community destroyed by a hurricane. It's overwhelming having your home taken away from you, and I would love to help families in Puerto Rico rebuild their homes."

Tierra Barber, Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Development, is one of the leaders on the team along with Marciel Whitehurst, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator and a Truett Seminary student.

"They all have the same heart and the same passion to go over there and do God's work," Barber said. "This is a group that is going that wanted to be able to help as things were happening, but being student-athletes, they weren't able to physically leave or do something at the time. This is their opportunity to go over there and do something with the disaster's that's happened."

Partnering with the local church in Carolina, the Baylor Sports Ministry Team will work on restoration of homes and other damaged areas in the community, along with ministering to children through sports camps, clinics and crafts.

"I want to go to Puerto Rico to not only help with the hurricane clean-up, but also teach the word of God to people who don't know who He is," said Hannah Schumacher, an acrobatics & tumbling sophomore from Monroe, Wash. "I am looking forward to not only growing new relationships with people in Puerto Rico but new relationships with the people that I will be serving with."

Iglesia Bautista de Metropolis will serve as the "middle man" for the trip, "because they know what the needs are, they have the connections to the families, they speak the language and they can really make the transition very easy for us," Barber said.

"The smiling faces of the families we will be helping will make all that hard, physical labor well worth it," Salter said.

New Director of Sports Ministry John Maurer is unable to make the trip because of a conflict with his daughter's college graduation, but he has been meeting with Barber and Whitehurst in a mentoring role to get them prepared. Maurer took NFL players on mission tours in South Africa and Zimbabwe and spent three years in Kazakhstan to develop and train national athletes in sports ministry.

"The heart of Baylor Sports Ministry is to help student-athletes grow in their love for God (great Commandment) and their love for others (great Commission)," Maurer said. "Global missions is an unbelievable opportunity for our athletes to be challenged in both these critical areas. I am really excited that Tierra Barber decided to serve in this critical leadership role. I know this will be a life-changing trip for all involved!"

Barber said she is "going to be there to lead and make sure everything is OK logistically and to protect and serve, but I know that we're all going to pour into each other. So, I know it's going to be very much a group effort."

As the group makes final preparations for the trip, they covet your prayers and also your help financially. You can give online at https://www.baylor.edu/give/index.php?id=49837&a=3&f=08542A4.