Mission Update: Labor of Love

LABOR OF LOVE

    Providing a badly needed recreational center for the women and children in our family shelter is no longer just a dream. Recently, a group made up of youth and adult volunteers from New Wilmington Presbyterian Church in northwestern Pennsylvania arrived with rolled up sleeves to tackle this major renovation project!  David Hunter, one of the mission organizers, explained, " I went to Wayside in November of 2011 as a volunteer with Dr. Karen Steubenbort's Introduction to Social Work class from Butler Community College to assist in setting up for the Thanksgiving Dinner ( I am an adjunct professor in BCC's Social Work program).  At that time, I met Tim Mosley, and we talked about a possible mission trip for our Sr. High youth group.   Tim mentioned a couple of projects, including the floor project.  In January, the session of our church asked my wife Tawnee and me if we would be willing to organize the mission trip this summer (it's usually a function of the associate minister, but we were without one at the time).   We agreed to do it, and I contacted Tim shortly afterwards.  Rev. Jason Santos came to our church as our new associate minister in May, and he was able to participate in this mission trip. We brought  twenty-one senior high school students students from our church and fourteen adults ranging in age from 21 to 71.  I am still amazed that this project came together, and I do believe that prayer and divine intervention were integral to this project.  Our group found this mission trip to be especially meaningful because we knew that we were there to accomplish something that was important for the ministry at Wayside.  We appreciated the gracious hospitality of the staff at Wayside.