NOMADS Are Here!
Out at Morningside this week, one woman was painting a newly repaired shed, two more were on the roof clearing debris, and another was repairing and replacing rotten wood. I was amazed and impressed with these men and women's dedication and love to serve. They spend their time on the road traveling from place to place all over the country to help Methodist organizations with whatever projects with which they need a lending hand.
You may know these folks as the NOMADS: Mission Volunteers, a group of people who travel around the country
in their RVs
wherever they are needed
to:
- paint
- repair
- sew
- garden
- complete light construction
- work on roofs
- lay new floors
- clean
The NOMADS are currently working at Trinity, Morningside, and Las Naciones for three weeks of painting and repair. Last week they were at Trinity, they are currently finishing up at Morningside, and are spending the rest of their time doing a lot of painting and repair at Las Naciones. In between fixing damaged siding, cleaning gutters, and scraping old paint, Sandy Drake, who has been with the NOMADS for six years, shared that you can sign up for as many or as few projects as you want. If a church or ministry wants to have the NOMADS come, they send an application and provide space for the NOMADS to park their RVs as well as supplying all needed materials. The properties they work on include camps, churches, retreat centers, children's homes, and disaster relief.
Working at our Open Door Churches here in Salem and Keizer have become an annual stop for the NOMADS. Last year, they did a lot of work at Keizer ClearLake and are keeping their RVs on their property this year as they work on the other buildings throughout Salem.
The efforts of these folks are making a huge difference in the lives they touch. For their part, they love to meet new people, help out churches complete needed upkeep and repair, use their time in retirement to give back, and it's an opportunity to travel the world while serving others.
If you have any questions,
check out their website for more information. To the NOMADS - thank you so much for all you are doing! We really appreciate it! Your work has made a huge difference in the lives of our churches.
Sarah Katreen Hoggatt
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