Kicking off Summer with Johnson City
First Christian Church from Johnson City, TN, kicked off our summer youth volunteers. They were with us for an entire week and served in various projects: Back to School and Holiday sort, working in the garden, and various construction projects throughout the city. Through these projects, the students saw how their service blesses the local community.
Thank the Lord for the harvest. While the students were here, they spent time in the garden, where they watered plants, cleared the land of weeds, and harvested vegetables. Thanks to their hard work, we gathered lots of squash, cucumbers, and green beans for Grace’s Kitchen. One of the students, Gabe, spoke about how much he enjoyed spending time in the garden and was inspired to create a garden at home, stating that “it was really fun working here, and I am really glad that we could help people.”
During their time here, we gave them an “impossible” task: lifting and moving mattresses. They had a tough time trying on their own. Then our executive director, Tracy Hipps, led the group in a conversation about teamwork. He told them they would have to work together to succeed. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that “a person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (NLT). They learned to rely on one another and work together to succeed in moving the mattresses.
Whatever we do and however we serve, we should give our best effort to the Lord. The kids with FCC exemplified this with their visit – volunteering eagerly for the Lord and his people. Without them, we would not have been able to bless surrounding schools with supplies, harvest food in the garden, and work on restoring homes. We appreciate them for all their hard work and willingness to serve.
