During the last week of June, Reformation Youth Ministry sponsored a mission trip to Clay County, Kentucky with the Appalachia Service Project. Ten of our teens and four

adults formed two construction crews to repair homes in one of the poorest counties in our nation where poverty has taken its toll on living conditions for many families.

Our high school and college aged volunteers were Emily Black, Grace Brooks, Kristen Chorney, Teanna Cutadean, Adam Fender, Aaron Hench, Thao Nguyen, Matthew Reiter, Katie Ward and Jennifer Yoegel. Our adult leaders were Ron Brzowski, Dave Chorney, Tom Hench and Connie Richardson. The mission trip volunteers were commissioned at the May 22 service which featured some of the rich gospel music from the Appalachia region. The youth had five training sessions to prepare for the trip which culminated in a hands-on construction session where the youth constructed a new picnic table for the church.

In two rental vans, the two crews made the 12 hour trip to Manchester, Kentucky where they joined with the ASP staff and other church groups from Texas and Iowa. From their base center at a middle school, the ASP teams traveled daily to their assigned homes and families to work on various construction projects. Our “Team Blue”, headed by Tom Hench and Ron Brzowski, placed a new tin roof on a leaking trailer home and repaired interior walls from water damage. Our “Team Red,” headed by Connie Richardson and Dave Chorney, repaired a rotting floor, walls, and cabinetry in another home. The work days were long and hot but our teams met the challenge with flying colors.

The evenings were full of fellowship and activities with the other ASP volunteers including live local music, musical performances by the participating church groups, evening devotions, games and a picnic with the families from their construction homes.

Our mission trip youth returned a week later with enthusiastic words for their ASP experience, gratefulness for the opportunity to serve others in need, and a firm bond of friendship and fellowship with one another.

Our ASP volunteer youth look forward to continued mission trips opportunities in the coming year and invite other Reformation teens to join them in serving others. Ask any of our ASP volunteers and they will tell you that the memories of their ASP mission trip will last a lifetime. The Youth Ministry Committee and the Mission Trip volunteers thank Reformation members for their prayers and enthusiastic support of this year’s mission effort. This mission trip was made possible through the proceeds of our Youth Auction.