9 minute read
Student-Athlete is Back Home at Howard Payne
By Abram Choate ’98, assistant director of athletics for athletic communications
Xavier Haines attended, left and then returned to Howard Payne University – all the time knowing that HPU was the place where he wanted to be.
Now a junior, he is a native of Belton with a dual major in Christian education and secondary education with a minor in history. As a member of the HPU baseball team, he has also been a part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) leadership team and Delta Epsilon Omega.
In 2017, Haines was a major contributor as a freshman, pitching in 15 games for the Yellow Jackets and recording 18 strikeouts. After one season at Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas, he is once again a contributor on the HPU pitching staff and in student organizations on campus.
What brought you to HPU? XH: Halfway through my senior year of high school, I really felt led to pursue a life in ministry. I wasn’t sure exactly what that calling was, but I knew I wanted to get an education that would prepare me, and I also wanted to continue to play baseball. Howard Payne gave me that opportunity to do both.
During your first year at HPU, what was your experience with playing baseball? XH: I had actually broken my leg the summer before my freshman year, so I came into the fall semester injured. I didn’t really do very well in the fall. I had to learn how to come back from an injury and learn how to perform at the college level. That adversity really helped prepare me for the spring.
What about your experience with your teammates and coaching staff? XH: Here, especially Coach [Robert] Anders and Coach [Stephen] Lynn, they really strive to make this a Christian program. Even though not everyone on the team might live by that, it is still preached and they really encourage people to go to church. It is really cool to see people actually live out their faith on the team and have coaches who push players to grow. A few players on the team have actually accepted Christ, which is a great experience to witness.
What about your experiences away from the diamond with activities around campus? XH: My freshman year I was very involved with BSM [Baptist Student Ministry] and going to the Hub [the BSM facility]. That’s where I met a lot of my friends. I got to see the life of a freshman outside of baseball. Howard Payne provides an atmosphere where there are a lot of people who want to live lives that honor God.
If it was all going well, why did you leave? XH: Both my parents had gotten jobs in the Kansas area, and we moved up there to be closer to family. With that and other financing and expense concerns, we decided that a year of community college would save us money and get me situated up there with family.
Was the plan always to come back to HPU? XH: When I left, I kind of had it in the back of my mind to come back to HPU. I was looking at it but it wasn’t a foregone conclusion, because I was also trying to see if I could get a scholarship to somewhere in Kansas to go and play. But I kept feeling drawn to come back to HPU because it felt like home. It worked out financially and academically, so it all just added up, working out perfectly to come back.
Are you having the same experience here at HPU as you did the first time? How has it changed? XH: It was one of those weird things where it’s the same but also different because I’m an upperclassman now. So instead of always looking for someone to pour into me, I am now able to pour into other people. I have been able to be a part of the leadership team for Delta Epsilon Omega, which I was involved with founding when I was at HPU before. I am also on Howard Payne’s FCA leadership team. It’s really cool because I get to be a part of an organization that’s looking to work with athletes but I also get to impact the rest of student body with my involvement in Delta Epsilon Omega.
What is your plan after graduation? XH: I feel like God is leading me to teach at a high school, then work as a youth pastor at a church. I feel that God is calling me to bring my teaching skills to a startup church in a bi-vocational manner to take the burden off the church. That would free me up to pour my love into the students in and outside of the church.
Are there any final thoughts you would like to share? XH: I love Howard Payne and I have really enjoyed my time here. I’m just so happy I’ve gotten to come back. Howard Payne has been a second home to me and welcomed me the first time and the second time again with open arms. It is an amazing atmosphere here and I really appreciate it.
HPU graduate reflects on spiritual lessons learned while rock climbing
STORY by Rebekah Sterling ’ 18
I know that, in the grand scheme of things, my view of God and His plan for my life is limited. Even so, I find comfort in knowing that God doesn’t try to hide Himself from His children – He reveals His heart to us in so many ways. He can even incline our hearts toward things that actually cause us to reflect back on Him.
I’ve found this to be true in my time rock climbing, which began when I was a freshman at HPU. I took Beginner Rock Climbing in the spring of 2015 and afterward was hired as student worker at the HPU Outdoor Recreation Complex (ORC) where I worked until I graduated in May 2018. Since I began climbing, I have often been struck by the way my climbing experience has reminded me of God’s truth in my life. I’m grateful, if not at all surprised, that God provided a unique perspective from atop the rock wall, which has given me a better view of Him than I had before.
I’ve often heard students say they are afraid to climb because they can’t understand how they won’t hit the ground when they fall. I explain that the equipment they are using — from the belay device to the rope — is all designed to keep them safe. Even the shoes they are wearing are made to stick to surfaces that don’t look sturdy. The same can be said of God’s promises. Sometimes it’s easy for me to look at the world around me and think that the weight of my problems is too great a
Rebekah Sterling ’ 18 began rock climbing as a freshman in the Beginner Rock Climbing class
burden for God to bear. But Hebrews 10:23 (ESV) encourages us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” I have to trust that, regardless of my situation, God’s promises will hold.
New climbers aren’t the only ones who can be afraid to climb. Sometimes what keeps me from climbing is the fear of not being as good of a climber as someone else. I compare myself to others and suddenly something that should bring joy brings doubt. I have to remind myself that every climber has different strengths and weaknesses. In the Christian walk, each of us has gifts and abilities given to us by God. Just because my gifts don’t look like someone else’s doesn’t mean I can’t be obedient to what God has called me to do. 1 Corinthians 12:17, 18 (ESV) says, “… If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose.” God invites us to participate in His greater plan and equips each of us with exactly what we need to fulfill our calling and walk in obedience. Rather than compare my gifts to those of others, spiritual or otherwise, I should allow the Holy Spirit to use them as He sees fit.
Climbing brings with it an element of risk that typically prevents me from climbing alone. However, even when there are situations in which I am able to safely climb by myself, I never really enjoy it as much as when I climb with my friends. I grow as a climber when others are there to keep me on the right route, encourage me to climb
farther than I think I can and catch me if I fall. Within the Church, this looks like a brother or sister in Christ who encourages and edifies me in my daily walk with the Lord. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV) imparts this wisdom: “Two are better than one … For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Brothers and sisters, we need to stick close to one another – not just because it’s dangerous to go alone, but because the journey is so much more enriching when we walk together.
Walking alongside other Christians also means I don’t have to figure everything out on my own. In the climbing community the word “beta” refers to instructions or tips on how to complete a route. A climber who has successfully completed a route will give beta to someone who has never climbed that route before. Within the body of Christ, this would be wisdom from another believer who has gone before me and maybe even struggled with the exact same things that I am going through. I can avoid much heartache and frustration when I seek wise counsel from other Christians in all areas of my life.
Climbing is one of many opportunities that Howard Payne has given me to reflect on Christ. I came away with much more than a hobby – I gained a community I cherish, unforgettable experiences and a love for something that helps keep things in perspective.
