Middle school missionaries help clean up Albany

ALBANY — Close to 50 young missionaries from Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., spent part of their summer vacation in the Good Life City this week helping to clean up the community while spreading Christ’s message of service to others.

The kids, mostly middle school students who are part of the church’s youth ministries program, spent the past week completing a variety of activities around Albany, including hosting Vacation Bible Studies with area youngsters, spending time with seniors at Morningside Assisted Living and working with Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful.

“It’s important for them to be here just as our young people go to other communities,” said KADB Executive Director Judy Bowles. “We’re teaching them at a young age that they need to give back to the community. It’s important for all of us to do that. They’re a great group to work with, and they do a wonderful job.”

Bowles said the teenagers, who stayed at First United Methodist Church’s Camp Kirksey, worked on several beautification projects while in Albany, including trimming shrubbery at Camp Kirksey, trimming crepe myrtles around town, putting down storm drain markers and picking up trash along city roads.

Although the work was sometimes difficult, those who participated did so knowing they were doing important work in a community that was in need.

“We’ve been coming to Albany for nine years now,” said Jordan Mayfield, a high school student who who made the trip from Jacksonville as a group leader. “We always come back, and we’re here to serve.”

Mayfield said the group has been coming to Albany for the better part of a decade for multiple reasons, including the fact that the community is in need and it’s close enough to home to be a good starting point for young people wanting to get involved with mission work.

“It’s a community that’s close; it’s not too far away, we don’t have to fly,” said Mayfield. “Every community is in need, but we know this community is in need, and we wanted to do something and spread Jesus’ love.”

Mayfield said most of the middle schoolers who come on the Albany trip eventually do what she did and start going on high school mission trips to Jamaica before embarking on adult mission trips to countries like Costa Rica and Panama.

“We start young, so all these middle schoolers are going and serving the Lord and seeing what it’s like, and then you move on to Jamaica, so that’s a bigger step up, going somewhere in your country before going to a different country,” Mayfield explained. “I was here three years ago; I came as a middle schooler. I’m actually a senior this year. I went to Albany with my friends, and I loved it. This was actually the mission trip that got me really plugged into this church, and then after that I was a high schooler so I went to Jamaica for two years.”

And although she had already begun going to Jamaica with her classmates, Mayfield said the pull to return to Albany was strong this year, and she made the decision to come back.

“We normally don’t have high schoolers come on this trip, but I felt really, really called to come back here,” said Mayfield. “I loved it the first time, and I felt called to come and serve as a leader. I talked to my student pastor about it, and he said it was OK. I’m the only high schooler on the trip, but I love it and I’m so glad I came back here.”

Whether doing mission work in Albany or in a far-off place, Mayfield is quick to point out the reason for her service and that she doesn’t mind spending part of her summer break doing things for others.

“Even though we have things that we want in life, and we probably wouldn’t want to spend a week doing work all day, it’s for God’s kingdom, and we’re trying to share God’s love,” she said. “He’s served us in so many ways. We want to give back to communities and show them the love God has shown for us. It’s about changing lives.”

And one life that was already changed on this trip was that of first-time missionary Macy Slabicki, who has already made up her mind that this won’t be her last time doing mission work.

“My first time has been really great,” said Slabicki. “I’ve learned things, and I feel like I’ve gotten more connected to God. And it feels really good to serve this community. I’m going to do it every year.”

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