Teen mission trip means more than hammers and nails

Each summer for the past seven years, students from Stow Presbyterian Church have climbed into vans and trucks and made the journey to some small town in rural West Virginia to spend a week demonstrating Christ’s love by serving others. They participate in what is termed “brick and mortar” ministry – that is, building and repairing homes and other buildings.

However, the experience for this year’s group went well beyond learning the ins and outs of home improvement projects.

“I looked forward to this trip all spring,” Team Leader Dave Fast said of the trip to Colcord, W.Va. “Going into this trip I was a tad bit melancholy, as the group of incoming freshmen I started working with four years ago were now the outgoing graduates.”

One of his great pleasures in working with the youth on these trips has been to watch them develop from shy and sometimes immature 8th grade “kids” into seasoned and confident young adults. The annual mission trip is the final youth event for the high school graduates. Dave said having watched this particular group of students grow up in youth ministry, this year’s trip was especially poignant for him.

“My birthday was celebrated on Tuesday of our work week,” Dave said. “And for the trip home, all the graduates requested to ride in the van with me as their last ‘hurrah’ in youth ministry. Two very touching moments for me.”

For many of these students, meeting individuals and families who live right here in the United States yet are desperately poor is an eye-opener. Spending the week on home improvement projects and being the recipients of the homeowners’ heartfelt appreciation can be an emotional and heartwarming experience.

“After the Tuesday meal, a man who owns a house where one of our crews did some painting spoke about how grateful he and his wife were and what a fine job we did,” Fast said. “It was very heartfelt and I think he touched everyone in our group by it.”

“I like hearing their stories,” veteran team member Nikki Matheny said. “One house we worked on had a tree fall on it ten years ago and the roof was still leaking.” She and other students agreed that the tremendous appreciation expressed by the individuals they help was a big reason they go back each summer. This year’s group was that largest ever for the church, with 18 students and 8 adults participating.

The week’s activities are vigorous, with projects ranging from interior painting and laying floor tile to building decks and repairing roofs. Combined with the intense West Virginia heat and the occasional wasp nest, the work can be challenging, but everyone gets meaningfully involved.

“Working with my hands is my form of worshiping God,” said 5th year team member Zack Wiley. Fast and Team Leader Jeff Capple take pride in the work skills they have taught to the students over the years.

“It’s what I do every year,” Capple said. “I always look forward to helping and teaching the students on the work sites.”

The work week is broken up by Wednesday, the designated day of rest and fun. Traditionally, the group goes whitewater rafting and swimming, and this day is often when deeper friendships are made.

“I will always remember the group cheering each and every person on to jump off the inflatables at the lake,” said team member and Swedish exchange student Sofie von Buren. She joined this year’s team because she wanted to try something new that “we don’t do in Sweden.”

The team also enjoys a Bible study during the week, worshiping with the local church, and getting to know some of the residents they serve. In some ways, the people they meet seem just like the folks back home, despite the economic differences.

“The people were really nice,” said team member Alex Rivera. Yet, there were times when the cultural differences made an impression, albeit a humorous one.

“One of the people we helped said his doctor wanted to send him to the Cleveland Clinic,” Capple said. “He asked if I knew where it was, and I said yes. Then he said, ‘Do I have to go on a four-lane highway?’ When I told him yes, he said, ‘Well, I’m going to take my gun.’”

The mission trip is supported by individual and group fundraising activities throughout the year and the Stow Presbyterian Church congregation. The church earmarks 11 percent of its annual budget for mission-related work, both in the U.S. and abroad. For more information about Stow Presbyterian Church, call 330-688-6935 or visit http://www.stowpres.org/.