On October 30th of this year, five members of our church’s Young Adult Group travelled to Asheville, North Carolina to assist with rebuilding efforts after the enormous impact of Hurricane Helene. The team consisted of Cody Funderburk, Holly Strother, Cameron Turner, Matt Waller, and Annie Woofter (accompanied and led by Tim Hasty, Dave McGuire, and Bud Zipf). They were hosted by First Baptist Church of Asheville, which uses its resources to provide room for volunteer teams like ours to sleep, eat, shower, and prepare for the work they are taking part in. FBC Asheville has a system that compiles and provides for various volunteer teams that then go out to job sites where work is being directed by Baptists on Mission.
During this particular weekend, our group worked on a house that was part of a larger family compound. The owner of this house had suffered flooding, but far worse, he suffered having to watch as a mudslide swept away several other houses with many members of his family inside of them. Our group had the opportunity to interact with him a bit as they worked. They spent their first day doing mostly demolition on outdoor parts of the house that were affected by the flood and needed to be replaced. The second day consisted mainly of tearing out old flooring and doing repair work on what was underneath.
After work each day, the group got to spend some good team-building time together at the church and in the city of Asheville. Their trip ended on November 2nd after attending the All Saints’ Day worship service at FBC Asheville and being treated to lunch by some of its members. Here are a couple of reflections from two of our young adults, Annie and Holly:
Annie Woofter: “This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone geographically, physically, and socially, as all the best growing opportunities do! I really appreciated being a part of a team where we lifted each other up despite differences in knowledge, experience, and talents. Even though I was outside of my skill set, I was still able to find ways to contribute. I was also able to expand my hands-on knowledge and construction abilities under the guidance of Bud, Tim, and Dave. I am thankful to be a part of a team that is so supportive!
Outside of the job site, we were able to connect with our team and greater community. It was also powerful to experience the love and faith of a different church community. The congregation at the Asheville church welcomed us with open arms and lots of delicious food!
Throughout this trip, I got to see and hear firsthand how tragedy affected a community, a family, and individuals. It was sobering to learn how much work is left to be done and how much loss has been experienced. It was a blessing to be able to make a small dent in the work that is being done to repair the Asheville area.”
Holly Strother: “The mission weekend that the young adults went on in Asheville was, of course, a wonderful opportunity to be the hands and feet of the gospel by sharing our resources and abilities with others. However, I am always deeply impacted by the relationships built with those who work alongside you. Those who sleep on cots, make banana and peanut sandwiches, and roam the streets in the evening with you build connections that can only be forged within those moments. Doing missions together truly allows for the goodness of God to be felt and seen, not only in the midst of the project the team is working on, but in the relationships of those who journey into that space together.”
On behalf of our team, I want to thank you for the prayers and support you give our Young Adult Group! If I do say so myself, they are a fun, eclectic, and talented bunch that are consistent in both their love for our church, and more importantly, their desire to spread that love outside of it. Thank you for prioritizing missions and for empowering us to go and experience everything that a trip like this brings! As you probably know, this was not the first time a group from our church has gone to Asheville, and I am excited that it will likely not be the last. Lastly, I want to thank Tim, Dave, and Bud, not only for their graciousness in teaching us new things and letting us try them, but for their openness to hearing from us and experiencing things they might not otherwise! I believe we both worked to make each other feel comfortable and loved, which I hope is just a snapshot of the larger culture we are becoming more familiar with here at Aiken’s First Baptist Church!
In truth and love,
Matt Waller
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