This is our Illinois District team. They are traveling today to southern Ohio for their work and witness project with Appalachia Reach Out. Be in prayer for this team as they travel and work and witness. Special THANKS and APPRECIATION for our Mission Team Coordinator, Pastor Daniel Mattison.
Saturday, 8 people left for Wheelersburg, OH to work with Appalachia Reach Out for seven days. We arrived in Ohio around 7pm EST Saturday night after a 10-12 hour drive for some of us. We then had a table session to learn about ARO and the community. On Sunday we worshipped with folks at Cornerstone Nazarene, took a tour of Portsmouth, OH and had a white board session to assign who was going to which site during the week. Today, we split into three teams. Two delivered chicken and rice to families around the area traveling logging over 300 miles in county, while the other worked at a home working on framing rails for a porch and also assisting grandma with keeping the attention of a very rambunctious little girl. In pictures are: Jill Rakonick Mattison, Madi West, Lois Gaddis, Luisa F. Mendoza, Josh Cisneros, Phil Christensen and Daniel Mattison.
Tuesday, was a long day! We again split into 3 teams. 2 teams went to a pregnancy resource center and assisted them carrying new shelves and supplies up 4 flights of stairs to their clothing supply room. We assembled those shelves and stocked a few while the other team was back out at the grandmother’s house to finish the railing on the porch and help grandma with kids and organizing. Two of our groups then completed the meal delivery route for the alternative school meal grant program. Then that evening we participated in The House recovery ministry which is a celebrate recovery-type program. Last night was chip night so we were privileged to cheer on and celebrate successes and milestones in the group. Not many pictures today, but you do get to see pictures of the wonderful railing our team put together at grandma’s house! Jill Rakonick Mattison, Josh Cisneros, Luisa F. Mendoza, Madi West, Lois Gaddis, Jackie Harris, Phil Christensen, Daniel Mattison
Wednesday is in the books. We split into 2 groups today. One stayed at the church and built bunk beds for the house that ARO just signed on that will house future teams. The other went back to the pregnancy resource center to assist with stocking, organizing and hanging curtains. We all then met up at a mental health center playing cards, board games, making bracelets, decorating journals, making homemade laundry detergent. That evening we also met with their staff and some of their clients for dinner and a devotional. Pastor Luisa F. Mendoza delivered the devotional and did an amazing job! I am so proud of how authentic and open this small group has been every step of the way. We’ve been witnessing that vulnerability bear fruit! Jill Rakonick Mattison, Josh Cisneros, Luisa F. Mendoza, Lois Gaddis, Daniel Mattison, Madi West, Jackie Harris, Phil Christensen.
We’re now back home from our trip to Appalachia. It was such a great experience! Thursday and Friday were very long days so I’m just now getting our final days posted. Thursday we started in two groups. One went to a counseling center for pregnant mothers. We did devotionals, arts and crafts, chatted with residents also had a couple of us assist in the daycare. Once that was over we all met up at ARO’s new teams house and cleaned it up, installed new locks, wrote bible verses on the newly installed bunks. We then had dinner at the best Mexican place in the lower 48! After that we met for a debrief and some final instructions for cleanup.
Friday, we met for breakfast, took some final group pictures and said goodbye and drove 11 hours back home. It was an amazing trip! I’m already wondering how soon we can go back and missing the new friends we made.
I’ve added some extra photos that one our site coordinators sent to us from throughout the week as well to this post.
