By Nacogdoches Miller

Sun Intern

Volunteers are gearing up to travel with Mt. Zion United Methodist Church for its yearly mission to build houses and spread the word of God in Jamaica.

Kristi Carpenter, team leader for the trip and a member of Mt. Zion Church, said the congregation was inspired to start these ministry trips by retired Methodist minister Herb McComas.

“Through his encouragement and his excitement about it our church decided to take its first trip in 1999,” Carpenter said.

On July 13, 18 team members from all around the Central Kentucky area will fly to Highgate, Jamaica, in the St. Mary’s Parrish for a week.

While there the group plans to visit a children’s home Sunday, and through the week, they will host vacation Bible school and build two small houses, adding to the dozens of homes teams have built already over the years.

Each house cost around $4,000 to build so the church must plan a year ahead to rising the money through fundraisers.

The materials are then purchased through CHI Ministries, which buys the materials in Jamaica, so everything they need is there when the mission team arrive.

“It’s just a blessing to go and to server the Jamaican people, they are very joyful and gracious and thankful,” Carpenter said describing the call her and the others feel to return year after year. “What we give them is what we would put in our back yard for a garden shed and to them it is just life changing.”

Since starting in the late ‘90s the church has built around 40 to 50 small houses in one of the poorest areas of Jamaica.

Carpenter said one of her favorite things about going on the trips is the long-term friends she has made over the years.

Preparing for her 14th trip, Carpenter said the people there are like family.

“We’ve seen families grow and kids get married and have their own children,” Carpenter said. “Just knowing there are people across the globe that God has brought together, it’s just heart-warming and we love going and spending time with them.”   

Carpenter said the reason what they do is so important is because they travel to the poorest parish in the country to helping them build better places to live which can offer them more opportunities.

“God tells us to go and this is where we feel we are called to go and will continue going as long as he makes the provisions,” Carpenter said.

For those who may feel the call to accompany them in the future, Carpenter said people can inquire about joining a team on the group’s Facebook page at Mt. Zion United Methodist or by contacting the church.

Carpenter said it is a life-changing event and quoted the late pastor McComas.

“If you want to see your pastor change and grow just send him on a mission trip.”

Carpenter said that goes for everybody.