Two mission teams from two churches will unite next week to help others while serving God and growing in their relationship with Him.
From July 21st through July 27th, 13 team members from Latta Methodist Church and 20 members from Ebensburg (Pennsylvania) Methodist Church will travel to Pawley’s Island to assist two homeowners with repairs.
Latta Methodist Church has teamed up with the Ebensburg Church for the past two years on mission trips. Latta Methodist Church pastor, Rev. Matt Scott, said when they arrive at their destination, they will no longer be two separate groups, but will form one group that they call S.W.A.T. (Servants With A Testimony). “Our team has a variety of ages, backgrounds, and experience, but we are all united together with one common goal in mind: to serve God and God’s people while growing in our relationship with God,” Pastor Matt said.
The 13 local team members include: Alissa Anderson, Jimmy Ard, Donna Bethea, Sheldon Bethea, Eli Bethea, Ronald Bracey, Elizabeth Brown, Preston Brown, Corky Lane, Ava Rogers, Ruthann Wooten, and Rev. Matthew & Alyssa Scott.
They will be working on two homes and will be involved in painting, building a deck, putting down new flooring, hanging siding, repairing a floor with possible joist repair, and yard cleanup. In addition to the home repair, they will build relationships with the homeowners.
The group will be staying at St. Paul’s Waccamaw Methodist Church. They will sleep in different areas of the church and use their facilities for devotions and meals. They will also have a shower trailer to get cleaned up after their long, hot days of work.
“It’s hard to explain a mission trip to someone who hasn’t actually experienced one, or been on one. God does amazing things throughout the week that are hard to describe,” Pastor Matt said. “Most times when a group arrives on a mission trip on Sunday evening, they have in mind that they are going to make a difference working on someone’s home. While that is certainly true, the real ‘work’ of a mission trip is done during our devotional time. I can’t necessarily describe it, but when 30+ people come together and seek God together, God does amazing things in our midst,” he said.
“Mission trips reignite our fire for service to the Lord. Mission trips help us grow in our relationship with God because we intentionally set aside a week of our time to focus on God. By the end of the week, God shows up and shows off in a real, tangible, incredible way. I can share a number of stories from my previous mission trips, but it is truly something to experience yourself,” Pastor Matt explained.
When asked how the public can help or support these efforts, Pastor Matt said, “At this time, we are only a few days away from our trip. I always say a mission trip requires ‘3 P’s:’ Participants (those attending), Payers (those helping offset our costs), and Pray-ers (those who cover the team in prayer). If anyone would like to make a donation to help with this year’s trip or offset costs of future trips, you are welcome to make a donation to Latta Methodist Church. We also appreciate all the prayers we can get. Pray for the team’s safety in working in the heat. Pray for God to show up as the S.W.A.T. team seeks to grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray that all of our needs would be met. Thank you in advance for your prayerful support of our mission team this year.”
If you would like to make a donation, send your check with “Mission Trip” noted on the memo line to Latta Methodist Church, P.O. Box 95, Latta, S.C. 29565.
