Cherokee Mission Trip 2010

I suppose I should start by telling you how this trip came about. I have been to Cherokee twice before on mission trips including a trip last summer. When it came time to plan trips for this year, our mission chairman wanted to head out west to New Mexico to the Apache and Navajo tribes. We had met missionaries from there in the past year and saw the need to help these areas. However, the trip was going to be costly with airfare and hotel rooms. For Savannah and I to go it would have been close to $2500. I just couldn't swing that. So I asked him why we couldn't just go back to Cherokee. It is a 3 hour drive from here and the church has a bunkhouse we could stay in for $5 per night. Much more affordable, especially for families. So, he told me we could if I would plan and lead it.I wasn't too secure with the idea, since I'd never planned a trip before. I just showed up and did was I was told. Now, I had to think of all those things that go into planning ahead of time- much of which I didn't know. Luckily, I had a church staff member to help me with itineraries, lists, and phone calls. And some good people on the ground in Cherokee to be eyes and ears for what we might need as far as supplies. So, I got it planned with help from several people.

We had a couple of team meetings ahead of time. I was taking mostly families- parents with their children. Turns out, I had 9 boys between the ages of 7 and 10! I was worried about finding them things they could do, since the parents were wanting them to have this work experience. I was also worried about the lack of carpentry skilled men I had going. I did have one very knowledgeable man, which was a godsend. Part of my speeches before we left included remaining flexible. We can make all these good plans, but God is going to have His own plan that we won't know about until we get there.

Some of the boys at "Unto These Hills"

We went up on Saturday in time to see the play "Unto These Hills." This is the story of the Cherokee people and the Trail of Tears. I found out later that this is the last year for the play- it hasn't made money in the last several years and at this point, the tribe is planning to not continue to show it after more than a 50 year run. On Sunday, we attended Cherokee United Methodist Church (where we doubled their attendance) and then visited the Oconoluftee Indian Village, played in the creek, and hiked up to Mingo Falls.

Church at Cherokee UMC

Monday began the real work. I split the group into 3 teams- one team going to our building project, one team heading out to do yard work, and the third team remaining at the church for several projects that needed attention there.

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

I went with the building team. We worked on a lady's house that needed new floors and walls. For day one, I took two of the boys as a "destruction crew." We tore out flooring and sub-flooring and patched and spackeled walls. Day two, we sanded and primed and painted. The men worked on the sub-floor where  a leaking refrigerator had rotted out a huge area. Day three, we laid lauan and put up paneling. Day four, it was time for vinyl flooring and shoe molding. This team worked very hard and the lady had a beautiful, much improved house by the time we left. Our best handyman even repaired some broken window panes, replaced some non-working light switches, and was able to get her central heat and air repaired. The tears in her eyes and the smile on her face was more than enough payment for all our hard work.

Wendy had never mowed before!

The yard team was just as successful. They hacked through weeds, pruned shrubbery, cleaned gutters, and even installed a tombstone at one home! (Yes, the Cherokee bury their dead in the back yard.) To hear the boys talk about all they were able to do, including share the weed eater, was a blessing. These little boys weren't sure they could work that hard for so long, but they were proud that they made a real difference.

The church group may have had the hardest task of all. They cleaned, scrubbed, mowed, weeded, edged, and who knows what else, all in the hot sun and without people to reward them with a smile. But the team helped with that, because we could all see just how much they had made a difference around the church in just a day or two.

Savannah at the nursing home

Some took a break on Tuesday afternoon to go to the area nursing home for a visit and an ice cream social. We took all the children with us, which really pleased the residents. To see our kids being so patient in playing games and talking to these women really warmed my heart. In our sharing time that night, you could tell that this visit deeply affected all who went.

Using the blow gun

Other things were just fun. The camaraderie in the group was so apparent that everyone was commenting on the bonding that was going on. The church members there were so friendly, and often even silly. One 84 year old full blooded Cherokee brought a blow gun for the boys to try. One sat up with us one night playing cards and being silly. And our kids got closer with each other (and some of the adults, too.) For me, it was fun working beside Savannah, watching her stretch herself to do more. I think the girl hammered in over half of the shoe molding, and I didn't know she could drive a nail!

Me and my girl

All the things that I worried about beforehand just fell into place. I have already heard most of the people who went say they are planning to go next year! So I suppose there will be a "next year" trip as well. This is beautiful to me, because a lot of these people had never been on a mission trip before. I prayed that their first experience would leave them wanting to do more, and it seems to have done just that. Even one, who was probably our most experienced at 8 or 9 prior trips, indicated that this was the best trip he had ever been on. There is the possibility of issues arising, personalities conflicting, etc. but if they did, I never heard about it. I mostly heard laughter, teasing, joking, friendly talk, kindness, and love. I heard, saw, felt, and experienced God. What a blessing!