"After having four years without a trip, the Kentucky Youth Mission Trip relaunched in 2024 with 2 kids, as Fr. Dan and I agreed that if we didn’t start it back up it might never get on its feet. With prayers and hope in our hearts we moved forward. Two years later, we took nine students and six adults on the trip this year! As always, the kids had a great time and have bet me that we will have at least 15 students on the trip in 2027. After a long drive down to Kentucky, we enjoyed a delicious dinner provided by Bev and her crew at Christian Social Services. When you hear about Southern hospitality, these ladies exemplify that! We had fried chicken, biscuits, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, rolls, cookies, soda and more. There was enough to feed an army and they graciously sent all the food home with us to enjoy the rest of the week. With full tummies we headed to Jesus our Savior to set up our home for the week. After MANY loads from the cars and trailer to the church basement we were finally ready to settle in. Once everyone had their beds set up, we got together for our typical Sunday evening conversation about the trip expectations now that we had arrived. While we went over safety precautions and talked about staying hydrated, we really wanted the teens to understand that this trip was about our hearts and mindset more than anything else. The goal of the trip isn’t just building ramps, it’s serving with the love of Jesus – including serving one another. Over the next three days we saw our teens begin to approach serving with joy and expectancy. When something was asked of the group, there was always at least one volunteer ready and willing to take on the task given. Whether that was helping with dinner, unloading groceries from the truck, helping pick up new supplies, tackling some landscaping, or picking up a power tool. The weather was particularly mild the first day and we worked longer than normal, taking advantage of the lower temperature. We also had some unexpected company, as the streets surrounding the house were being repaved. Our crew was impressed by how quickly the roads were torn up and new asphalt was laid. Their crew was impressed with our teens’ work ethic and the progress we had made. Our 30-plus foot ramp was well underway by the time we packed up for the evening. Day Two brought a bit warmer weather and our teens were excited to complete the first ramp before lunch – which we did! The ramp was completed, swept and we were cleaned and packed up in about four hours. We decided to go back to JOS to eat lunch in the comfort of the AC and then we’d head to site #2 to check things out. Our second ramp was much shorter, but it presented its own challenges with a more confined workspace and a particularly tricky angle for our “corner”. We made serious headway, but since this site was in direct sun and the temps had risen, we called it with about an hour or two worth of work left to be done on day three. The woman who owned the trailer where we were building the second ramp had two adorable grandsons that wanted to help us. Just like the teens we brought with us, they were full of excitement and wanted to serve. Ramp two was completed in no time! Having half a day worth of work time remaining, we decided to give back to JOS by doing some yard work. Some of our boys tackled a particularly large vine that had sought to take over their window well. We trimmed some tree branches over the sidewalk, cleaned out their garden beds, planted some new flowers and replaced a worn welcome flag. Having such a large crew, we needed to spread out. Some of our students chose to clean headstones at the small cemetery across the street. One particular student had been asking about it all week, stating that they want someone to take care of their grave after they pass away. Praying for the dead is a work of mercy, and we asked the kids to pray for the souls of those whose graves they cleaned. Wednesday evening we were able to bring back our favorite evening session after missing out for six years. While I don’t want to give it all away for the teens that will be going with us in the future, I will say that this evening was one of the most impactful things we did all week. Our group – teens and adults alike – were able to see each other as we really are and, through their vulnerability, we saw hope and healing. Every one of us went to bed that night with a clear understanding of the love and grace we need to be giving to each and every single person we encounter. It was evident the impact of this session in the shift of behavior that took place the following day. Unfortunately, our Thursday fun-day plans were thwarted once again this year. Wednesday night a severe storm swept through and continued to threaten all Thursday morning. In addition a tornado watch was in place most of Thursday morning. Being in the midst of the mountains, the weather changes quickly and can be completely different on opposite sides of town. Not wanting to risk the safety of our group we decided it was best to forgo the beach trip. Our teens were very understanding and took time to check out a bookstore downtown, explore the Rowan County Veterans’ Museum, watch a movie together and then go bowling. While it wasn’t the plan, everyone had fun! Thanks: I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and financial support. You are part of a legacy at St. Elizabeth. A new generation has been part of this life-changing experience through your generosity. I cannot thank you enough. A big thanks to my chaperones/drivers/foremen/instructors Jeff Waterbury, Mackenzie Cytlak, Wayne Ahlers, Bill Kalmeta and Dennis Scott. There aren't enough words to express my gratitude for all you gave. Thank you to all our families who entrusted their children to us, and for the students who were willing to give up a week of vacation to serve others: Colin Ameel, Brandon Bemis, Ryan and Josslyn Handy, Maria Hessling, Teddy, and Tobias Mueller, Kim Parks and Grace Scott. Thanks to Big 4 Lumber in Morehead, KY for their assistance, knowledge and generous discount on our building materials, allowing us to come in under budget! Thanks to Bev Gilliam and Christian Social Services for coordinating our work sites and providing a delicious dinner Sunday night. Thanks to Fr. Ron Sagum and Jesus Our Savior Parish for hosting us & allowing us to call your parish our home for another week. Thanks to God for all the ways He provided for us on this trip. I pray we were able to give Him glory in the work we did and the way we talk about the trip now. Let our lives praise Your goodness, Lord!" Heather Marsh Director of Faith Formation and Coordinator of Youth Ministry