Wesley Memorial is Making a Difference by...
...sending building teams to Henderson Settlement
Nestled in the Lower Laurel Creek Valley in east Kentucky is the small community of Frakes. Since the mid 1990’s, Wesley Memorial has been supporting the people of this area. Frakes is located in Bell County, in the heart of the eastern Kentucky coal region. Bell County is an area of rugged mountains, beautiful lakes, swift flowing streams, and extreme poverty. Unemployment is above 50%. There is a large school drop-out rate and a high number of disabled individuals.
Henderson Settlement originated in the 1920’s thru the efforts of Rev. Hiram Frakes, a Methodist minister. The first mission of Henderson Settlement was to provide a school for the children of the valley. Later, it started a farming program to help the residents learn better farming methods and to assist in the raising of cows and pigs.
Over the years, the mission of Henderson Settlement has changed. It now provides day care for both pre-school children and senior adults. It operates a food pantry and a clothing shop for the community. It has an after school program and tutoring service for the school children. However, the largest part of their programs is the work camp. In 2009, the work camp will host over 200 church work teams from 25 states and Canada.
Over the years, the mission of Henderson Settlement has changed. It now provides day care for both pre-school children and senior adults. It operates a food pantry and a clothing shop for the community. It has an after school program and tutoring service for the school children. However, the largest part of their programs is the work camp. In 2009, the work camp will host over 200 church work teams from 25 states and Canada.
In July of the year, I had the privilege of taking a building team from Wesley Memorial to Henderson Settlement. The team members were Virginia Cheek, Jerry and Woody Cornwell, Angela and Aislinn Antrim, Leonard Gikonyo, Les and David Hurrelbrink, George McLarty, Tom Mason, and Chuck Wood.
Our job on this trip was to put vinyl siding on a 35 year-old trailer and build a 12’ by 16’ room addition. Many of our group had experience with vinyl siding, but this was the first time that we had tried to build a room addition. Needless to say, we did have some problems! Because of the slope of the lot, it was necessary to move a lot of dirt. This was done the old fashioned way - with pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. It soon became apparent who was the best at using a pick, Leonard beat us all.
Our job on this trip was to put vinyl siding on a 35 year-old trailer and build a 12’ by 16’ room addition. Many of our group had experience with vinyl siding, but this was the first time that we had tried to build a room addition. Needless to say, we did have some problems! Because of the slope of the lot, it was necessary to move a lot of dirt. This was done the old fashioned way - with pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. It soon became apparent who was the best at using a pick, Leonard beat us all.
In spite of all of the problems, we managed to get the siding up and the addition under roof.
The joy of these trips comes not only from the physical work and knowing that the job was done, but also from the relationships that are nurtured. While I had only a surface relationship with some of the team members, a much deeper relationship developed from living and working together during that week. I feel that I know each of them better now.
I am so often amazed at how things work out. When I select a work project for the team, it is always a blind draw. A list of projects is presented and the only personal information that is given is the makeup of the family and their ages. I called Dejuana York, a Henderson Settlement employee, to select the work site. After we had discussed some of the projects, I made a decision. After a short pause, Dejuana said, “ Dwight, “ the job you have chosen is my mother and daddy’s house”. What a joy to know that we would be helping someone who is a dedicated community helper at Henderson Settlement and a familiar friend to Wesley Memorial.
The joy of these trips comes not only from the physical work and knowing that the job was done, but also from the relationships that are nurtured. While I had only a surface relationship with some of the team members, a much deeper relationship developed from living and working together during that week. I feel that I know each of them better now.
I am so often amazed at how things work out. When I select a work project for the team, it is always a blind draw. A list of projects is presented and the only personal information that is given is the makeup of the family and their ages. I called Dejuana York, a Henderson Settlement employee, to select the work site. After we had discussed some of the projects, I made a decision. After a short pause, Dejuana said, “ Dwight, “ the job you have chosen is my mother and daddy’s house”. What a joy to know that we would be helping someone who is a dedicated community helper at Henderson Settlement and a familiar friend to Wesley Memorial.
All of the members of the work team had a chance to spend some time with the family members and to get to know them better. There was a lot of banter between team members and the family, especially between Tommy and Leonard. On Friday, our last day, Tommy and Pauline fixed lunch for us. When we left their home, late Friday night, we felt that we were leaving good friends.
This is what it is all about. It is not just about sitting back and writing a check. It is not just putting a line item amount in our mission’s budget. It is not just waiting for someone else to do the job. With God’s help, it is reaching out our hands to make a difference. .
This is what it is all about. It is not just about sitting back and writing a check. It is not just putting a line item amount in our mission’s budget. It is not just waiting for someone else to do the job. With God’s help, it is reaching out our hands to make a difference. .
You should have been there!
Over 75 Wesley Memorial people gathered together on Saturday, August 22nd to package meals headed to Kenya. Meals for Learning organized the event and after about an hour and a half, we mixed, packaged and boxed over 12,000 nutritious, high protein, vitamin enriched meals to be used in school lunch programs. While most people were working on the meals, Emilie Rogers and her band of “worm wranglers” managed to package about 500 bags of Gummi Worms which will be sold to raise money for children’s medical programs in our service area of Kenya. Thanks to everyone for a great time and a fulfillment of Matthew’s gospel where in Chapter 25: 25-45 Christ explains that when we have done it to the forgotten, ignored, or marginalized (least of these) brothers of His, we have done it to Him. Here is the team! The meals should be in Kenya by December or January.
Over 75 Wesley Memorial people gathered together on Saturday, August 22nd to package meals headed to Kenya. Meals for Learning organized the event and after about an hour and a half, we mixed, packaged and boxed over 12,000 nutritious, high protein, vitamin enriched meals to be used in school lunch programs. While most people were working on the meals, Emilie Rogers and her band of “worm wranglers” managed to package about 500 bags of Gummi Worms which will be sold to raise money for children’s medical programs in our service area of Kenya. Thanks to everyone for a great time and a fulfillment of Matthew’s gospel where in Chapter 25: 25-45 Christ explains that when we have done it to the forgotten, ignored, or marginalized (least of these) brothers of His, we have done it to Him. Here is the team! The meals should be in Kenya by December or January.
NEW WHEELS
The next time you come by the church (like this Sunday) please take time to find the new bus that belongs to Wesley Memorial.
Here is the official announcement:
On Tuesday, August 25, our new bus was delivered to Wesley Memorial.
The brand new 14 passenger Startrans Senator bus, which was given by Tom Gore and other contributors in memory of his late wife Gloria, is a wonderful addition to Wesley Memorial. The bus will be used primarily for older adult ministries, including Live Alive, which offers regular trips to local and regional attractions for seniors from Wesley Memorial and the High Point area. Our heartfelt thanks are extended to Tom Gore, who did so much to make the bus a reality for Wesley Memorial!
The next time you come by the church (like this Sunday) please take time to find the new bus that belongs to Wesley Memorial.
Here is the official announcement:
On Tuesday, August 25, our new bus was delivered to Wesley Memorial.
The brand new 14 passenger Startrans Senator bus, which was given by Tom Gore and other contributors in memory of his late wife Gloria, is a wonderful addition to Wesley Memorial. The bus will be used primarily for older adult ministries, including Live Alive, which offers regular trips to local and regional attractions for seniors from Wesley Memorial and the High Point area. Our heartfelt thanks are extended to Tom Gore, who did so much to make the bus a reality for Wesley Memorial!
Henderson Settlement is located in Frakes and is a Mission Agency within the Red Bird Methodist Missionary Conference. There are only three Missionary Conferences within the United States. A Missionary Conference is located in an area that cannot support itself and receives most of its funding from the Methodist General Conference.
We were very fortunate that the family that we were helping was very friendly and appreciative of our help. The Stuart family was not content to sit back and watch us work, but were there every day to work along beside us. Tommy is a disabled coal miner with black lung disease. His wife, Pauline, is an admitting clerk at a local hospital. Dewayne York, their son-in-law was there every day to lend a hand. Their grandson, Clayton, gave up his vacation time to come and work on the house.
I have made over ten trips to Frakes and with God’s help, I will be there next July and many years thereafter.
Mission trips to Henderson Settlement is just one of the many opportunities that are offered for “hands on” mission experience. Coming up in just a short time will be the Appalachian Angel Tree. This ministry provides Christmas presents for needy children in the Frakes area. Please be on the lookout for the “Angel Tree” which will be in place right around Thanksgiving. More information will be available as time gets closer. Once again, we have contracted with the “Appalachian Christmas Elves (Ed and Becky Weller)” to deliver the presents.
These opportunities as well as many others can be found by reading this newsletter, looking at the worship bulletins (in print and on line at www.wesleymemorial.org), through the Heartbeat or by contacting the Volunteer Center.
Is this great or what?