Last week, I was blessed to lead a team of 14 from New Covenant Fellowship Church in Graham, NC, to the Maytown Center in Langley, Kentucky. Maytown, part of the Meridzo family of ministries scattered across eastern Kentucky, functions as a ministry base, a community center, and an invaluable resource for food, clothing, and spiritual nourishment. They are an incredible answer to prayer in an area of our country living with poverty and little to no hope.
Our team was a good blend of seven older adults, five young adults, and two youth. We arrived late Wednesday afternoon at Maytown and met John and Mary, the missionaries who have lived and worked there for the last four years. We had dinner in the community center, then listened intently to John and Mary as they told their story of how God moved them to Maytown against all odds. We heard how those in the community opened up to them after months (in some cases, years) of steady compassion and prayer. A question-and-answer time awakened many in our group to the needs in this neglected area of Appalachia.
On Thursday, we made the (first) required Walmart run, then dressed up the bags of school supplies New Covenant had collected over the prior weeks. We traveled a couple miles up the road to an elementary school where we surprised the teachers with bags of supplies, Walmart gift cards, and homemade chocolate chip cookies! The principal had not told the teachers we were coming so that it would be a surprise—and was it ever! The looks on their faces were priceless, and we were able to spend a few moments with each teacher, explaining why we were there.
Afterward, we gathered for prayer in the lobby of the school, asking God to open doors of ministry for us and that He would use that school and Maytown to bring the love of Christ to those in desperate need.
Back at Maytown, we finalized plans for Friday night’s community meal, then traveled to nearby Pikeville for some good country cooking and another Walmart run (one more to go!). Our group spent the evening in fellowship (and friendly competition), growing closer despite the fact that some of us had not even met before the trip. Although I was representing Feed the Hunger, New Covenant is also my church, so I was glad to spend time with some who I had only met in passing.
On Friday, we dove into helping sort school supplies that will go into 1,300 backpacks this Christmas in several area schools. They are starting early this year and already have 749 empty backpacks to fill. As if that wasn’t enough, the monthly food pantry had taken place a week before and the donated clothes area had plenty of items to sort. Fortunately, we had a very task-oriented team that wanted to jump in wherever needed.
That afternoon, we started putting things together for the community dinner, movie, and outreach time. We covered windows with paper to block the light, rearranged furniture, and tried to get the DVD to play (final trip to Walmart!). Meanwhile, our cooking team was busy making six pans of rice and beans casserole, green beans, and six desserts from scratch! We did not lack in the food department.
Between dinner and the movie, our youth pastor gave a gospel presentation based on Luke 15—seeking and finding that which was lost. One girl responded to the message, and several of the ladies talked with her afterward. I had talked with her and her brothers at dinner, and what I heard was troubling to say the least. Her family situation was, to put it mildly, awful. One thing she said stuck with me: “I’m ten years old, and I know what a fifteen-year-old knows, and it shouldn’t be that way.” Yet it is that way for many of the kids we met. Compassion is high on the list of things needed in eastern Kentucky!
We watched Woodlawn, a football and civil-rights themed movie, which went over well and prompted several questions about faith. Though the crowd was smaller than we had planned for, I believe the ones who did come were supposed to be there. The benefit was that more people on our team got to spend time one-on-one with residents, and we had food left over for them to take home (and still got to feed the local fire department!).
Saturday morning was drizzly and damp, which was fitting—we didn’t want to leave John and Mary. But we were already thinking about what we could do next in Maytown. Until then, the greatest thing we can do is pray for the leadership and the community. God will lead us in the rest!
Matthew Byrd | Ministry Advancement
Thank you for sharing about this great trip and the amazing people that went to show the love of Christ.