LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty University students Celine Walkine and Mandy Bauer shared with 10 News videos and pictures they are seeing come across their phones after Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm, ripped through the Bahamas this week.Â
Walkine is from the capital Nassau. She say it had less damage compared to other parts of the island.Â
"For a lot of us, you expect something like this to kind of go past us, kind of slow down before it gets to us and that was not what happened," Walkine said.
Bauer grew up vacationing on the island Treasure Key and says she still can't reach her friends.
"It's heartbreaking. I still don't know a lot if my friends are OK. Seeing the pictures seeing the pictures of our home, just of our island," Bauer said.
There are about 30 Bahamian students on LU's campus
To show them support, Liberty University's president has pledged to donate $25,000 to the island and will send students with LU Send Now to help in about a month.Â
"Our job is to be more than a shoulder to cry on, but also a praying partner. Maybe even be an advocate to a professor to be more lenient on assignments that are due and those kinds of things," said David Nasser, senior vice president of spiritual development.
As evacuations are happening and the death tolls is rising, the Bahamian students want locals in the area to know their country is resilient, but they will need continued prayer.
"Just prayer that we will be able to figure out what our next steps are. Prayer for people to be able to find shelter and evacuate well and kind of think of their livelihood. Prayer so people can find God through this hard time," Walkine said.