Thankfully, our last couple of days in Ruskin were uneventful. We spent Thursday (a well-deserved reward day) on Anna Maria Island. We played volleyball and visited a local beach. We enjoyed dinner at a dairyburger-like spot called The Shake Pit that’s been around since 1959. We then went home early to pack up and get ready for the long journey home.
Unfortunately, our journey home was long. All in all, we traveled a grand total of 1727 miles during our trip to and from Ruskin. Those miles led us to Florida and into the hearts of a small congregation we’ll never forget. The people at the South Hillsborough Church of Christ were very appreciative of all our work. One older gentlemen attending on Wednesday night said, “I’ve been going here for 20 years and the place has never looked better.” That comment was all we needed to know our work had been worth it.
Every mission trip has moments the participants never forget, scenes that are forever etched into their lives, and memories that impact them for years to come. This year, the Monroe County Mission Trip painted a bunch (3 full houses, an entire church building, a barn, and a fence), drove a long way, stayed in a giant house on top of each other, and made the Church a better place.
We’re closer together because of this trip. The congregation in Ruskin is encouraged because of this trip. We all pray it’s changed you some too. We hope you’ll join us next year because another congregation needs our help, another group are already preparing to go, and our Lord still needs workers.
I would be overlooking an important opportunity if I didn’t think the elders of the Tompkinsville and Mt. Gilead Churches of Christ for their financial and spiritual support of this trip. We are indebted to their generosity and their willingness to send us.
The 2019 Monroe County Mission Trip is done, but it won’t soon be forgotten.