FCC Mission Trip
Each year our church sponsors a group of youth and adult leaders who spend time out of state working to improve the lives of others through a community project. This tradition has continued over the decades including projects in the US and South America. Read a summary of our trip below.
Be the Light” Mission Trip 2023
(photos to come)
Bright and early on Sunday, June 25th, our mission team gathered at FCC and headed out to Hosanna Industries in Pennsylvania for a week of service. With a solid crew of six youth and four adult chaperones, we were able to load into two minivans for the trek eastward. We met the team from Ozaukee Congregational Church so we could caravan out together. Our team arrived at Hosanna’s facility in Rochester by 7:30pm and were able to get settled in and prepare for our week of work in the Pittsburgh area.
On Monday, we headed into Pittsburgh to improve the home of a young man who had participated in Hosanna’s inner city mentoring program years ago….he has overcome many obstacles and turned his life around. Our crew, consisting of Hosanna’s “Green Shirts” and our FCC and OCC volunteers, spent the day cleaning, tearing out an old bathtub, prepping for a shower installation, painting, and tearing out carpets. It was a busy day, and we were proud of our progress.
Tuesday’s project was at the same home, and so many wonderful improvements were completed. We finished painting the walls and ceilings in the dining room, living room, entry, and stairwell. A new floor was laid in the dining room and living room as well….and it looked amazing! A hot water heater was installed, along with a washer and dryer, and the basement floor was scraped and painted, too. The shower was nearly completed, which is great, because the homeowner had not had hot water since purchasing the home. And he was so appreciative of our efforts, and his smile and thankfulness made our work so worth it.
On Wednesday, we roofed a home, and with a “well-oiled machine” of a crew, completed the project in less than 5 hours! We had a busy group up on the roof and a handful of hard workers on the ground completing major yard clean up and shingle cutting. We finished so much in a short period of time, which afforded us the opportunity to return to the Hosanna campus for weeding and landscape improvements – everything looked so neat and clean!
Thursday featured another roof project, and it really needed some TLC! The homeowner had an seriously compromised roof, which had caused some damage on the inside of her home as well. Our team was again led by the awesome Hosanna staff, working side by side and learning so much along the way! We tore off old shingles and plywood, laid new board and tar paper, and applied shingles to make the roof look great again (and safe and dry to handle the elements). The homeowner was touched by our work and had tears rolling down her cheek as she shared her sincere appreciation during our final prayer circle together. These are the moments that make the trip so meaningful for all involved!
While it is helpful to learn about the service projects from the week, hearing directly from our volunteers has more meaning:
“With this year being my third mission trip, I have learned many things over the years serving others. The main thing is that change is inevitable, and every group of people that you work with is different and you have to learn how to balance each other for the most fulfilling experience. After all, it’s about the homeowners and not one’s self. With being able to adapt to change, you can focus on others’ environments and not your own, be open-minded, and make sure to remember that everybody experiences different things and learn to recognize this in any and every situation. The mission trip has made me reflect every year, and I’m looking forward to more trips to come.”
Bella S.
“This was my second year going on the mission trip, and both were great experiences. I had so much fun and grew closer to people I didn’t know very well before the trip. I am scared of heights and by going on the roof and working with everyone else, I felt a great sense of achievement! I really enjoyed helping people out and seeing how we were able to change their lives in many ways. I look forward to going again next year!”
Maya H.
“I always get a good warm feeling watching the youth work as a team, knowing that they are helping others. I was proud to be part of the 3 generation team, and also enjoyed watching Drew mature. There were good positive vibes for the whole week.”
John S.
“It is always a humbling experience to help and serve others. This year’s mission trip was no different. It was extra special to go on the trip with my son and dad. To serve God and see the expressions on the individuals’ faces we helped is so rewarding.”
Nick S.
FCC MISSION TEAM FUNDRAISERS
On behalf of the 2023 Mission Team, we want to send our most heartfelt love and appreciation to our First Congregational Church members who bought coffee and peppermint bark at Christmas time, attended the Italian Dinner & Auction, or supported the team with prayers and well wishes….it all meant the world to us!
Our 2017 ASP Mission Team is back safe and sound after an incredible week of making three homes in Kentucky warmer, safer, and drier. The week ran smoothly overall, and updates were made on the FCC Facebook page nearly every day.
We departed at 8:00 on Saturday morning and the team arrived in Winchester, Kentucky, by late afternoon. We were able to check into our hotel and then head out for dinner. After a good night’s sleep and breakfast at the hotel, we were on the road to Daniel Boone National Forest for lunch and a hike up to the natural bridge and through the beautiful forest trails. The hike was a great way for fellowship, adventure, and it provided some nice photo opportunities. Upon arrival at our center in Jackson, Kentucky on Sunday afternoon, we unloaded the vans, set up our sleeping quarters, and organized our supplies for the busy week ahead. There were two other churches at our center, one from Michigan and another from Ohio, for a total of 69 volunteers. We also had four amazing ASP staff members at our center who guided our projects and facilitated group activities and meals. Sunday evening was busy with dinner, as well as group gathering that included introductions, singing, and the expectations for the week. Later that night, we conducted home visits so our adult and youth leaders could meet the families and see the projects firsthand.
The schedule on Monday through Friday was consistent, with 7:00 wake up, 7:15 devotion and breakfast, followed by preparing lunches, loading supplies into the vans, and then heading out to the work sites. Some homes were only 10 minutes away, while others required a drive of up to 30 minutes. The teams would work until 4:00-4:30, load up, and head back to the center for showers, dinner, and daily group gathering. Tuesday included culture night, where we were blessed to hear a Bluegrass band. Thursday was the picnic with the families at the park in town. Needless to say, our week was a busy and exciting one, but we still found time to head out for an ice cream treat each night and share stories of the day’s progress.
The adults and teens were on the trip to positively impact the homes they were assigned, so below is a brief synopsis of the projects that each group was part of:
Team 1 – Chip Smith and Holly Elwing led the charge with Michael Elwing, Adrian Coppage, Dylan Hayden, Ethan Wendt, and Nick Clark. *This crew cut openings in the floors of the home, dug holes and installed posts to provide support to the girders that they built to firm up the floor and foundation. They then tore out the bedroom floor and installed new subfloor on Friday. They also made the grandchildren happy by fixing their basketball hoop early in the week.
Team 2 – Nick Sgarlata and Jim Santelle mentored the second group of boys, including Ben Hudson, Kale Lund, Jason Hayden, and Jordan Weishoff. *The team demolished the kitchen floor and performed joist repairs to get the project off and running. They created a band-joist to provide support to the front of the home, and then installed the subfloor and luan in the kitchen. Next came carpet removal, demolition of the family room floor, digging holes and leveling the floor, and then lastly laminate was installed.
Team 3 – Tonia Wallner and Jon Stern were blessed to work with Hailey Sgarlata, Sarah Jensen, Bella Hendrickson, and Maddie Sgarlata. *This crew installed tiles in the kitchen and fixed a rotten corner of the home, which included both the bedroom floor and the joists. The underpinning needed to be removed to make these improvements, which meant that the team had a puzzle to put back together on Wednesday afternoon. This completed the work that needed to be done on this home, so they joined Team 2 to help with their big project. With the extra help, the team was able to tile the kitchen floor and lend a hand on the family room flooring project to end the week, which proved to be quite rewarding.
Floaters – Mark Lund and Kerri Weishoff made supply runs and deliveries to each of the work sites throughout the week, and did whatever was needed to keep the projects alive. Their willingness to lend a hand wherever needed meant so much to each team and was critical to our success.
There was time for bonding with the homeowners and their families throughout the week, which is always a special part of the experience. They were appreciative of the work that was done, which also made the trip worthwhile.
The 2017 team thanks you for your generous financial support of this trip, as well as for your love and prayers. It means so much!! We will share our trip experience on October 15 with a special ASP Mission Sunday where we will show a DVD and photos from the week and offer a presentation to the church. ~ Blessings, Tonia