The best charity starts at home.
The Mid-Missouri Mission Team (3MT) performed mission work throughout the area last week after enlisting the help of local youths. The organization operates as a Christian service camp for teens throughout the state.
This year the organization received help from teens involved in churches from California, Russellville, Boonville and Fortuna. Mission work includes painting houses, staining building decks, cleaning yards, clearing brush, weed-eating and much more.
3MT President Sue Kohler and her late husband started the organization with a pastor from Tipton in 2005. Since then missionaries and members have worked tirelessly to help their communities and to create a fun faith-based atmosphere for local volunteers.
Kohler explained the organization invites youth groups to camp out at one of their many "host churches." This year one of 3MT's host churches is First Baptist Church in California. While there, volunteers make sure to bring air mattresses as they spend the week performing mission work and completing service projects in the area.
"(The volunteers) love serving people and one thing they look for when they are doing the service projects...(is) for people that they can share their faith with," Kohler said. "I think that's what that's what the whole goal of this is. Our theme this year is 'Love like Jesus' from John 15. So, more than just the service projects, we show our love through serving others. If they get a chance to share their faith with the homeowner or anybody else that they come in contact with, that's the most important thing."
With 65 missionaries making up the Mid-Missouri Team, helping hands are not hard to find. The organization currently has projects in California, Russellville and Versailles and will be attending to them during their service. Their hearts will always be on serving God as they work to offer assistance to the community and their neighbors, according to Kohler.
"One of our mottos is 'It's not about the paint...it's about God.' We want (the community)," Kohler said, "to know that we're trying to love them and others through service projects."