On the morning June 18, 2005 twenty youth and adults left the Crafton United Presbyterian Church for our mission trip in Maxwelton, WV. Upon arriving at the Clifton Presbyterian Church in West Virginia, we were greeted by Caroline Arbuckle and other members of that church. The women of the church had prepared a wonderful dinner for us and their “home” became our “home” for the week.
While there, we encountered God’s beauty everywhere we went; from the people we met to the scenery around us. In addition to the projects we worked on, we were introduced to many different people. We had the pleasure of meeting the Williams family. Mr. and Mrs. Williams had a spirituality about them that was awe-inspiring. Despite their own physical incapacities, they continued to take in and provide for many children (I believe somewhere around 12-14 children) who might otherwise have fallen throug
h the cracks of social services. During our first visit to them, we held a prayer session in Mr. Williams’ sick room that brought tears to our eyes. Their needs were simple; general clean-up of their living environment, help with a broken refrigerator, replenishment of lost food and prayer for the emotion and physical healing of several members of the house. Mrs. Williams summed up our visits to them by stating, “We needed compassion, not pity and that is what we got from this group, compassion”.
Another site we worked at was the Family Refuge Center. This was a center for battered women and children. During our visit there, we were able to update a play area for the children. Weeding an overgrown area as well as refurbishing the playground equipment was done. We also redecorated and repainted the employee bathroom. Lunch was provided by the staff and centered on discussing the services they provide as well as each staff member sharing their experiences at the center. The kids had exposure to a world that we hope they would never know from personal experience but could understand
if encountered in the future. Caring and compassion here too was emphasized.
One work group was assigned to the Davis Stewart Home for Girls. This was a group home for teenaged girls. Painting of bedrooms, cleaning and staining of the deck and planning of flower beds were a few projects they tended to. The house parents as well as the teen residents again, were very appreciative of all that was done for them.
The older boys of the group were given the most labor intensive project
. A wooden ramp was built for a gentleman in a wheelchair who was not able to leave his home due to steps. They worked with a master carpenter who guided them in this project. Not only did they actually build a ramp along the side of his house but, they first had to tear down the old porch. They also needed to mix concrete to maintain stability of the ramp. This was truly a learning experience for all those young men.
Overall, this mission trip showed each person, including the adults, how we can spread the love of God. Through our deeds, our relationships and using our own skills and talents given to us by God, we send the message to each person we encounter that we are all God’s family and our reward is the strengthening of relationship with those around us as well as with God.
