Our 2024 Mission Trip to Logan County, West Virginia was a success!
This summer, a dedicated group of teens and adult leaders embarked on a transformative mission trip, guided by Maureen LeGros, Mike Butscher, Mary Bose, Brad Spiegelhoff, and Pat McPhetridge. Despite the sweltering heat in the 90s and minimal downtime, our team embraced the challenge with unwavering enthusiasm and spirit.
Each day began early, filled with hard work, prayer, parish time, and eventually, well-deserved rest. Our leaders managed various tasks across different locations, from clearing brush and debris in Logan State Park to assisting with day camp activities for children, and even tackling home renovations such as ceiling repairs, painting, and flooring installations. Some of our members visited individual homes, providing much-needed yard work and helping organize spaces overwhelmed by years of accumulated items. We also cleaned out a stream, made trips to the dump, and assisted at a harvest center and nursing home. Other projects included wallpaper removal, heavy cleaning, and installing Sheetrock and moving and installing interior doors. At our main site, everyone took turns with daily responsibilities like meal prep, building clean-up, and meal clean-up. Each evening concluded with parish time, where we reflected on the day's events and engaged in lessons led by different leaders. One memorable experience was attending a Pentecostal service, which, although lengthy, was filled with vibrant praying, preaching, and dancing.
Amidst the hard work, we found joy in simple, tech-free activities like squirt gun fights, football, and frisbee tossing. This brought back the essence of childhood fun, fostering a deep sense of camaraderie and fulfillment. Returning home after a week, we were renewed and grateful, with a heightened appreciation for our blessings and a profound awareness of the pervasive poverty in various forms. Thank you to everyone who supported this year's mission trip, making it a resounding success.
Discussions and meetings for the 2025 mission trip have begun! If you're interested in joining our mission team, please contact Maureen LeGros at legrosmaureen@gmail.com. We look forward to another incredible journey of faith, service, and fellowship.
For information about the Mission Trip efforts of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Clare Parishes, please contact Maureen Legros, Director of Youth Ministry and Adult Formation, via email at legrosmaureen@gmail.com.