Youth demonstrate a desire to serve others

Eleven buses full of teens and adults from Central Texas were anxious to journey to Nevada, Mo., Sunday and get to work. What was it that brought them here? It was the Central Texas Conference of Youth and Missions and each individual's desire to serve others in need. The Nevada United Methodist Church is currently housing the 10 work teams, of 78 persons, that are here to do roofing, build wheel chair ramps, clean yards, paint and other such safe home repairs for those in Vernon County that are unable to do the work for themselves because of age, disability or financial complications. All this work is done free of charge; the teams bring their own tools and materials needed for each task. Such a project requires a lot of organization and a strict schedule. Wake-up for breakfast crew is 6 a.m., by 7 a.m., everyone is up for their morning devotional. Breakfast is served at 7:15 followed by clean-up, and vans leave around 8:15 and do not return until that afternoon around 4 p.m. The group showers at the Nevada Y with freshly cleaned towels from the Nevada United Methodist Church. Dinner is at 6, activities around 7:30 and lights out by 10 p.m., and the group is ready to begin again the next morning. The group first chose Nevada after a design team from the Conference visited the area last August. A work site has to have 17 to 20 meaningful projects for the group, appropriate living accommodations for such a large crowd and a place to hold a closing ceremony. Once the destination was decided, the Conference began allowing youth to reserve their spots as early as December. By March, the students had paid half of their $182 fee for the trip. In April the leadership teams were organized and in charge of dividing the workers into equal groups based on their sex, age and skill level. "We want to get people out of their comfort zone and be able to work with other people," said Gary Matthes. "My favorite part though, is working on a work team; I love building things. It is wonderful to build stuff when you're wife isn't asking 'When are you going to be done?' And it is nice not having to go to work so you can really focus your attention on what you are doing." The youth who participate are not a team of professionals. They stay away from plumbing and electrical work for liability reasons and because they want to avoid making a problem worse. Many of the individuals learn how to do the work from their more advanced peers. Alyssa Cox, 15, Richland Hills, Texas, has been on three such mission trips and admitted that this was her first time to work on a roof. "While I was here I learned how to roof. I understand that there are a lot of different techniques, but it is a good experience I think," Cox said. "It has really changed my relationship with God and my personal life with friends." Although safety comes first, accidents do happen. Thirteen-year-old Molly Richter of Georgetown, Texas, had a close call when her foot went through a roof that she was working on in the Sheldon area. "There were some weak spots in the wood and apparently they were weaker than I realized and then my foot fell in, but it was no big deal, I was OK," she said. While most youth get involved because they heard of the trip through their youth minister, some have more personal experiences. Matthes said that he became involved after his daughter showed a desire in 1993 to help out the victims of the Missouri flood, "A friend was visiting the Kansas City, St. Joseph area and saw the Red Cross and other relief groups and made the comment that 'It looks like you got all the help you need' and the supervisor of the clean-up said 'Oh yeah, well the cameras are here, but next year, when the cameras are gone, the mud will still be here.' She said that she would bring a group and our daughter heard about it and wanted to go. So, her mother and I, and a 76 year-old lady from the church went with her. We were so inspired we spread the word and now our church brings a group each year." Bob Horne, 42, Fort Worth, Texas, was a member of the same congregation as Matthes and thought that it sounded like fun, "The biggest, most special part is the effect you have on people. It is a people event. There is no better way to spend a week, for me personally, than to go on one of these trips." Helping others and the worship services cause many of the individuals to have a change of heart. "Kids always come away with a different perspective of their life and life in general," said Horne. The kids acknowledge the change as positive. Josh Moore, 17, Fort Worth, Texas, takes the trip because it helps, "bring me back to Christ when I fall down." Working with the Conference is something that some want to do for the rest of their lives. "I was called into seminary last year," said Katie Slaten, 16, Georgetown, Texas. "I love mission work, meeting new people and helping build things." The United Methodist churches of Texas are not the only ones to make such trips. The Nevada church recently returned from the Storm Mountain Center in South Dakota after helping out the area residents. The Conference allows for individuals to travel all over and meet new people from different backgrounds Matthes explained. Groups from CTCYM are also being housed in the Lamar and Carthage area. When all the teams leave they hope to leave the community in better shape than when they found it. The church will be cleaned, house projects complete and new friendships created for years to come.