Mission Trip (s) 2024 |
WARM Trip Blog![]()
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WARM Mission Trip
For 2024, we again headed to Wrightsville Beach to work with WARM. We gave a lot of consideration to change our plans but we have created friendships at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk and with some of the WARM team members. We moved back to August as we had several young people interested in this year's trip.
This year's trip was a nailbiter from the beginning. It is always a concern to head to NC during hurricane season and 2024 that concern became a reality. We again headed south on Saturday to allow us to worship at Little Chapel. Since we were down in August, that allowed us the opportunity to worship with Little Chapel twice. The early morning service was on the beach and the traditional service in the sanctuary. As we were finishing up the traditional service, we were approached by one of Little Chapel's members who offered that we be his guests at his restaurant one night. Ok, we'll see how we can work that in.
We headed to our jobsite and met Billy, our supervisor, and Miss Linda, our homeowner. We loved working with both of them. Yep, Miss Linda didn't sit around and watch us, she picked up the screwdriver and whatever else and worked right alongside of us. That would be a first in all of our years. Monday, we started to get the outer bands of Tropical Storm Debby. In consulting with Billy and our Little Chapel friends, we were assured we would be safe where we were at, so we stayed until Thursday. TS Debby came to Wrightsville Beach Wednesday night, our night to be along the intracoastal waterway at a restaurant. Typically would be a beautiful view, but on this evening, the rain just pounded. By Thursday morning, we had lived through 13 inches of rain being dumped and TS Debby was north of us. We waited until afternoon to head to our AirBnb in northern North Carolina hoping that TS Debby would be above us. Unfortunately, we caught up to her and were right in the thick of it with her torrential rains.
We made it to our AirBnb safely and then spent Friday night in Woodstock, VA, reminiscing with our friends there. Saturday we headed home and we still weren't done with TS Debby. She left 8 inches of rain in Harrisburg, thus causing water issues on the west shore. We struggled to find a restaurant that was open but finally landed at Duke's in Wormleysburg. Phew, a long trip but safely home.
This year's trip was a nailbiter from the beginning. It is always a concern to head to NC during hurricane season and 2024 that concern became a reality. We again headed south on Saturday to allow us to worship at Little Chapel. Since we were down in August, that allowed us the opportunity to worship with Little Chapel twice. The early morning service was on the beach and the traditional service in the sanctuary. As we were finishing up the traditional service, we were approached by one of Little Chapel's members who offered that we be his guests at his restaurant one night. Ok, we'll see how we can work that in.
We headed to our jobsite and met Billy, our supervisor, and Miss Linda, our homeowner. We loved working with both of them. Yep, Miss Linda didn't sit around and watch us, she picked up the screwdriver and whatever else and worked right alongside of us. That would be a first in all of our years. Monday, we started to get the outer bands of Tropical Storm Debby. In consulting with Billy and our Little Chapel friends, we were assured we would be safe where we were at, so we stayed until Thursday. TS Debby came to Wrightsville Beach Wednesday night, our night to be along the intracoastal waterway at a restaurant. Typically would be a beautiful view, but on this evening, the rain just pounded. By Thursday morning, we had lived through 13 inches of rain being dumped and TS Debby was north of us. We waited until afternoon to head to our AirBnb in northern North Carolina hoping that TS Debby would be above us. Unfortunately, we caught up to her and were right in the thick of it with her torrential rains.
We made it to our AirBnb safely and then spent Friday night in Woodstock, VA, reminiscing with our friends there. Saturday we headed home and we still weren't done with TS Debby. She left 8 inches of rain in Harrisburg, thus causing water issues on the west shore. We struggled to find a restaurant that was open but finally landed at Duke's in Wormleysburg. Phew, a long trip but safely home.
Asheville Mission Trip
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene came into Florida, but her torrential rain headed north to Tennessee, Kentucky and western North Carolina. As we sat at watched the pictures of the Asheville, NC area, we knew we couldn't ignore the call we were hearing. We asked the congregation to assist us by giving financial donations and we would buy what was needed and drive the donations down to Asheville. First Congregational UCC pastor guided us to Beloved Asheville and the many items that were needed were packed up as we headed south. The pictures of people living in tents will haunt us for months. The town of Swannanoa was devastated. And we heard the call even more. We determined we must come back to help repair homes in 2025, so two trips will occur in 2025.
A few pictures from the trip to Asheville, NC November 2024 to provide donations for those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Pictures include donations, unloading at Belove Asheville, tent city in Swannanoa, some of the devastation in Swannanoa and working at a clothing distribution center sorting incoming clothing.