MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/8251BE53/THE_HISTORY_OF_WESLEY_SUMMER_WORK_CAMPS.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" THE HISTORY OF WESLEY SUMMER WORK CAMPS

THE HISTORY OF WESLEY SUMMER WORK CAMPS

SUBMITTED BY Bill grant

The history of the Wesle= y summer work project is short but impressive.  In 1997, Rev. Corinne Boruff had a conversation with Mark Johnson about mission work.  For the next year all of her Bible studies and youth lessons were mission oriented.  By the next summer everything fell= into place for our first trip.  Our= tenth trip will be July 2006.  More = than 60 different people have gone on these trips, most more than one time.  The following is a brief recap:

 

In the summer of 1998, a group of about 25 you= th and adults went to Bethesda, Ohio, in the East Ohio UMC Conference.  We worked for thr= ee days on six homes damaged by a flood.  It was a learning experience for all of us and it set the tone for t= rips to come.  Kim Grant helped the= local economy by riding in an ambulance to the ER.

 

In 1999, our group went to London, Kentucky= .  We stayed at the Bennett Center which is part of the Red Bird Mission.&nbs= p; We worked on the site and in the community.  Roberta Nance helped the local eco= nomy by purchasing a new back window for her minivan.

 

In 2000, the group went to the Henderson Settlement in Henderson, Kentucky.  This is also part of the Red Bird Mission.  Most of our work was= in the community.  This is a poor region of the state with no industry and few jobs.

 

In 2001, we went to two sites, both part of the Red Bird Mission.  Our larger = group went to White Oaks in Jellico<= /st1:City>, Tennessee.  We worked in the community and on = the campus.  Carol Johnson helped = the local economy by purchasing vast quantities of calamine lotion.  The smaller group went back to the= Bennett Center.  Carrie Lang had to go to the emerg= ency room because she was talking silly and didn’t know what was going on,= but most of us couldn’t tell any difference.

 

In 2002, we went back to the Henderson Settlement.  Again, we worked = on homes in the community.  It se= emed as we were always walking uphill no matter which way we were going.  Corinne Boruf= f helped the local economy by buying a fuel pump for her minivan.  She like it in Henderson so much = she left her van there for two weeks.

 

In 2003, Rev. Boruff took a new assignment, so Kim and Bill Grant headed up the summer work projects.  We went to Happy Workers Children Center in St. Petersburg, = Florida.  Kim arranged for the group to hear= Jimmy Carter teach Sunday School in Plains, Georgia, and also to go to the Martin Luther King = Center in Atlanta.  A wide variety of work was done at= Happy Workers and we swam in the Gulf of Mexico every day.

 

In 2004, it was back to the Bennett Center for the third time.  Again, we repaired homes in the community.  We all helped the local economy by walking to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor almost every day.

 

The year 2005 found us going on two trips.  In June, we went to Camp O’Cumberlands, Kentucky.  This is an old former Girl Scout c= amp that is now part of the Red Bird Mission.&= nbsp; Work was on homes in the community and at the camp.  Bill Grant helped the local econom= y by backing into a parked car which our insurance paid to get fixed.  In December, eight Wesley members = and three workers from Cincinnati went to Moss Point, Mississippi, to do Katrina relief.  This was quite rewarding as we were able to get one woman back into her house three = days before Christmas.  Kaye Smith = also learned new skills and is available for freelance dry wall services.  We enjoyed this trip so much we are going back in July 2006.

 

Over the years we have traveled to five states= to work.  We have met and helped = the local people of each community.  We have met and become friends with workers from other churches who were at the work camps the same week.  The adults have taught the youth new skills in working with tools and home repair.  The youth have taught= the older adults new card games, Frisbee games and new songs.  We have all learned new cultures.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>  We have all grown closer to each other.  We have all grown clos= er to God.  We all worked hard but m= ost have said they get much more than they gave.  Most have said they will go again = and most do.  Even those who can&#= 8217;t go, help with their prayers and financial support.  It has been a privilege and a plea= sure to be a part of these projects, and I hope and pray that Wesley continues t= his worthwhile mission forever.