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BY ROZELLA HARDIN
Editorial Director
rozella.hardin@elizabethton.com
Two groups of five people each from Calvary Baptist Church have completed a week of mission work in Eastern Kentucky and N. Miami, Fla.
The Men’s Mission Trip to Kentucky was the week of July 22-29 and included Chris Carter, Bo Carter, Joe Collins, Jim Hawk, and Gibson White. The team helped with repairs to flood damaged homes in Perry, Letcher, and Knott counties.
The mission team to Miami, Fla., was July 24-29 and consisted of Richard Woodward, Vicki Williams Johnson, Shana Beth Guinn, Rachel Cole and the church’s pastor, the Rev. Matt Swain. This team, which consisted of two nurses, did wellness and health checks as well as some homeless ministry.
“Calvary is a missions-minded church and they love doing missions,” said Pastor Matt Swain.
“Both teams did some great things as they shared not only their love for Christ, but for people in need. Due to COVID, the church had not been able to engage in missions like they usually do, so they were eager to answer the call this year,” said Pastor Swain.
The Kentucky group did house repairs in the Hazard, Ky., area, which was hit hard by a flood a year ago. Their work was on a re-built house and included painting the doors, walls, kick mold, etc. They also replaced some windows and kitchen cabinets, a food pantry, and other work.
“There were three deaths as a result of the flood in the three-county area. The people were very grateful for the church’s help. We were told that the water level from the flood reached a height of over 20 feet, and it was 12 to 14 hours before the water receded. You may think you can’t do anything to help in the aftermath of such destruction, but God can use you if you make yourself available,” said Woodward, who was a member of the mission crew to N. Miami, Fla.
“I love missions. I love being used by God to meet the needs of others. In the area of Miami where we worked, it was in one of the more poverty-stricken areas. We distributed goody bags to the children and among the items in the goody bags was a toothbrush. So many of these children were so excited to get a toothbrush. I could not believe it,” said Woodward. “It was such a great experience.”
Woodward said he hoped to go on more mission trips in the future. “We serve an awesome God, and it is such a wonderful experience to be used by God to help others, whether it be here in our home town of Elizabethton or in another place. He is at work everywhere,” Woodward said.
Both mission teams paid their own expenses except for transportation, which was provided by the church.