Our 2009 team had a wonderful trip!  Our group of 55 stayed in Carolina Beach, NC, and enjoyed the ocean during our free time each evening.  Our worksites were in Brunswick County, NC, and we took the ferry across the Cape Fear River each day and then had an additional 45-minute drive to get to the sites.  Check out some of our photos here. 

A few notes about the photos: 

There were 5 groups at camp this week (120 people) and we met together for worship and some meals.  Our first activity was a "get-to-know-each-other" time (led by our very own Caleb K.) and a pizza dinner.  You'll see a photo of our hosts, Philip and Isabelle - wonderful folks with such kind and loving hearts!

     We stayed in two very nice 3-bedroom condos because the Galilee by the Sea camp is still under construction.  Guys in one, girls in the other.  The only catch was the hike straight up three levels of stairs to reach the bottom level of each two-level condo.  One of the girls counted 64 steps to get to the front door!  Most of us made it to around 58 or 60 before we had to stop and rest .  Once inside, then it was another two short flights up to the main living area and kitchen.  We got a workout   but it was a beautiful location and we enjoyed the "togetherness." 

     Most of the team worked at the home of Jackie & Stacey Gore in the Longwood area.  Next to Miss Jackie's home was a mobile home belonging to Miss Patricia, and we helped there, too.  Our projects included shoring up and closing in a porch area, adding new lattice skirting to the crawl space, and preparing the floor for new tile at Miss Jackie's, patching the roof and floor in Miss Patricia's mobile home, and priming and painting the living areas of both homes.  Some of our adults were also able to fix some plumbing and electrical problems at Miss Jackie's.  A few members of our team went to other locations to help with painting, cleaning up yards, replacing steps and a few other projects, and hopefully they'll share some of those photos soon!

JUNE 24-28, 2009      

Our youth are excited to return this summer to Galilee by the Sea Mission to work alongside Philip and Isabel and our friends from St. Andrews UMC in Orangeburg, SC.  We'll be helping to repair homes in Brunswick County, NC, and we have a terrific team of 56 youth and adults who look forward to being the hands and feet of Christ there. 

To see photos of our 2009 ministry site, click here.

We'll be working at the home of Miss Jackie who lives there with family members including several children. The home has only a few leaks but the roof is "held together by prayers and miracles" so one of the jobs this summer will be to add tin roofing.  New windows were recently installed but exterior walls need to be prepped for the addition of new siding (which must be primed and painted prior to installation).  New wood lattice will replace the existing metal skirt on the home.  On the interior, fresh paint and new flooring are on the agenda.  And you can see from the photos that the family room is currently "open air" so we'll work toward cleaning that out and closing it in for a playroom for the children.  The work will be challenging but we know God has wonderful things in store for us as we meet new friends and have opportunities to share our faith with them and with each other.  It's going to be an exciting trip!

To learn more about Galilee by the Sea visit www.galileemission.com.