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August
 2014 Updates
Thank you to our fantastic 
Summer Staff and volunteers!!

This summer we had a great team of 16 Summer Staff serving in Tuskegee and Livingston. These stellar college students (and graduates) from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia, and Texas came ready to serve! Over the summer they worked with over 320 volunteers.  

 

Day Camp: 

Between the two sites, our staff and volunteers served 50 kids ages 5-10 at Sonshine Kids Day Camp. During the six weeks of camp, they led the kids on a journey of learning and growing. They played games, read together, made cool crafts, and taught about Jesus' love for us.  

 

Home Repair:

In Livingston, our volunteers worked on 10 homes and one church in Geiger that was affected by tornadoes. In Tuskegee, we worked with 6 families, as well as renovating Tuskegee Methodist Church and the Maple Street house that ARM hopes to rent out in the future.

 

We want to give a huge thank you to all the 2014 Summer Staff!!

 

 

Tuskegee STAFF:

 

Mariana Correa, site leader

Callie Stiles, construction coordinator

Leo Gonzalez, construction coordinator

Joseph Farris, construction coordinator

Becky Dean, day camp coordinator

Merveille Sul, day camp coordinator

Paige Pritchett, day camp coordinator

 

Livingston STAFF:

 

Betsy Boggs, site leader

Evan Pergrim, construction coordinator

Zach Abrams, construction coordinator

Mat Halvorson, construction coordinator 

Jerilynn White, day camp coordinator 

Lauranne Lynch, day camp coordinator

Sydney Moon, day camp coordinator

Rebecca Schuster, day camp coordinator  

Gregory Turner, day camp coordinator

 

This summer wouldn't have been possible without you! 

Sonshine Kids Day Camp Story
Becky Dean served with ARM this summer as Day Camp Captain at our Tuskegee site. Here she shares a bit about her incredible experience...

This summer I had the opportunity to work with the Sonshine Kids Day Camp. 
 
Engaging with the day camp kids came with its own set of challenges. There were always crafts to prepare, Bible lessons to plan, and scraped knees to bandage. Kids would say things like, "When is it time for snack? I'm hungry!" or "I really like today. Painting is fun!" or "Miss Becky, can you help me read this book?" Whether it was the innocent curiosity or the sweet sincerity of their desire to learn, these kids stole my heart. Yes, there were difficult moments, there were tears and frustrations, but we worked through them together. 

 
One of the most special things you will ever see is kids learning from their mistakes and growing in love and maturity. This summer, working in Tuskegee gave me the opportunity to witness just that. From planting flowers in the backyard, to running out all our energy during recreation time, to learning to wait our turn for the science experiment, the 24 children at Sonshine Kids Day Camp learned and played together. They sang as one the joyful songs about fruits of the spirit and being "rooted" in God's love for us. 
At McWane Science Center for our field trip
Sonshine Kids Day Camp is different from other camps in that we focus not only on educational goals, but on spiritual growth. The kids see Christ in practical ways, developing leadership skills and confidence in articulating their faith. On our last day of camp I thought, I want these kids to remember this summer. My hope is that they will have a brighter future because of our camp, that they will know that God's love for them is unconditional, and that they realize the great potential they have in life. 

 
I will never forget the summer I had hanging out with this crazy silly bunch of children. And I hope they never forget the unique experience they had with Alabama Rural Ministry. 
Introducing two new staff members!

Recently we've been privileged to welcome two new staff to Alabama Rural Ministry's team. We are very excited to have both Joe and John working with us!

 

Joe Davis is our new Director of Ministry Operations. Joe is a native of Sumter County where ARM began, was president of the Auburn Wesley Foundation while a student, and served on the ARM summer staff in 2005 as a construction coordinator. He has a degree in wireless engineering, a Master's of Divinity from Palmer Seminary, and is completing another Master's in International Development from Eastern University. In his new role, Joe will oversee the day to day ministry of ARM. Joe is married to Cassie Simpson Davis and they have an 11-month-old daughter named Isla. He has been with us for two weeks now, and already has been a great asset to our team.  

 

John Talmage is our 
new Construction Coordinator. John attended Auburn University's school of engineering, and has 27 years of experience as an independent contractor. He worked with Taas Construction in Atlanta for 10 years, and has experience managing large construction renovation projects in Athens, Georgia, and Richmond, Virginia. John moved to Auburn in 2012 with his wife Kim and 5 kids. He currently does work with Presbyterian Community Ministry and started working with ARM at the beginning of the summer. We are very blessed to have John serving with us. 

 

Please join us in welcoming both Joe and John! 

AU Honors College K(no)w Poverty Week
A group of 52 A.U. Honors College freshmen joined us for two days of service as a part of their inaugural K(no)w Poverty Week. They arrived on campus a week early to learn about poverty in rural Alabama and to get their hands dirty serving! They worked hard on three sites in the Tuskegee area and with one family in Camp Hill. After their two days of service, our executive director, Lisa Pierce, presented a lecture to the students describing the difference between true service and self-righteous service. What an incredible way to begin your Auburn student experience! We are so thankful to Dr. Ken Thomas and the entire A.U. Honors College staff for partnering with us for this very special event. We look forward to serving alongside the Honors College in the future. 

Super Mission Saturday with 
Auburn Wesley Foundation

This past Saturday, August 23, we had a great day of service with Auburn Wesley Foundation. All day these 24 students and leaders from Auburn University partnered with ARM to serve at 4 different sites in Lee and Macon Counties. Here is a brief summary of the amazing work these volunteers completed! 

 

Laid flooring and hung drywall at Tuskegee United Methodist Church

 

 

 

Cleared part of the roof and sealed exterior walls at our Maple Street house

 

 

Hung siding and worked on finishing drywall inside a family's home

 

 

Replaced windows and fixed a hole in the roof at a family's home

   

 

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped serve!

Save the Date...for ARM's 
upcoming events!

As we enter into this fall, many people are gearing up to go back to school. At ARM, we are gearing up for upcoming Mission Work Days, Poverty Awareness Week, and much more in the next few months.  

Check out our upcoming events to see how  

you can serve with us!

  

Community Work Day: September 13    

    Come join us on a Saturday as we work on several projects in Lee and Macon counties in conjunction with Cornerstone Church, Auburn Wesley Foundation, Auburn United Methodist Church and Pi Kappa Phi.

  

My Jerusalem: October 11 

    ARM will be collaborating with The Way 2 Serve Ministries for this one-day service event in the Auburn/Opelika area. Way 2 Serve says, "This an opportunity for the Body of Christ to come together to rebuild walls and restore people, as in Nehemiah 2:17. There will be multiple ways to serve including home repairs, painting, yard work, block parties, sharing the Gospel, compassion visits."

   

Poverty Awareness Week: October 18 - 25

    Throughout this week ARM will be putting on several luncheons at Auburn University on different topics regarding rural poverty. Our director Lisa Pierce will be living in the "shack" to raise awareness about the housing gap in rural Alabama. Stop by the Auburn Wesley Foundation to visit her and talk about how to help address poverty in your town!


 

October 25: Make a Difference Day in Tuskegee

     Make a Difference Day is the largest national day of community service. ARM is joining millions of volunteers across the U.S. in serving those in need, specifically with the home repair aspect. 

  

Please keep Alabama Rural Ministry in your prayers as we start our fall ministry!
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P.O. Box 2890 Auburn, AL. 36831
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