Pictures and information from recent mission and service projects.
Click on the picture to see more images from these service projects.
Michigan Caravan Service Trip 07
June 17-23 was an amazing week for this group of 24 fun and hard working people from 2nd. They served at both Camp Geneva and Holland Rescue, an inner city mission. Working along side members from their church family aging from 5 to 70, they worked in daycares, day camps, thrift stores, and doing repairs and various work around the camp where they stayed. They will give a full report this fall about their experience!
Four members of 2nd went on a mission trip to Africa this past July; Chloe Mathonnet-VanderWell and Brenna Boat to Mozambique, Pam and Brandon Boat to Malawi. They went with others from Adventure Life in Altoona and Meredith Drive in Des Moines. They spent two weeks in their locations before spending another on safari seeing Africa. They had a chance to work with missionaries there, as well as local doctors and nurses.
From 8-80, 26 of us road-tripped to Staten Island this June 17-24 to work with Project Hospitality. In addition to seeing the big apple, our time was mostly spent working in soup kitchens, painting, cleaning, sorting donated clothing, assisting at a drop-in center, and washing walls at a women's center. We were also part of a peaceful protest for continued national funding of HIV/AIDS centers in NYC. We heard frist hand from people who have been homeless what it is like and what situations they came from. We stayed at Brighton Heights Reformed Church. It was a wonderful experience to serve along side all different ages from our church family, seeing the sights of New York City, and being God's hands and feet on Staten Island.
Summer Workproject 2005
involved 17 people, ranging in age from 2 to 72. After 14 hours of
driving, we had just four days to work before our return.
In that short time we put a porch roof on a resident's trailer, put
metal skirting on the trailer to keep out the winter winds, and dug
a sewer trench 16 inches deep, 12 inches across and 20 feet long.
Some of the group put in shower walls and plumbing, repaired drywall,
and painted several rooms in the caretaker's cottage on the mission
property. We took apart bund beds, burned trash, slept on the floor,
worshiped in small and large groups and prepared all our meals,
including a supper for 10 local residents. It was a hard, gratifying,
tiring, exciting, hot, wonderful, exasperating and exhilarating trip.
We are grateful for the opportunity and support of those back at church.
For the third year in a row, 2nd has provided meals, and an
afternoon of fun at a farm, flying, and boating for Angel Tree children through Lakeview
Camps. This year, they also sent 9 people to serve as Camp
Counselors throughout the summer at Angel Tree Camps in Iowa. Angel
Tree kids all have one or both parents in prison, and they all have
different backgrounds and family situations. This week provides
a place for them to have fun, talk about forgiveness, learn about
God love for them as a Father, and be loved by the staff.
2nd has a lot of people who are actively involved with Habitat for
Humanity of Marion County. They frequently spend many of their
hours requiting volunteers, serving on councils, and volunteering
themselves. These are some pictures of Habitat Saturday from last
spring when we brought a large crew there to work out at Brooke Circle.
2nd Church has sent two groups down to Pignon, Haiti to work with the
Christian Mission of Pignon there. Two more groups are going this March.
Recently, the Habitaiti fundraising has allowed us to add 3 classrooms
on 2 existing schools and provide teachers for the classrooms. These
are pictures from the trip in March 2003 and March 2005.
Haiti 2006
A group of 8 people went down to experience firsthand
the culture of what is the poorest country in the western
hemisphere. This is the third trip that 2nd has taken part in
to Haiti in conjunction with Meredith Drive Reformed Church of
Des Moines to learn, grow, help, and be touched by the people
of Pignon, Haiti at the hospital and schools there. They brought
with them from donations given by our church family, around
$4,000, which were used to buy rice for distribution to the
poor, 4 goats for needy families, supply baby Maculene Dorcine
and her grandparents financial support for another year, give
a general donation to the hospital for operating expenses as
well as their poor fund (which provides medicine to those who
can not afford it). The plans for the school additions, which
are being funded through Habitaiti efforts, are in the works.
In 2001, 30 people from 2nd went to serve with Project
Hospitality on Staten Island or in a Reformed Church in Astoria.
Since we are headed back to NYC this year again, we wanted to be
able for everyone to look at these pictures again!
