Great Valley Presbyterian Church SWAP Missions trip Presentation
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{ August 2013 Great Valley Presbyterian Church Sharing With Appalachian People SWAP Karen Erickson, Sharon Smoker, Cindy Betkus, Wendy Leland, Christy Leland & Lauren MacDonald
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Transcript of Great Valley Presbyterian Church SWAP Missions trip Presentation
August 2013Great Valley Presbyterian Church
Sharing With Appalachian PeopleSWAP
Karen Erickson, Sharon Smoker, Cindy Betkus, Wendy Leland, Christy Leland & Lauren MacDonald
Most SWAP participants come from outside Appalachia, so participating in SWAP usually means stepping out of your comfort zone. You may have beliefs and assumptions about sharing, culture, poverty and other people’s challenges.
SWAP is a home repair program that serves low-income families in southeastern Kentucky.
SWAP means spending a week in the mountains of Appalachia, working for and with local people, relating to them and reflecting on the week’s experiences.
Lauren & Christy
learning a skill
Why Did We Go?
Karen & Steve bonding
Wendy & the floor
Sharon & Cindy Sisters!
Christy & Will
Karen, Cindy & Sharon figure it
out
Wendy & Christy bonding
Lauren, Cindy & Sharon put in a
bath
And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with
your God. Micah 6:8
The first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion is to take off our shoes, for
the place we are approaching is Holy. Else we will find ourselves treading on people’s
dreams. Worse, we may forget that God was there before our arrival.
-Bishop Kenneth Cragg
6:00 Rise & shine / make sack lunch7:00 Breakfast7:45 Morning devotions8:00 Travel to work site12:00 Lunch break at site4:00 Leave work for lodging center4:30 Shower / free time6:00 Dinner7:15 Evening sessions: - History & culture of Kentucky - SWAP’s role in community - Understanding poverty - Christ-like responses to needs10:30 Lights out (6:00 am comes early!)
Our Daily Schedule
Leah
Nicole
Will & Steve
Evening sessions challenged us to examine our values, our
resources, and our faith in light of what we did during the day and what we saw during our
SWAP experience.We were challenged to explore a Christian response to poverty
as well as the importance of ongoing, lifelong Christian
service.
Our Challenge
Outreach missions are everywhere there is a need. We learned that America is not the land of plenty for all.
That right down the road, people are suffering.That we CAN make a difference.
That faith is strong.That we can help.
All in His Glory!
The Way Forward
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hillsFrom whence cometh my help.
Psalms 121
