Sheterwood Beyond Week

This past week was our semi-annual Shelterwood Beyond Week. Regular schedules were put on hold, including school, and the entire campus participated in local serve projects. The groups were divided by Lodge and then by Hall. 3 halls in the Guys Lodge, 3 halls in the Girls Lodge, 6 groups total. The smaller groups made for a more manageable experience. I was assigned to Elm Hall.

On Wednesday, we worked with Impact Ministries. Impact is an outreach of Blue Springs First Baptist Church that provides groceries to families in need. Our goal at Doulos is not necessarily to participate in the hands-on ministry but to serve the organization. On this day we cleaned out 3 rooms of storage in the Impact building and transported the items to the Impact Thrift Store. The donated items will be sorted and eventually sold at thrift store prices to bless families. Any profits will roll back to further fund the ministry. In addition we raked up some leaves since the grass had dried out enough to do so. We hauled off trash, leaves and a few truck loads of recycled cardboard on our way back to campus.

On Thursday, we worked with Habitat for Humanity; the local Independence charter. Our group of 7 boys and 5 staff worked in a home that will soon be given to a small family of 3. We painted primer on the entire interior including ceilings. A modest 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. It actually snowed on Thursday so it worked out well to be inside painting all day.

As I mentioned, our group was just one of six. Similar stories trickled in throughout the week of community service and projects. It was rewarding to pause and serve others in our community. The boys seem to genuinely enjoy the act of service as it draws attention to other needs beyond our own.