Experience Mission Blog

I thought I would be interacting with kids in the community, maybe learning a bit more about construction, and facilitating the schedule for the teams that came through. While this was all true, it was also so much more.

When we see the widening gap between those who have opportunity and resources compared to those who don't, we think it should matter. Community empowerment is part of our mission so we can address this disparity that steals hope and erodes people's sense of worth and dignity.

Jesus knows what it’s like to be a nobody in the midst of chaos. He understands the plight of the weak, the lowly and the marginalized. He lived it.

The hundreds of volunteers that have shown up to work on homes over the past seven months have been able to accomplish insurmountable amounts of work, but I can’t help think that there’s a greater hope being built along the way...

During these outreaches, is where it really struck him of the humanity in everyone. I think a lot of times it can be very easy to look down on or think less of people that are different than us...

We piled kids and leaders into vans and convoyed it to Fort Popham. An hour later, we found ourselves in the middle of the old fort, seemingly built just for us with lots of places to run around...

Each day we run a kids club with the Salvation Army in the morning, and this week we started another kids club at the Autumn Woods Apartments in Bladensburg, Maryland. At first we were not very sure what to expect.

It will be months and months and maybe even years before the Panama City area can return to its original normal, but there is a resilient spirit that is rising up within its residents.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of new faces, long and beautiful car rides, loaded grocery trips, Home Depot runs, and fellowship with our incredible Navajo community partners. J.R. and his wife, Mary Lou, pastor House of Joy Church that sits atop Black Mesa, AZ, just walking distance from a breathtaking canyon.

With a surplus of ministries, including soup kitchens, kids’ day camps, and Bible studies, the Salvation Army continues to bring glory to God each day.