Last week, on the Appalachia mission trip, we worked at building.
All 36 of us (did I count right?) ages seven and up, mostly from FUMC in Ann Arbor, Michigan, formed teams and worked in different locations around Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky.
On our first day, we didn’t know it, but we were building hope.
We found out that hope can be in short supply in Bell County, Kentucky: Over one-third of residents (36%) live in poverty. Of the 136 families on Henderson’s “helping” list, the average household income is $12,864. Hope desperately needed here.
So we built! Adding skirting and siding makes for a warmer, more pleasant looking house. When your home base transpires, you feel hope.
We mucked the barn (a more agreeable home for goats and for goat-workers!) and dug a trench to help fix someone’s water problem. A little bit of hope, restored.
Kids and adults, painting, posthole-digging, persevering in spite of setbacks… Working side by side…
Engaged in hope-building.
Spreading gravel, counting soup labels, transplanting seedlings, trenching…
God through his Holy Spirit, working among us, spreading hope.
And hope will never fail to satisfy our deepest need because the Holy Spirit that was given to us has flooded our hearts with God’s love. Romans 5:5
And amazingly enough, in the midst of all of our work, we also had fun! Friendships flourished!
Enjoy the slideshow below.
Join us next year!
Photo credits:
Taken by members of the mission team and by Henderson Settlement staff. Used with permission.
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