Play by Play Day by Day with Amy Lawrence

You haven’t lived until you’re stuck at a travel plaza in rural Virginia with 11 teens, gobs of luggage and a broken-down sprinter van, 325 miles from home.😜 Thankfully, the owner of a local transport company agreed to drive us back to New Jersey late that Saturday evening. But not before we spent eight hours answering the phone, babysitting suitcases and watching the world go by.

This summer’s adventure was a first for us–as a married couple with a diverse group of high school students. When our church asked us to lead the 11-day trip, we were excited for a new opportunity to serve but also faced a lot of unknowns. Neither of us had ever led a short-term missions team comprised of *only* youth, and it was a learning experience from start to finish. We are confident we picked up critical lessons for parenting in the future!

Halfway through the trip, we started a list of precious moments from our journey so we wouldn’t forget them. Our favorite interaction took place at Kingdom Come State Park in Cumberland, Kentucky. Our hosts, Heritage Ministries, organized a fishing day for kiddos with poles, bait and lunch. I even had the chance to bake cookies for the occasion! As the grill heated up, a little boy arrived with an older woman. My husband and I made sure they had food and snacks and asked their names. Six-year-old Oscar appreciated the meal, but more than anything, he just wanted to fish. My husband got him set up and showed him how to cast his line; before long, Oscar was pulling a colorful bluegill out of the lake, hopping around in happiness. We were grinning ear to ear with him!

We heard a little of Oscar’s story from his guardian who he calls “Ma.” She was only supposed to take care of him for two months; that was 2.5 years ago. Sweet Oscar suffered years of abuse and trauma before he was removed from his home. Now Ma is struggling to make ends meet and provide for his needs. We were able to offer her all the leftover food from our cookout and retrieve a large box of supplies from the Heritage food pantry. When she got teary, I did, too. I’m so thankful we crossed paths with them. What a blessing to see their joy on that beautiful day!❤️

Along with a few students, I’d spent time packing boxes at the pantry earlier in the week. Sharing the food with Oscar and Ma added extra-special meaning to the task. Another memorable experience featured a shopping trip for a blended family of ten! Our host asked a handful of us to help her select fresh and frozen items, dairy products, kids’ snacks, cereals, even ice cream. We loaded up two shopping carts and then her vehicle and delivered the bags and a large food box to a police officer’s family. His wife was overwhelmed by the generosity and groceries. We enjoyed talking to her and seeing her smile. I also loved the emotion of the high schoolers as they put a face and story with their service.

Heritage Ministries also organizes a Christmas drive for kids and families, with preparation taking place behind the scenes year-round. The Empty Stocking Fund provides roughly 1,200 gifts and 600 food boxes annually to members of the community in need. Most of the girls spent a few hours wrapping presents for kids of all ages, from infant to 18. Other students pitched in to organize donations at the surplus store and load vehicles for delivery. https://heritagemin.org/empty-stocking-fund

Every member of our Kentucky team spent time building an addition to a shed that will serve as a tiny home for a couple living in a bus. After losing their house and property in a shady deal, they only had enough money to buy a small shed, but the Heritage crew was working hard to double the size of the shed so they could be more comfortable. On Monday, the floor, frame and roof were all that existed. By Friday, the structure had an extended ramp, PLUMBING, siding, insulation and drywall. My husband relished his conversation with the couple as he worked on their home. He was touched by their faith and determination to forgive the man who swindled them, despite their circumstances. After he shared their story with me, I couldn’t wait to reach the job site and spend a day working with the team (while learning some new skills).

In Harlan County, Kentucky, deep in the Appalachian Mountains, black bear encounters are fairly common. Multiple times during the week, we spotted bears in and around town. We were warned about staying off the hill behind our house because two mommas and their cubs lived up in the woods. I saw the large momma with one of her babies crossing the road a couple houses down from us early in the week. But Friday’s experience is the one I won’t forget. The smaller momma and all three cubs emerged from the trees up on the hill. Only two of us were in the house at the time; when she spotted them, she came racing to find me. We watched as momma cautiously sniffed the air before leading the way down to our porch, her babies bouncing all around her. Would you believe they licked a spot on the ground where a student had dumped grease after cooking the night before?! Then they found a lunch bag left on the porch. Momma grabbed the sandwich, while the cubs tore into the bags of crackers and cookies and even a Capri Sun, ha!

The two of us stood silent and motionless behind a glass door on the porch while the bears enjoyed their free meal. At one point, momma stood up on her hind legs to smell a couple dish towels left out to dry. She also looked right at us through the glass, though it didn’t seem like she could tell we were there. What an experience, watching them from a couple feet away for 10 minutes!

Our Kentucky adventure was so different than what we expected for a zillion reasons. Both my husband and I have asked God to show us what He wants us to take away from the experience and how to use the many lessons as we move forward. I choose to remember this trip in the people and priceless moments. We are so grateful to our hosts and their team for their grace and hospitality and humor. And we are determined to visit the longtime coalmining mountain haven of Lynch again in the future.🧡

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