Mission-minded cruisers clean Adventist churches and homes affected by hurricanes.
Published on: 01-22-2018
A group of professional young adults from the United States, Canada and Australia recently spent a day clearing out fallen walls, fallen branches and debris from the largest Seventh-day Adventist Church on St. Thomas, destroyed by Hurricane Irma last year.
The group of more than 50 stepped off a cruise-mission trip in the Caribbean to tidy up the Philadelphia Adventist Church, nestled in the capital city of Charlotte Amalie. The church has been closed since the storm tore up the roof and walls in September.
“It was a timely visit,” said Glendon Cross, pastor of the Philadelphia Adventist Church. “We have been wanting to prepare a place where we can convene our own worship service, so the team of volunteers gave us much needed assistance.”
The more than 1,200 worshippers of the Philadelphia Church have been worshipping at the Shiloh Adventist Church nearby and have assisted the community with what they have in the aftermath of the storm’s devastation, explained Cross.
A total of 22 waste bins were generated thanks to the dedicated work of the group, he added.
Team organizers coordinated with local church leaders to send a team to every stop to ensure proper execution of the missionary work.
“The cruise exists as a catalyst for young adults to cultivate a transformative lifestyle of connecting with God and others in the context of Christian community,” said Ortiz.
It’s about helping young professionals renew their spiritual journey by doing meaningful on-board presentations, discover meaningful community through group interactions and explore the joy of helping others during service projects, added Ortiz.
While on St. Thomas, the team also cleaned the home of Mr. Heyliger, a visually-impaired community member, who expressed his profuse thanks for how much the group accomplished in just a few hours.
It was a missionary cruise planned by and for the young adults, added Ortiz.
Other cruise passengers noticed the infectious missionary spirit of the team to the extent that three passengers joined them for service to the Puerto Rico and St. Thomas communities.
Warren Cowsgill, one of the Cruise with a Mission team leaders, who arrived at the ports two days in advance, said the cruise with a mission helps participants and well-wishers to learn about life from a broader perspective.
“Going from place to place helps young adults to learn about life in a tangible way.” Cowsgill said.
Royston Philbert
To bind together the Adventist people as we wait for Jesus to come back, by sharing news and information about the church plus articles on doctrine, spiritual growth and mission.
