A Mission Close to Home

FOR THREE YEARS, students and parents from Waypoint Church in Richmond, Texas have traveled to Boothe Campus for a week of missions, including Vacation Bible School, games, worship and fellowship. This year, the group of participants almost doubled in size and a new plan came to fruition. Half of the group stayed and did activities on the Homes for Children campus while the other half traveled to our Marshall Campus in Goliad to spend time with the mothers and children from both Homes for Families campuses. 

The goal of the mission trip was simple: impact generations. Student leaders from the group prepared the different Vacation Bible School stations for the children on campus, including music, story time, games, science activities and snacks. On Tuesday morning when the group arrived, the children on the campus waited patiently as everything came together, but as soon as the activities started, they quickly bonded with their new friends. Estefania, one of the moms on campus shared, “To have Waypoint here with me and my family meant a lot to us. My children have been wanting to be part of something with more children their ages and this was just divine timing for them. They formed new relationships and held on to things they learned being with the group throughout the week.” 

For some students who traveled to Homes for Families, it was their third time attending a STCH Ministries mission trip, but their first time attending one at Homes for Families. One student, Avery, reflected on the most impactful part of the trip. “Being able to see the incredible changes throughout the children as the week progressed was so impactful. With this being our first time on this campus, I was not surprised when some of the children were more closed off than others and maybe didn’t want to participate in everything we were doing. But this made it all the more exciting when, as the week went on, these children would become more and more involved every day, and I was able to see their beautiful personalities take shape and impact everyone around them in such a positive manner.” 

While the children were busy with Vacation Bible School, the mothers attended a workout class with Alli, one of the adults on the trip. Alli, a fitness instructor, created a workout guide entitled “Movement for God,” which she introduced to the mothers during their first fitness session. The session included a high-powered workout as the mothers spoke truth over themselves. “I am bold, brave, believed in. I am fierce, fearless, free. I am strong, confident, His,” rang out around the gym as the women completed the workout. “The smiles on the faces of these women as they began to speak these words aloud were just priceless,” Alli shared. “We sweated, we smiled and we praised during the workout!” 

During a break from the workout, the mothers began sharing their hearts and testimonies with Alli. She paused to listen to stories of transformation and restoration. She felt God telling her to pivot some of the activities she had planned for the rest of the week. As day two of the trip started, Alli invited the church’s worship leader, who was also on the trip, to come and lead worship for the ladies. She had planned for him to do one song but that one song turned into almost two hours of worshipping and connecting with God. Alli realized their hearts needed this more than the workout session she had planned and loved getting to experience these moments with the women. 

Jasmyne, from Marshall Campus, shared, “Spending time with the body of Christ and praising the Lord with each other was so beautiful. I am so grateful to have been a part of that. I am so glad we can encourage and uplift one another.” Another mother, Klavdia, expressed, “I liked worship time, it was a beautiful time to connect with God. The guitar player was a young man who did an amazing job. I have also encouraged my kids to play instruments for worship during church.” 

In the afternoon, Alli’s sister-in-law, Michelle, visited with the mothers. The women gathered in the kitchen as Michelle showed them how to prepare fresh, healthy meals. As she cooked, she shared how food can heal the body and help the mind, not just for the mothers, but for their children also. After the meal preparation, the women gathered around the table, shared their stories and asked questions about what they had learned. Jasmyne also shared, “The Lord reminded me to change my perspective, taking my eyes off of me and keeping them on Him and His holy Spirit when it comes to my motive for being healthy and fit and in every other area of life.” This time together led to a deeper connection, a bond that will not be easily broken. 

While the mothers and children participated in these fun activities, a group of men from Waypoint helped with maintenance projects around the campus. One of the men, Alli’s husband, Ronnie, felt a special connection to the campus. Ronnie’s father grew up in a boy’s home and Ronnie recognized the importance of impacting not just the mothers but their children as well. “Seeing these kids makes me want to pour love into them, whether through creating a fun atmosphere with games, hanging out or working on projects around campus to make it an even better place for them to learn and grow,” Ronnie shared. “Being on this campus, whether working on the facilities or spending time with the kids, means everything to me. It runs deep, as I know I’m a product of a man who grew up in similar circumstances.” Although the maintenance projects required hard work, the men left refreshed and renewed because of what they accomplished. 

The students and adults from Waypoint loved seeing the impact one week can have on the lives of those on our campuses and in their church. One of the pastors from Waypoint, Randy, expressed, “Seeing God use our student’s willingness to sacrifice being together on one campus was inspiring. Dividing across two campuses allowed us to double our impact and reach kids not previously in our aim. This required a leap of faith to trust God to provide double the student leaders to cover both campuses, give direction to minister to the group of moms at Marshall Campus, and bring twice as many adults with us to assist and direct students across two campuses.” The mothers and children loved having the group on campus and look forward to them coming back in the future. 

STCH Ministries is grateful for the groups that travel to our campuses and take time to pour into the lives of multiple generations. If you or your church are interested in doing a mission trip to one of our campuses please reach out to Theresa Klacman, tklacman@stchm.org for Homes for Families, or Benjamin Brewer, bbrewer@stchm.org for Homes for Children.