Day #6 (Thursday)

Wow! What an amazing day we all had today! We all had a great time in fellowship with one another as well as with the people of Nada.
We started our day out with a "left-overs" breakfast which was just as good the second time around! We then took a trip up to Natural Bridge State Park to look around and do some sight seeing and hiking. The majority of our group decided to take advantage of the beautiful scenery by riding the Sky Lift up to the top of Natural Bridge, while a few others decided to hike up to the top on one of the trails. Both ways of experiencing the scenery was beautiful and we were all amazed to see such beauty that's so well hidden off the beaten path.

After a morning of sight seeing we all ventured back to Rose's Restaurant for a delicious lunch and ice cream! We had a wonderful time of fellowship and laughter as we shared stories from our week in Nada. After lunch, Faith and Jerry headed to Stanton to pick up some supplies for the cookout we had planned for  this evening and made sure to load up the van with some Ale-8 as well! The rest of the group decided to walk back to the motel from Rose's and use the time to do some souvenir shopping at a few of the local shops near the park. We used the rest of the afternoon to relax and catch up on some needed rest and relaxation after a long week in the heat.

Around four o'clock we all headed out in the van to the Nada Mission House to start our preparations for the community cookout that we were hosting. Jerry and Ed fired up the grill while the other team members began patting out the burgers and getting everything ready in the kitchen.

During this time we were able to take turns going to visit one of the local residents. She had asked that we come and see her new home, which she had saved for years to build and it was finally completed this year! It was a beautiful home and she was so proud of the hard work and sacrifice she had made and to see it finally come together was such a blessing.

Back at the Mission House everything came together smoothly for the cookout. By the time we started serving we had a line of about twenty people that had all come for the event. We had a wonderful spread of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs with all the toppings you could want: chili, onions, slaw, relish, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and on an on!  It was a great time of fellowship and conversation with some of the local residents and their children.

When it was over, the team went to work cleaning up the Mission House for the next group that will be coming next week. We packed up the van and headed to Ms. Francis' home to say good-bye.

Afterwards we headed back to the motel. We had a time of prayer and reflection when we arrived at the motel and it was such a wonderful time of sharing and talking about the different ways that God revealed himself to each of us this week. As is the case with many mission trips, we all agreed that we had come hoping to make an impact on the people of this community as well as help with some of the more physically demanding things that needed to be completed, but we all felt that we had been blessed in the process of helping others. The hugs and gratitude in the faces of the people we worked with this week blessed each of us as we think about the ways that God used us in their lives, as well as the ways that God has used them in each of our lives.

Tomorrow morning we'll pack up the van and head back to Raleigh, but each of us will take a piece of Nada back with us, and we hope that we will be able to share those pieces with each of you! Thank you for all your prayers and support throughout this week. Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow as we travel back to North Carolina! God Bless!

Day #5 (Wednesday)

Greetings from Kentucky! We had a wonderful day here in Nada! Not only was it much cooler today than in the past few days but we successfully completed our final day of VBS as well as all the tasks at the work sites!
The morning started with a wonderful pancake breakfast prepared by Faith and Ed! After a full meal of coffee, juice and pancakes we broke up into two teams to finish the work on the homes that we had started earlier in the week.
Edward, Ashley, Jakob, and Laura went over to finish up the painting on Ms. Wanda Tester's porch and ramp. We were so thankful that the paint lasted out through the end of the task! We had JUST ENOUGH paint to complete both her front porch and ramp, as well as the back porch! It was such a blessing to be able to do this for Ms. Wanda. She is a wonderful lady of faith that shows love to everyone she meets. She was so appreciative of the work that our team was able and willing to do for her, which makes the task even more rewarding.

Another group made up of Faith, Jerry, Ed, Alice, and Reba went to Ms. Francis' home to do a few tasks that she needed help with as well. As a recipient of one of the new homes provided by a grant from the state, she now has a shed to keep supplies in, however, she had no shelving in place to keep it organized. We were able to provide shelving for the storage unit and hang a peg board for her to organize her gardening supplies with easy access.

She also was in need of having her gutters cleaned out, and our team was able to clean those out and also had some time to do a little weed-eating around her home to cut back some of the weeds that were trying to take over her beautiful flowers.

As it turns out, there was even some time left over in the morning to help with some small tasks at Max's home, a local truck driver that lives in the area. Since his schedule keeps him on the road so often, many teams have come together over the past few years to build his home and install everything from cabinets to toilets. His home is looking great and is making great progress!

After a full morning, we came back together at the Mission House for a lunch of left overs and Bagel Bites for the kids! They arrived early and excited for VBS! It was a blessing to be able to share our lunch time with them again. Today during VBS our Bible story focused on believing. The story was about Jesus appearing to the disciples after his resurrection and the doubt that Thomas had before seeing Jesus and placing his hands in his side. The kids did a wonderful job remembering and talking about the other stories we have done in the past few days. They retained so much information, and probably more than we will ever know. We pray that God used these stories to plant a seed in each of them that will continue to grow as they grow older.

After the Bible story, the kids learned a new song about believing with all their hearts and taking those beliefs with them no matter where they go. Then came craft time which was a bit hit! Since we had two new little girls today, they were able to do all the crafts they had missed from the previous days as well as making flip-flops and hair ties today. The boys made visors and were able to take home all their crafts at the end of the day!

Since the temperature has been so hot the past few days, we had a great game of indoor beach ball kickball! They had a great time running the bases and they definitely beat the adults hands down on scoring! We all had a great time playing games with the kids and watching them have a wonderful time with each other as well.

We all headed back to Lil' Abners for some time to rest before heading to the Natural Bridge Lodge for dinner. As it turns out, today was the 85th anniversary of Ale-8 (a local soft drink made right here, close by, in Winchester, Kentucky). As a way to celebrate the occasion, the restaurant had prepared a buffet that used Ale-8 in almost all of their dishes! It was delicious!! We had everything from Cajun Chicken and rice, to Beef Brisket to choose from. And that was all followed up with some delicious deserts, also made with Ale-8! It was a great time of fellowship for our team as well as a delicious meal!

We want to thank every one of you that prayed alongside us this week as we ministered to the kids of Nada, Kentucky, and work on the homes of Ms. Wanda, Ms. Francis, and Mr. Max! They have been such a blessing to us as we have gotten to know them and to see their gratitude and love for Christ has been a very humbling experience. We ask that you pray for our team tomorrow as we have some time to fellowship together, and then wrap up the week with a Community Cook Out at the Mission house! We are praying that many of the neighbors will come and that we will be able to get to know them better through a meal of fellowship. Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Day #4 (Tuesday)

Well it was another beautiful hot day in Kentucky.  The team started the day off with a cup of coffee and an AMAZING breakfast casserole prepared by Mrs. Faith.  There was a slight delay in starting our work project due to rain storm that came through last night.  We needed to wait to let the front porch dry so we could paint it.  Once we arrived to the work site, it was a true blessing at how quickly the wood had dried so that we were able to jump to work.  Today's work was a little more tedious due to having so many nooks and crannies  we had to get paint in.  Once it got close to lunch time a few of the team members headed back to prepare lunch while some of us stayed to finish painting the ramp.  We still have a few spots on the porch that we will go back and finish tomorrow morning.

When the whole team got back to the mission house we had lunch with children which consisted of "Pizza Burgers" and chips.  During VBS we discussed the parable of the unforgiving servant.  The kids talked about how the King should forgive the servant his debts and agreed that is was not fair when the unforgiving servant didn't forgive his friend.

 During craft time the children worked on making picture frames and coloring pages that related to the bible story today.

We had a small amount of recreation time outside and realized that it might have been a little to hot to be outside running around.  After being outside the kids came in and got some ice pops to cool down before we wrapped up with music.  It was a long day for the kids and our team.  Like yesterday, we came back to freshen up and relax before dinner.  We did our evening devotion discussing how God always answers our prayers even if we don't feel like He hears us or maybe does not answer it the way we want Him too. It is more about finding those small moments or nuances (as Edward put it) in life to see the many gifts and answers God is giving us.  

Please continue to pray for the people in Nada and especially the children we are working with at VBS.  Also, please keep Ms Wanda Tester and Ms Francis Godsey in your prayers as we continue to work on their homes and be the hands of God!

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!

Day #3 (Monday)

Hey everyone,

Today has been an exciting day! We woke up this morning and went to the mission house for breakfast at 8am! We were not there for to long before we left to go to Wanda Tester's house to do some maintenance work. When we arrived Edward designated us to our respective jobs and away we went! The ladies worked on painting the back porch and were able to get both coats done during our time at her house.

The men worked on power washing the front of her house so that we can paint it tomorrow!

We ended up finishing a little earlier than plan, so the whole team was able to head back to mission house to prepare lunch for the children attending VBS.  We made a variety of sandwiches. However, we only had 5 children show up for VBS.  Today we were reminded that the number of children does not always matter, even though we were really hoping for more.  This way the team was able to make a more personal connection to the kids and give them the attention that I think every child desires.  During VBS Edward and Jerry engaged the children in the story of Moses and the Burning Bush, I can honestly say that I don't think the children blinked they were so caught up in the story.

Laura led the children in some fun songs and dance moves while Alice and Reba worked with the kids on crafts making sand art cross necklaces and decorating some colorful fish.  After crafts we played some games, however we kept them inside because the heat was so intense.  We help the kids understand more of how to be obedient and follow directions by playing games such as the obedience walk.  In this game the children had to listen to the directions they were given to find an object.  The catch was that they were blind folded so they had to follow directions very closely.  We wrapped the day up with a nice snack before the kids had to leave.

Even though it was only mid afternoon, it had felt like we had worked a full day.  Around 3:30 the team came back to rest up before dinner.  We went back to the mission house around 6:30, and while we waited on dinner to finish baking, we discussed our evening devotion and plans for the next day activities.

We ask that you continue to keep our team and the people of Nada in your prayers.  Pray that we are shining God's light to our maximum potential and help these people see God's love.

Thank you for all your support!
God Bless.

Day #2 (Sunday)

Hi everyone! Today has been a wonderful day! We all woke up early (some earlier than others) and loaded into the van to start our busy day. We arrived in Stanton, Kentucky to meet up with Paula Settles, the coordinator for the Nada Mission House. After a quick reunion for some, and an introduction for others, we headed off to Winchester, Kentucky to worship with the congregation of First Baptist Church Winchester. We attended Sunday School and were welcomed with open arms. The men attended the Men's Sunday School class, while the ladies joined Paula in her Ladies' Sunday School class, and Jakob decided to attend the Youth Sunday School class.

Ladies' Sunday School class
First Baptist Church, Winchester, Kentucky

After Sunday school we were blessed to worship with the congregation. The youth choir sang a song and went through some details about their previous week at Centrifuge. Dr. John E. Owen delivered the message about the Great Commission and our responsibility to share God's love with others around us, near and far. This was especially fitting for our team this week as we prepare to minister to those in the immediate area.

Front steps of First Baptist Church
Winchester, Kentucky

After worship, we dined in one of the local hot spots, Kentucky Fried Chicken! (which is even better when you're actually in Kentucky!) After our lunch, some of our team ventured to the Stanton Kroger for groceries, while others of us rode over to some of the houses that we will be working on this week. We all met back up at the mission house for a wonderful time of Bible Study, led by Ashley Bailey, followed by a time of worship through music, led by Laura Tabor, and an enjoyable and very applicable sermon delivered by Jerry Layton.

We began preparations for our first day of Vacation Bible School as well as more surveying of the work site homes that we will be assisting with maintenance. Below are a few photos of the surrounding area and some of the progress made in one of the new home sites which was completed by previous mission teams.

Progress in a newly renovated kitchen

A new bathroom for a resident's home!

View from the front porch of one of the newly refurbished homes

Edward went with Paula to survey one of the local resident's homes to assess the kitchen work that needed to be done. He successfully laid out the design plan for a whole new kitchen that will allow the family to triple their usable space! A team that will arrive next week will be installing the new cabinets and building on the work already in progress. We all went for a much needed dinner at the local Subway  and once back at the motel we had a short time of devotion and planned our schedule for tomorrow's work and VBS.

We ask that you pray for our team tomorrow, specifically for our work on Ms. Wanda Tester's home. We also hope that you will pray alongside us as we work with the children at the Nada Mission House by sharing God's love through Vacation Bible School. We thank you for your continued prayers!

And We're Off!!

Today's the day!! We left from New Hope Baptist Church in Raleigh around 8:00am on Saturday, July 9th. After driving for a few hours, we decided to stop for lunch in Abingdon, Virginia around noon. After a little bit of food and relaxation, we all filed back into the van. Once back on the road we finally crossed over the Kentucky state line around 3:00pm just as the roads began to wind up and down and all around through the beautiful mountains of Eastern Kentucky. We arrived safe and sound around 5:00pm at the "Lil' Abner Motel" in Slade, Kentucky. The final member of our team, Laura Tabor, arrived to join the group after spending time with her family the previous week in Georgetown, Kentucky. After taking a little time to freshen up, we drove down the road to a local restaurant for supper and dessert.

Dinner at Rose's Restaurant (Slade, Kentucky)
Jerry Layton (who is enjoying his second Ale8 of the evening), Reba Miller, and Alice Johnson

Dinner at Rose's Restaurant (Slade, Kentucky)
Jakob Layton (also enjoying his second Ale8), Edward Walker, Laura Tabor, Ashley Bailey and Ed Parungo

After a delicious and much anticipated dinner,  we took a scenic drive over to Nada to see the mission house and to unload some of our supplies. While in Nada, we decided to take a little time to drive around the community and get a feel for where we would be working throughout the week. Already, we've had some interesting adventures, like driving through a mountain in a very small tunnel, with room for only one car at a time. After returning to the motel, we wrapped up the evening with a team devotion and a time of prayer. We thank all of you that have been praying for safe travels and continue to ask that you keep the team and the families we will be working with, in your prayers throughout the week!

Preparations Have Begun!

Over the past few weeks, the New Hope Baptist Church Kentucky Mission Team has been working hard to prepare for our week in Nada, Kentucky. The group is led by Associate Minister for Children, Faith Layton and she will be leading a team of 8 others through a week of ministry and fellowship with the people at the Nada Mission House. Through different projects such as repair work and maintenance for some of the local residents' homes and leading a Vacation Bible School for the kids at Nada Mission House the team will work along side Paula Settle to reach out to the people of Nada, Kentucky and show them the love of Christ.

Please keep the team in prayer as we prepare for what is going to be a great week of mission work! We covet your prayers and ask that you pray for the people in Nada as well, that they will be open and responsive to our presence and to the messages that God has for them.

Nada, Kentucky Mission Team:

(Top Row) Rev. Jerry Layton, Reba Miller, Ed Parungo, and Edward Walker

(Front Row) Jakob Layton, Alice Johnson, Rev. Laura Tabor, and Rev. Faith Layton

(Not Pictured) Ashley Bailey