March 11-17, 2012: The Joplin Mission Team from Church of the Shepherd will be helping the residents of Joplin, Missouri this week as the warm weather brings the hope of finally doing extensive rebuilding now that most of the clean up has been completed. The team arrived Sunday, March 11, 2012 late afternoon at Byers Avenue United Methodist Church where they will stay until Saturday, March 17, 2012.

Monday, March 12: The team worked in a huge warehouse where experienced carpenters are constructing "prefab" houses for a future building blitz to be done by the Methodist Church and by Habitat for Humanity. These prefabed walls will be taken to various building sites in Joplin where volunteers under the direction or a foreman will reconstruct the walls and flooring. With spring coming so will the building blitz! We need volunteers for COS's April extended weekend mission that will leave Thursday, April 19 around 5:30 and will return Sunday, April 22. Consider taking a Friday off of work to help with the building going on in Joplin!

Picture from February Joplin Mission. New team leaves Sunday, March 11 for a week! Sign up to help out with the teams leaving for extended weekend missions on April 19-22 or May 3-6. The week long mission is June 3-9. Put your faith into action by helping God's children in Joplin. For more information e-mail donna_weaver@coswired.org

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Joplin Missouri: Mission Trips

We're excited to be sending our next team this week (Jan. 26-29) to Joplin, Missouri. Please be in prayer for our team as they step out and offer the hope to our neighbors there.

You can join an upcoming mission trip as well. Support and actively serve the clean-up and rebuilding of the Joplin, Missouri, community after the devestating spring tornado from 2011. COS has committed to sending one mission team a month throughout 2012. Check the dates and contact Donna Weaver (below) to sign-up.

Next trips:

Feb. 23-26

March 11-17 (week long)

April 19-22

May 3-6

June 3-9 (week long)

Joplin Dec 8-11, 2011 (Day Two)

Here are pictures from Brandi's IPhone and represent our second day on mission in Joplin. Our task was to help a young lady get back into her home before Christmas. We did tasks to help her move closer to this goal. We met her and she told us her story. We were honored and humbled to serve her and the people of Joplin. It is true....God will change the heart of a person who serves. We encourage all who read this blog to set a few days aside to help the people of Joplin.

Joplin Dec 8-11, 2011 (Day One)

Here are pictures from Carlie's IPhone. We will add text and pictures from Brandi's IPhone later. We are so glad we chose to serve.

Slow but Steady Progress

The monthly mission trips give everyone an opportunity to make a difference in Joplin. Every day spent working gets residents one day closer to finally moving back home.

The residents of this house have been out of their home for over five months. This weekend we finished taping and mudding all of the drywall of the entire house except the bathroom and laundry room.

We helped with siding on the outside of the house. We added an electrical box to the laundry room and finished the ceiling.

There is still so much to do but as the homeowner told me, in one weekend we achieved what it takes the two of them weeks to do.

Want to see a happy crew?

Do you see some faces that you don't recognize from COS? Well that is because on this team we had members from another church. They joined us from New Covenant UMC and The Connection. Serving together is a great way to meet new friends.

Here they are with the home owners on the front porch.

Rebuilding Joplin

The November Team headed to Joplin on a bright and beautiful day.

We headed to a house to help with drywall!

Here's mud in your eye.There is still plenty of rebuilding to do. Here is the high school.