Instead of taking a trip to the beach, youth from St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Marrietta decided to spend a week in Griffin doing tornado recovery work. In the mornings, they cleared debris from one property and built a wheelchair ramp for another homeowner. In the afternoons, they had conversations with key leaders about disaster response and the effects of disasters on the most socially and economically vulnerable households.
The youth group leader, Jesi Allers said, “This trip has been the hardest our kids have ever been pushed on a church mission journey/trip (from their mouths) and I AM LOVING IT. I think we have found the beginning of some beautiful friendships. The gentlemen we worked with today came out, and we worked alongside each other. For lunch, they shared Caribbean pork with us. The hospitality at Saint John Lutheran Church is second to none. My soul is being deeply moved.”
Griffin Habitat for Humanity Chair Lynn Ray who worked with the group said, “What a wonderful experience working with Jesi, John, and the team from St. Andrew’s! What a great group!!!! They worked hard and it was hot! We got a lot done. Many thanks from Griffin Habitat, and we hope they will come back again!”