Students from Wesley United Methodist Church are spending their annual mission trip at home this year.
Because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, instead of going to Puerto Rico to assist with hurricane relief, the youths are spending this week working on a veteran's home in Jefferson City.
Mark Lopez is forced to use a scooter to get around, so the youths are building a 20-foot ramp, giving him access to and from his door. The ramp will terminate at a stone path, which will have room for the scooter to make wide turns.
In addition to that, said Penny Mueller, a youth director for the church, the group of four adults and nine children is doing much-needed yard work for Lopez and his family, including his 10-year-old son, Gabe.
Gabe said he appreciated the help Monday afternoon.
The work is being done in coordination with When the Yellow Ribbon Fades, Missouri's Joining Forces, an all-volunteer organization that assists veterans through advocacy, education, navigation of resources, and coordination of benefits and financial resources.
Pat Rowe Kerr, who is with When the Yellow Ribbon Fades and is a neighbor, began mowing Lopez's front yard.
Kerr is also a member of Wesley United Methodist Church. Kerr told Lopez she thought she could get things done for his family.
"I just wanted to thank her," Lopez said. "One thing led to another."
And, Kerr got the youth group involved. The group has been conducting missionary work for 26 years.
"We do this every summer. We were supposed to go to Puerto Rico, but with COVID-19, we adjusted our plans," Mueller said. "We knew we needed to stay in Jefferson City and be close to home."
Lopez's back yard was "kind of a jungle" when the group started, Mueller said. The youth group hauled off multiple trailer loads of yard waste that had accumulated over the years.
Miranda Carter, 17, a senior at Calvary Lutheran High School, said she's on her fourth year of missionary work, and has volunteered elsewhere in Missouri, but also in Texas and Tennessee.
"I don't care where we are, as long as we get to do something," Carter said. "Working hard is the best gift of all - giving back to the community."
She worked alongside Bella Whitworth, 16, who is a junior at Jefferson City High School.
"Everybody's nice," Whitworth said. "It's really fun so far. You've always got something to do."
She added the missionary work demonstrates you don't need to receive something in return for your work.
Don Barnett, who has been one of the church's work camp directors for about 25 years, said the youth do a wide variety of projects each year. Work ranges from pouring concrete projects to yard work, he said.
"There's not enough words to show my gratitude for what they're doing," Lopez said. "If there were more people like them, there'd be less problems."