Restore Kentucky April 2016
Missions Trip Update #3             



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Adam working on the chimney of the parsonage

Brett helping to clean up the parsonage

Trent, BJ & Troy replacing the roof of the pumphouse

Jim preparing to help in the crawl space

Dana and Michelle with their re-painted project

Lori and Jason racing to help the rest of the team

Ken and Kevin helping to organize the community store

Restore Kentucky
Mission Trip

Wednesday, April 13 Update #3
By: Adam Meehan

Day number 3 in Kentucky started a little differently than the rest, with the Red Bird crew having the day off, it began with an a la carte menu and also some mess hall shenanigans as we prepared for the special day that our leaders and God had planned for us. Among the team there was a small amount of grumbling about soreness and becoming tired but not to a point of any amount of being disgruntled. Yet, it reminded me of one of our verses and it's finish seemed to fit right in with our day, Galatians 6: 9-10, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers!"
           
So we loaded up the bus and headed to the Thousandsticks United Methodist Church. Where we met our delightful host, Pastor Robert Amundsen. We circled around him as he filled us in on the history of the church and the area and the few possible meanings of the "town". One being of Native Americans have a tannery of 1000 sticks of hanging hides. Another referring to the logging industry and the delta of the Kentucky river being in proximity with a 1000 sticks of timber in the water and his personal favorite, it being given the name by the founding Native American tribe's Chief Pickemup.
            
He proceeded to instruct us on the numerous needs that the church has to address as they pressed into the upcoming spring and summer programs. Repainting the church sign, replacing the pumphouse roof, new flashing and tar around the chimney on the parsonage, general landscaping/weed wacking, organizing/manning the community store and the biggest job being filling the parsonage crawl space with with gravel to fix the drainage underneath.
            
The team got together and divided up the tasks into smaller teams and got busy. After a slight hang up with not having enough materials to complete the pumphouse roof the pastor arrived with them after a short time and that project continued. Everyone and everything seemed to roll along smoothly. There were very few problems and it was an absolutely beautiful day to work outdoors and serve while enjoying each others company.  Soon after lunch most of the jobs were being wrapped up so everyone culminated on the big job of filling the crawl space with gravel that included shoveling contests and wheelbarrow races to boot. All except the two awesome ladies that tackled the scraping and painting of the church sign who spent the day providing it with much needed TLC and giving it a spectacular face lift.
            
We finished up a little early so Pastor Robert gave us a tour of the church and Sunday school where we found out that they mission to Yei, South Sudan. Small world right? He gave us the run down of their parish of about 40 and the history of the church and the maintenance specifics along with some personal stories of some of the parishioners. We closed our time in prayer for Pastor Robert and his parish and a team picture around the beautifully redone sign.
            
We finished our day with a trip to Wal-mart for some shopping time to get some personal items and also some special items for Misty and Viola to spruce up them and their homes when we get back over to them on Thursday. Then we had our special team dinner at Big Blue Smokehouse...ribs, pulled pork and all the fixins with bread pudding desert and some wonderful hospitality from the staff. Along with some great fellowship among the team before we loaded up to head back to the camp for some R&R before we get back at it in the morning. This is an amazing crew of Vineyard folk and you can definitely see God on the move here. He is Good...all the time.





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