Shout Out to the FUMC of Cherryville

Hiking to Help Refugees is an effort that has been supported by a small army of people.  That support, both financially and in other ways, has come from churches, prayer groups, and many individuals.  Some of the individuals have asked that their giving remain anonymous, and of course we always honor that request.  So I confess up front that I know it can be dangerous to highlight the efforts of any one group.

However, with that said, I want to give a shout of thanks out to Jeanna Spiker and the youth group of the First United Methodist Church of Cherryville, NC. 

Before I do that, let me give some background.  My mom, Mary Etta, and stepdad, Jack Stephenson, have attended this church for decades.    Mom, at age 84, is still their organist.  Various pastors of the church have through the years, when we were home on furlough, allowed us to give a report about our work in E. Africa during their worship services.  So we have felt a strong connection to this local church for a long time.

Jeanna is on staff at the church, and oversees the ministry done for both youth and children.  She asked me to give a presentation about "Hiking to Help Refugees" before I began hiking on April 9th.  After the presentation, she told me that she and her husband had the idea to take the youth group on a hike on the AT during the summer.  

   She said she would ask the youth to get church members to sponsor them for a certain amount for each mile walked and then donate the proceeds to our cause.

Well, recently I learned through my mom that the proceeds of the VBS of this church were donated to "Hiking to Help..."  Afterwards, church members pledged another $1,300 or so to sponsor the youth on their AT hike.  So altogether their offering totaled around $2,000.

When I returned home from Damascus the other day, I gave Jeanna a call to thank her and the youth personally.  I asked her how their hike went.  The report she gave made it clear that their initial planning did not actually work out as hoped.  They had to make a number of changes to adapt to the circumstances they encountered, i.e. a much tougher trail than they had anticipated, and dried up water sources along the way which presented the problem of staying hydrated well enough.

So after making the required changes, Jeanna debriefed the youth about the experience.  She tried to get them to relate what they had experienced to the problems and circumstances that refugees might face when fleeing their homes to the safety offered in a neighboring country.

I know I am leaving out a lot of details, but what has intrigued me about Jeanna's efforts/strategy is the fact that her plan involved the whole person.  The youth did not just drop money in a plate.  No, they also gave of themselves to try and walk on a difficult section of the Appalachian Trail, one which does not offer a lot of very easy sections.  Then the youth were asked to reflect on their experience in light of what our refugee brethren might have experienced, i.e. do you think they might have experienced great thirst and various forms of danger during their flight?

I think Jeanna created a very teachable moment for the youth of her church.  As a result, I think they will be more likely to pray for me as I continue to hike, and more importantly, I think they will be far more likely to pray that our venture will result in our goal being met, and our refugee brethren being supplied with a significant amount of scripture resources and Bible training.

Food for thought and an example to follow.

Uncle