On Saturday, August 2nd a Saint Francis team gathered in our parking lot at 7:30 AM to begin their mission to Neon, Kentucky. As in the case of our parish’s 2006 and 2007 Neon mission trips, this trip was organized by Linda Nash. Team members were Greg and Graham Beutler, Dan Gilbert, Roger and Jared King and John Murray.
Our team provided its free labor to HOMES (Housing Oriented Ministries Established For Service). HOMES is a non-profit organization that builds and repairs houses for low income families living in the Neon area. The HOMES organization gets monetary credit from the government for our sweat equity time. For each hour we work the home owner receives credit toward the mortgage on a new home or the cost of building materials in the case of a repair.
Neon is a small, poor Appalachian town in the southeastern corner of the state. Its population is approximately 800 with an estimated median household income of $18,300. The Neon area is primarily rural. Abandoned buildings and coal mines dot the landscape.
After a prayer, our six men loaded their gear into Roger King’s Chevy Suburban. Roger drove the entire 13 hour trip. The team arrived in Neon around 9:00 in the evening. They were met by Greg Hawkins the HOMES’ volunteer coordinator. Greg told the team they would work four 10 hour days with Wednesday set aside for rest. After a good night’s sleep and breakfast the team was introduced to its HOMES’ team leader Johnny Mullins. Johnny gave the group a safety briefing. Johnny’s also the pastor of the Pine Mountain Free Pentecostal Church of God. After the briefing the team drove to its first project.
It was going to be a beautiful hot, sunny summer day. Before the day was over temperatures would rise into the low 90s. The team spent its day on the roof of a modest home with a leaky roof. At days end Jack Damron was the proud owner of a new Hawaiian-blue aluminum ribbed roof.
The team had the chance to spend some time with Jack. He talked about the area’s black panthers, bears, coal mines, moon shiners and snake catchers. While the use of poisonous snakes in religious services is illegal in Kentucky, the practice is still alive in Appalachia.
On its second workday the Saint Francis team drove to the home of Jim Caudill. The team would build a 38’ access ramp to the home’s front porch. Jim’s family and health care providers were having a very difficult time helping him in and out of his house. The ramp’s lumber was paid for from the missionary account established from donations by our three Saint Francis Neon mission teams. The most physical part of the project was digging 16 post holes. Each hole was dug in soil rich with rocks and roots to a depth of 18”. The team spent most of the first day digging post holes, cutting lumber and constructing the first section of the ramp.
On Wednesday several team members drove to the Cumberland Gap National Park and walked in Daniel Boone’s foot steps through the Cumberland Gap. The remainder of the team remained at the HOMES site and rested.
Thursday found the team working on Jim Caudill’s access ramp. The support structure was finished and work was begun on the ramp’s railings. Several team members had a unique experience Thursday night. They attended Pastor Johnny Mullins worship service. Johnny is a “shotgun” Pentecostal preacher. He doesn’t prepare his sermons in advance of the service. He simply reviews material on a topic and then speaks from his heart. Thursday night’s sermon was on “Christ as the living God.”
Work on the access ramp was finished around noon on Friday. As the team walked toward Roger’s Suburban to leave the work site, Jim, his wife and a health care worker drove onto the property. Johnny helped Jim into his wheel chair. The health care worker pushed Jim up the access ramp and into the house. It was an extraordinary scene.
Saturday morning came early. With Roger at the wheel the team left the HOMES site at 6:30 AM. Twelve hours later they arrived in Weston.
Mark’s Gospel, Chapter 10 (35-45) tells us, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.” For the third year in a row a team from Saint Francis spent a workweek in Neon, Kentucky serving others.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
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