While many area students spent their spring break relaxing or hanging out with friends and family, five teenagers from Hope Chapel in Moran spent the week finishing drywall: Mixing mud, applying tape to Sheetrock and sanding it until it was ready for paint.
The group traveled to Houston, Texas, last week as part of a mission trip to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.
The Moran group tackled one of the most difficult parts of home renovation in finishing drywall. And they loved it. Most of them, anyway.
It was really fun and its just nice helping, Bailey Griffith, age 16, said.
Only Garrett Henderson, age 14, said he learned construction work isnt really his thing. Still, he said, the purpose of the trip inspired him to give his best to a job he would not otherwise have tackled.
Seeing the families and seeing the situation they were in, God empowered me to put in more of an effort, he said.
Thats the point of mission work, Hope Chapel Pastor Dale Johnson said. The trip to Houston, as part of a national disaster recovery mission program called Eight Days of Hope, brought nearly 4,700 youth volunteers to the area March 10-24 to rebuild hundreds of homes at no charge to the homeowner. It was the groups third mission trip in the past year.
Our goal is to raise these young people to be leaders and to make sure everyone has that intimate relationship with Jesus, Johnson said. Theyre living it. Its one of those things thats caught, not taught.
The Moran group was the only group that tackled the drywall projects. They finished all of the drywall work at one house, and part of another.
None of the other groups wanted to do Sheetrock, Johnson said. But they had a great teacher in Mark (Lackrone, of Laco Guttering). The first day was training. By the second day, they could do it without supervision.
The students developed a relationship with the families, one which included a husband and wife who were working two jobs to try to recover from the historic flooding. The family has three children.
Going into the houses and just being somebody to help them have an experience with God made me feel good, Tea Smith, age 14, said.
Both Griffith and Henderson said the experience made them want to pursue careers where they can help people. Griffith said she wants to be a nurse or therapist. Henderson said he is considering becoming a missionary.
Along with the students, their pastor and Lackrone, the trip included Rachel Walker, an adult volunteer, and Kendy Johnson, Dale Johnsons wife. Kendy Johnson said the church found the Eight Days of Hope program while searching for mission trips that provided meals and lodging, which made the trip more affordable.
The group plans to attend more mission trips in the future.
Elizabeth Johnson, 17, encouraged people to participate in mission work: If you have a chance, go for it. You wont regret it.
