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MMPC youth lend aid in Rockport

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By Kathy Thomson

Over a dozen youth from Albany and their sponsors traveled to Rockport last week to assist with ongoing efforts to rebuild structures damaged by Hurricane Harvey almost two years ago.

This year the Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church youth mission trip worked through an organization called TEAMeffort Missions. 

TEAMeffort provides low cost lodging, meals, and chapel services for youth mission teams working at any of their various locations throughout the United States, including the one in Rockport. In addition, TEAMeffort pairs each youth group with a work project.

“They assigned us to a house we had not been to before,” said MMPC youth minister Spencer Newsom. “We worked at the one house the entire trip, redoing two bedrooms, the living room, bathroom, and kitchen. We put in insulation, hung dry wall, and painted.”

The July heat and humidity did not quench the cheerfulness displayed by Albany students, according to Newsom.

“They worked the entire week with no A/C, in 100 degree heat with 100 percent humidity,” the youth minister said. “The kids were great, didn’t complain, kept positive attitudes, and I saw smiles all around. Their parents should all be very proud!”

The group left Albany on Sunday, July 14, and worked in their assigned house from 8:00 a.m. until around 3:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and from 8:00 a.m. until they finished their project around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

“They were pretty exhausted by the end of each work day, so they’d shower and then just relax until suppertime,” said Newsom.

After supper, the local youth joined other TEAMeffort groups for a chapel worship service and small group Bible studies.

Thursday afternoon and Friday were “free time,” and the Albany group was able to enjoy the beach at Rockport and at Port Aransas, visit the U.S.S. Lexington Aircraft Carrier Museum in Corpus Christi, and eat at the original Whataburger restaurant, also in Corpus.

Youth on the mission trip included Jackson Chapman, Tyler Chapman, William Webb, Cort Peterson, Porter Wills, Taylor Scott, and Sidney Bartee. Also participating on the service project were Gracie Price, Leddie Leech, Robin Lucas, Cambree Clegg, Brooklyn Abbate, Braylyn Abbate, and Ashton Liming.

Sponsors on the trip were Newsom, Michaela Reames, and Stephanie and Jamie Van Zant.

Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Texas, first on San Jose Island and then hit the mainland near Rockport with 130 mph winds around 10:00 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2017. The hurricane caused major flooding across many areas of the Texas Gulf Coast, including Houston, before heading out to the Gulf of Mexico and then making landfall a third time in Louisiana.