Huntington and
Charleston send
six on missions trip

HUNTINGTON, West Virginia—The Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia, congregations raised $17,000 to send six young people to a mission trip and 10 teens to the Summer Educational Program.

The six missionaries are Joseph Hall, 26; Dave Greider, 14; Daniel Greider, 16; Jesse Hovemeyer, 16; Lela Thompson, 23; and Katie Steele, 18. Two have previous mission trip experience. Dave Greider spent a month in Venezuela last year, and Joseph Hall spent two months in Bolivia.

On this trip, they participated in a one-month Teen Mania mission trip to Panama. The teens presented the gospel through drama, then they went into the audience to pray with those who accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior. They took their names so they could be linked with an area pastor for follow-up discipleship.

The congregations raised funds through the help of Denise Carney, who is in the mobile home sales business. She offered to buy repossessed mobile homes that the teens would then clean and make available for resale.

Don Hussell, Huntington youth pastor, said: "When we set the goal, God convicted me to challenge the congregation to send on a mission trip all of our youths who wanted to go. At the time it seemed a little unrealistic, however, I assured our young people that our God is a great God and that he can make a way."

After Mr. Hussell made the challenge, Denise approached him after church with the idea of the young people cleaning mobile homes.

Pastor Mike Greider said: "We are honored to have some on-fire teenagers. God has also provided us a capable staff to guide them. We have been blessed with a gifted youth pastor and two assistants in Huntington. In Charleston, we also have a dedicated youth pastor, Liz Chambers-Gwen, who is working hard with our teens there as well. It is so beautiful to see these young people come back from these mission trips, having seen God’s power work firsthand. They are forever changed."

TEEN MISSIONARIES--From left: Dan Greider,
Jesse Hovemeyer, Joseph Hall, Dave Greider, Katie
Steele and Lela Thompson

Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2001