2018 Summer Youth Mission Trip to West Virginia
Dates of the Trip
Saturday, August 4 - Saturday, August 11, 2018. The two Saturdays at the beginning and end of the trip are travel days. We will worship with the host church on Sunday.
Host Organization
West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps, Inc. will host us. Since October 2001, they have brought 40-75 volunteer groups per year to work in West Virginia. Their work has consisted of home repair and reconstruction, deconstruction, playground restoration, parks cleanup, stream bank stabilization, and vacation Bible schools, among other things.
But more than just hammers and nails, the groups have built relationships with people in West Virginia, changing lives in the name of Jesus Christ.
WVMAW is supported in part by The Presbytery of West Virginia, The Synod of the Trinity, and gifts from churches and individuals. They have a close relationship with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, particularly in times of disaster recovery. The groups they recruit come from churches of various faith traditions, as well as from colleges and universities.
Location
Greenbrier/White Sulphur Springs area in Southern West Virginia. This area had major flooding in the summer of 2016. Many homes were damaged or destroyed.
Who
Overbrook Church middle school and high school students, with adult chaperones. We are looking for youth who are enthusiastic about helping a family improve their life by improving their housing conditions and building relationships with them throughout the week, living as witnesses to God’s love.
Where We Will Be Staying
We will be staying in a church social hall. The church has wonderful outdoor space, a picnic shelter, an indoor recreation room, plenty of spread out space for cots/air mattresses, fully equipped kitchen. We will do our own cooking. Sleeping will be on the floor in sleeping bags or on air mattresses.
What We Will Be Doing
We will be doing repairs or renovations on a home for a family in need. We may be installing flooring, putting up sheet rock, doing some painting, rebuilding a deck or constructing a ramp — or something similar. Gary, the Project Manager, is great with youth; he leads, teaches and helps. He stays on site and is very conscientious about safety issues.
What We Need
Here is a list of tools we are asked to bring with us on the Summer Youth Mission Trip. Please let us know if you can help us by lending or giving us some of these tools:
- Hammers (each person needs one)
- Tape measures (4)
- Utility knives
- Pencil (each person)
- Squares (2)
- Chalk line
- Nail apron (each person)
- 4’ level, 2’ level
- Circular saw with blades
- 50’ Electrical cord
- Drills
- Masks (box)
- Goggles (5)
- Work gloves
- Long pants (each person)
- 5-gallon water jugs
- Coolers for lunch
- IF POSSIBLE: Skilsaw, power drills
Work Days
Daily Departure to the work site is usually around 8:00 am, and we will pack up by 4:00 pm to head back to the church. Packable lunches are taken to the site. There will be time midweek (Wednesday) for some recreation in the area.
Overbrook Chaperones
We have some adults committed to going, and we could use one or two more. Please let the office know if you are interested. Construction skills (basic use of power tools, measuring, etc.) are helpful but not necessary. Child protection clearances are required for chaperones, and a strong commitment to working with youth, listening to them, guiding them, sharing your faith with them and learning from them is appreciated.
Project Supervision
WVMAW has Project Managers at each site with construction skills. They will lead and teach, and keep materials on site for the group. This sets them apart from many work camps.
Local Culture
WVMAW will arrange for some opportunities for our group to experience some of the local culture. The church hosting us will have a covered dish supper the week we are there so we can interact with the church members and get to know them. We will attend worship with them on Sunday, our first full day there. Also, there is a local musician who will come and share some mountain music and culture with us one evening. And, one afternoon, we will enjoy a local recreational activity.
Daily Discussions and Devotions
Each day, Overbrook Church adults/chaperones will help students process their daily experiences — looking at our physical labor and friendships in the context of our faith. Each day, we will start with devotions and end the day with a discussion of our work, relationships with local folks and each other, and issues of poverty, peace, justice, etc.
Cost
Total cost per student will be between $300 and $375, depending on how much we can fundraise. Scholarships are available so any Overbrook Church youth who wants to go will be able to go on this trip.
Website for Organization for More Information
Please note that the website talks about youth being 14 and up. We have talked to the group and they are very comfortable with having a group of any age middle school and high school students, as long as we bring a couple of extra adults to supervise them — which we are doing.
Questions? Please contact the church office for more information. Thank you!