Hey y’all! It has been a crazy several weeks for everyone around the world and that happened to coincide with Wesley’s spring break mission trip! We had 26 students, as well as Bret and Cory, travel to the Fort Myers Florida area to work on homes affected by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Many homes have been sitting with water damage for nearly 3 years. Due to this, each had a different level of mold to deal with and remediate. One team even had to go through hazmat suit and cross contamination training as their site had active mold! Most groups worked on replacing subflooring, drywall, and other water related damage in their trailers. Another group of students painted several buildings and a pool for the camp on which we stayed for the week.
In addition to working on hurricane repair, two groups of students were able to go with Bret to experience several forms of “Fresh Expressions” ministry at Grace Church. We visited Exceptional Entrepreneurs, which is a program for adults with special needs. We participated in their morning devotional, during which we learned about their faith and how it has grown throughout their life. We then followed the group into the craft room, which was any DIYer’s dream. A full wood-working shop, paints of all colors and types, and a variety of other machines were available for use. Participants all work together, choosing the projects they want to do, to produce products that are then sold in the store front.
We were also able to watch them practice for their upcoming talent show, which was a blessing to watch. Several students were also able to work with another Fresh Expression called “Eat, Pray, Love”, a program designed to give homeless individuals food and a short time of church every week.
Although the last few days of our trip were filled with anxiety and worry regarding the ongoing pandemic, our group was able to rally together to finish our projects and lift one another up. We had a great night of worship, followed by an open discussion about our feelings on the subject. I think we all left that night closer to one another and affirmed in our abilities to be there for each other.