The Sunday Sermonette – The Spruce Pine Mission Trip.
It had been forty years since my last mission trip with FBC Gulfport, so I was definitely due for another. My time in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, turned out to be a real blessing for me and everyone who went. I’m grateful I had the chance to go. Before we left for Spruce Pine, I was asked to write a blog about our experience. Here it is. Big hug.
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Dispatches from Spruce Pine, Sunday, August 17, 2025.
Greetings, Church Family!
We have worshiped this day! Sunday, our second day, began with breakfast at 7:00. Fresh scrambled eggs, crispy-fried bacon, and homemade buttermilk biscuits were beyond delicious. Sweet orange juice and piping-hot coffee rounded out our morning meal. Pastor Jimmy led us in an uplifting devotional by asking each of us to answer three questions.
1-Tell us something unknown about yourself.
2-Tell us your purpose for coming on this mission trip.
3 -Tell us about a “Holy Spirit” moment in your life.
The unknowns ranged from a Disney theatrical callback to hiking the Appalachian Trail. Others were an amusing guardianship, a bucket list to ride every rollercoaster in the country, and a dream of becoming a jet fighter pilot.
The Holy Spirit moments were more touching: a firstborn’s first breath, not wanting to spend money on a project, but hearing the Holy Spirit say, “Spend it. It’s God’s money, He will provide,” and finding comfort and peace with the Holy Spirit while kayaking on a lonely river.
However, everyone had their own reason for participating in this particular mission trip: to repay what had been given to them by the North Carolina Baptist Men on Mission. Their God-given ability to ease suffering by rebuilding hope and homes was like the healing hands of Jesus coming down from above. And now we wanted to do the same, ministering to those in need in Spruce Pine. We were reminded that whatever our hands find to do, we should let it be for God’s glory and not ours.
We were privileged to attend divine services at The First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine. The lovely old church with its Gothic light fixtures and stained glass, hearkened back to the days of Gulfport’s old, domed sanctuary. The church house was packed, and the music, both praise music and hymns, lifted us up to Heaven. The icing on our spiritual cake, so to speak, was to hear Dr. Don Welton preach. With his insightful knowledge of scriptures, his evocative English accent, and wry sense of humor, he kept us on the edge of our seats. From Psalms and Hebrews, Dr. Welton extoled the importance of remembering what God’s House does in preparing us for life. It gives us the strength to survive life’s valleys and mountains, its hurts and pain, along with its rejection and despair. God’s House helps instill within us the right perspective, one that tells us we are in the right place at the right time to make the right decisions in our lives, which have eternal consequences.
Later that afternoon, after lunch, we had a wonderful visit with Eddie and Martha Williams, the couple who came to the Coast after the storm and stayed two and a half years, helping us rebuild our Coast and our lives. Thank you!! It was a touching moment to learn that Eddie and Martha were still in contact with the people they had helped. They still pray for one elderly lady, who still calls them to talk over old Katrina times. Our congregation will have the opportunity to meet them in a few weeks, as they will be attending the morning service. Please welcome them with open arms, for they are truly the earthly embodiment of Christ on Earth. We ended our day by checking into the Spruce Pine Rebuild Site, where mission groups like us stay when helping rebuild houses damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene. It’s a converted Elementary School that’s comfortable and well-managed.
One interesting piece of information: we were warned not to venture out after 10:00 p.m. A Mama Bear and her little one might be on the prowl. Needless to say, we’ve followed orders and stay inside once the clock strikes ten!
As I drifted off to sleep, I thanked Father God for His incomprehensible mercy, grace, and love. In the week to come, please use us as your instruments to do the same.
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Dispatches from Spruce Pine. Monday, August 18, 2025.
Greetings, Church Family!
Remember the Seven Dwarves joyfully singing “Whistle While You Work” when they marched off to a job? Earlier today, FBC’s Mission Team Men marched off to their worksite singing, albeit a bit off-key. When they finished their job twelve hours later and returned to our home base, they weren’t singing and certainly weren’t whistling either. Len Cody, the team work leader, said today’s job was a “God Thing.” The lady asking for assistance, Rebecca, said two other groups had turned her down due to the difficulty of the work, which involved shoring up her deck with 6×6 wooden pillars, after digging three-foot holes to drop them in. It was a massive, labor-intensive job! But in typical “Get ‘er done” fashion, FBC’s men rose to the occasion with grit, humor, and determination.
Sam Pressley stated, “This is a young man’s work,” after returning home from the strenuous workday. Ethan Blair said of Sam that he was “workin’ hard with the young men.” You go, Sam! Show those “youngsters” that old folks can still cut the mustard!
Christian Weir, FBC’s Youth Director, was more direct about the work day: “Pick up a pick, hit dirt, repeat…repeat…repeat. Haul eighty-pound sacks of concrete up a steep hill, repeat…repeat…repeat. Dump concrete into a wheelbarrow, fill with water and stir, repeat…repeat..repeat. Fill bucket with concrete, walk along a steep mountain trail, dump concrete in a hole, repeat… repeat… repeat.”
Andrew Bullen was thankful that the Holy Spirit gave him the strength to survive Len’s mountain driving. Curvy roads, steep mountain rock walls, and deep gulleys are always a problem with Mississippi drivers.
Our dear Pastor, Jimmy Stewart, was no slacker when it came to work, either. His guardian angel, Len, kept an eye on him, though. When Jimmy thought he was twenty, working at the speed of lightning, his sixty-something body gently reminded him that he wasn’t. Jimmy stated that by the end of the day, he and the others had mixed, moved, and poured two tons of concrete!
When you see these men at church, please take a moment to thank them for their service to God and His children. In Matthew, we are reminded that “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least brethren, you have done it unto me.” May we all live out the love that God our Father has shown us through His son, Jesus.
Joyce Moree exhibited her culinary skills for all to see and taste. Her delicious salads were very popular with everyone! She and I both enjoyed working with the kitchen crew, who made us feel most welcome. We ensured that everyone had what they needed, as soon as they needed it. Cooking for fifty people isn’t easy. The kitchen crew carefully planned their daily menus and ensured their pantries were well-stocked. Home-cooked meals made from scratch are always a treat! Hats off to Allan, Dotsie, Shella, and Jane for treating us like family. We look forward to seeing y’all again!
The kitchen “Boss Lady” was Lisa Barker. This lady touched our hearts with her love, as well as with her and her husband’s remarkable conversion story. Drugs. Theft. Carjackings. Stealing. Homelessness, Gang Fights. Illicit sex. Drunkenness, Jail time. This was their life before they met Jesus. Chris, her husband, stated his father was an alcoholic, his mother was a druggie, and he followed in their footsteps. The only time he acknowledged Jesus Christ was when he said His name with an expletive in the middle. Lisa said of her days before her conversion, “If it had wheels, I’ve stolen it.”
Chris said the beginnings of his conversion began early one morning after weeks of drugs, booze, and gang fights. Coming off a three-day high, he found himself sitting on a sidewalk outside a 24-hour convenience store in a very dangerous part of town. Through bloodshot eyes, he saw a stranger approach him with a cold soda. The stranger sat down beside him and asked Chris if he knew Jesus. Chris stated that even in his drug-induced stupor, he knew he was going downhill fast, on a quick road to a pointless death. After additional weeks of other strangers coming up to him and asking if he knew Jesus, he looked up to Heaven and said, “Okay. I think I’ll give this Jesus guy a try.” Lisa said her life of sex, drugs, and booze ended basically the same when a total stranger asked her, “Do you know Jesus?” All of this happened over four years ago. They never went through a drug/alcohol rehabilitation program, have been clean ever since, and to this day, “We’ve never looked back!”
Here’s a big prayer request: Would everyone please pray for both Chris and Lisa? Lisa is taking chemo for her Stage 4 liver and colon cancer, which she attributes to her previous lifestyle choices. Is she mad at God? Does she ask Him why all this is happening to her? No, she isn’t, and no, she doesn’t. She’s just thankful that she is now a child of the King, and come what may, she is safe in the arms of Jesus.
Think about this phrase for a second: “Safe in the arms of Jesus”. Are you, and if not, why? He’s only a prayer away. I leave you with the words of an old Fanny Crosby hymn: “Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care. Safe from the world’s temptations, sin cannot harm me there. Jesus, my heart’s dear refuge. Jesus has died for me. Firm on the Rock of Ages, ever my trust shall be.”
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Dispatches from Spruce Pine, Tuesday, August 19, 2024.
Greetings, Church Family!
FBC Gulfport has a bittersweet anniversary coming up. August 29th will mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This anniversary will evoke remembrances of lost loved ones, lost homes, and lost livelihoods. Gone were our family scrapbooks, childhood pictures, diaries, and family Bibles. Gone were our magnificent beachfront mansions, our historical monuments, and our sacred houses of worship. On that day, the entire Coastal canvas, with its ancient velvet-green oaks and sweet-smelling pines, was repainted one color: a dingy, brackish brown. But in the depths of our bitterness, there were sweet moments of kindness, the kindness of strangers. With loving smiles, they gave us a cool cup of water and a hot plate of delicious food. They bandaged our wounds. And with a simple hug and the encouraging words: “Never give up, never give in. Father God is on His throne. He will provide,” they gave us the strength to carry on.
Into the dark bittersweetness of life after Katrina rode our knights in shining armor: the North Carolina Baptist Men, now known as Baptists on Mission. These men and women arrived in force on the Coast, even before our government arrived with help. Their mission was to help people in need, to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Now, 20 years later, FBC’s mission trips to Spruce Pine are to help repay the Baptists on Mission for their love and help during our time of need. However, FBC Gulfport is not the only mission group here this week. I’ve spoken with some of the groups, and I thought you might like to know something about them and their helpful rebuilding efforts in Spruce Pine.
Family Pastor John Saxon from the First Baptist Church in Venice, Florida, was pleased to report that he and his mission team were in Spruce Pine to express gratitude to Baptists on Mission for their tireless and loving assistance to their church in September 2022, following the impact of Hurricane Ian. John and his team have been working on several rebuilding jobs. One was helping rebuild and repair the maintenance shop here at the Rebuild Center. This involved using a jackhammer to break up the old concrete and then pouring a new driveway in front of the building. Their other job was a complete refurbishing of a severely damaged house trailer that the owners had been living in since the storm. New sheetrock and floors were installed, after much rotted wood had been removed.
Worksites are dangerous places, but in them, humor can still be found! One day, John found Andy, one of his team, lying on his stomach on a hot roof, leaning over the ridge while painting the side of a house. John said he was panic-struck when he saw Andy, fearing he might fall. However, he then saw his wife, Kwee, calmly taking pictures of Andy. “Move more, better picture,” she would say in her sweet Taiwanese accent. “No, move more, better picture.” John laughed. “I knew she knew God had His hands on Andy, so why should I worry?” He also stated that Kwee had the kindest way of approaching strangers with the Gospel of salvation. Throughout the week, it has been evident to everyone that God grants each of His children talents and abilities, which help Him spread His love to the world.
James Williams, Pastor at the Courtney Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina, and his work crew are working on several projects. Their first project was to replace a wheelchair ramp and a front porch for an elderly lady. Their second job was to construct handrails for another family. Once the railings were completed (they were needed for a final home inspection), the family was able to move back into their home for the first time since Hurricane Helene roared through town in September 2024.
Another work crew member stated his most touching memory was a family he’d met who had been living in a cramped camper trailer since the storm, while waiting for their new home. Their tales of the storm and its aftermath touched his heart. Unfortunately, the family is still waiting for a new home. A lighthearted moment for the work crew occurred one morning when a team member accidentally left their truck door open. When the group returned later that day, they were greeted by an avalanche of ants crawling in every direction.
Pastor James said that he and his work crew have been extremely blessed by the people they’ve helped. He stated that each family they assisted thanked their church and Father God!
The Pitts Baptist Church in Concord, North Carolina, was represented by a young lady named Zann Cale, who was beautiful both inside and out. Each morning at breakfast, her radiant smile filled the dining room. She and her fellow church members installed sheetrock in two houses that were seriously damaged. She laughed. “We looked like snowmen when we got finished!” A third house had drainage problems. A new ditch was needed, and the Pitts Baptist Church crew dug it. “We looked like mudpies after that,” Zann said with a big smile.
My day usually began around 4:30 am, and not long after, I started helping with breakfast. Upon entering the dining room, I would look around, and there was Zann, reading her Bible and praying. She reminded me of Jesus, who “rose a great while, departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” It reminded me that we should all do the same, drawing our hearts closer to Jesus and Father God, daily refreshed and directed toward their purposes.
As you can see, FBC Gulfport and its sister churches have been in high gear, rebuilding and repairing the horrific damage caused by Hurricane Helene. These brothers and sisters in Christ have been the personification of Him on earth: doing good, loving others, and walking humbly with their maker, Father God. After Katrina and Helene ravaged the Earth, many of us may have felt as if our worlds were caving in around us. Still, for believers—those of us who have built our world on the strong foundation of our relationship with Jesus Christ—we know, come what may, that strong foundation will hold. We should cling to it, especially when we are feeling helpless and weak.
One last thought: In helping those impacted by Helene and other storms, we have offered hope, eternal hope that is found only in our Savior. Even if He was not accepted by those we helped, at least we planted seeds that, perhaps, will continue to grow. They may one day germinate, sprout, and grow into a person on fire for Jesus. Ponder this and go forth.
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Dispatches from Spruce Pine, Friday, August 22, 2025.
Greetings, Church Family!
Shakespeare once wrote, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Standing on the front porch of the Spruce Pine Rebuild Center this morning, I waved goodbye to many new friends that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this week. Their hugs and tears remind me that Shakespeare was right. Parting IS such sweet sorrow! Today marks the end of our work week, as we helped families devastated by Hurricane Helene. When meeting someone for the first time, it’s fascinating when you feel as if you’ve known them all your life. Such was the case with many of the new friends I met this week.
Meeting someone and feeling as if you’ve known them forever generates trust, which in turn generates deep conversation about old times, old problems, and old sins. Such was the case with Zann, whom I wrote about in another Dispatch. It’s been said that if everyone had one friend or family member to whom they could bare their soul, psychologists would be out of work in a week. When kindred souls come together, ancient mountains of hurt, mental anguish, and guilt crumble before your very eyes. In Exodus, we are reminded that Father God spoke to Moses face-to-face, as a man speaks to his friends. I hope you have such a friend or family member like Father God.
Many of this week’s projects were about to be struck from the Center’s work list. They were difficult, and other mission groups had opted out of tackling them. However, this week’s groups, with FBC Gulfport leading the charge, took on those difficult tasks. Repairing decks, leveling floors, installing new floor joists, hanging sheetrock, and painting were just a few of the many labor-intensive projects that were completed by the crews. One project was downright smelly and nasty.
John Saxon, Family Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Venice, Florida, said he and his crew replaced the floors in one house. The house was occupied by an elderly lady, her caregiver, and multiple cats—cats that seldom made it to the cat box in time. Pulling up the old carpet was a tedious and unpleasant job. When the last section was pulled up and loaded onto John’s truck, it started pouring rain. He decided not to unload the carpet and to return to the Rebuild Center, leaving his ripe-smelling cargo in the back of the truck. He laughed when he said, “That was a major mistake!”
The next morning, when he opened the tailgate, he was greeted with a deluge of nasty water splashing over his jeans and boots, like Niagara Falls. Once his truck was unloaded and the soggy, nasty carpet dumped into the dumpster, John took another look at the humble little house he and his crew had helped repair. He thought of the multimillion-dollar homes that line the beaches of Venice, Florida. He thought of the people living there and in Spruce Pine, realizing that, in the end, the grandeur of your home, or lack thereof, is not important. What is important is your relationship with Father God, who prepares a heavenly mansion for His Believers. True that!
We leave in the morning at six for our long journey home to Gulfport. Joyce, Lyn, Sam, Christian, Andrew, Ethan, and I thank you for the privilege of representing our church and our God on this mission trip. If possible, please consider joining the team in late September or early November. The mountain air will be cool and sweet, the trees will be washed in yellow and orange, and the needy people of Spruce Pine will welcome you with open arms. If you come, you will truly be the hands and feet of Jesus, helping lead others into a lasting relationship with Him—loving and teaching in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Ponder this and go forth.
