The Hands and Feet of Christ in Burnsville

by Brett MacDonald

This July I joined twelve EYC students and six adult parishioners from Church of the Good Shepherd (CGS) on a mission trip to Burnsville, North Carolina, for hurricane relief work. Going into the week, I was anxious. I didn’t really know anyone going very well and was nervous about working closely with a new group for an entire week. On top of that, I was asked to help lead spiritual reflections and activities for the youth. While I’ve worked with teenagers for the past two years and led mission trips before, those trips were with kids I already knew and with whom I’d built social capital. This time was different and teenagers can be intimidating. Would they like me? Think I was funny? Or “cool” enough to be worth listening to? If not, it was going to be a longgg week.

However, the moment I walked into the Ennis Suite, my anxiety began to melt. I was greeted by a dozen friendly faces, each introducing themselves and telling me how glad they were that I’d be part of the team. That hospitality, present in the first moments, became the heartbeat of our week together.

From Monday through Friday, we worked to help a woman named Linda, who had lost her house in Hurricane Helene. Our task was to help build an addition to her daughter’s house, so Linda could have a space of her own. When we arrived, only the foundation and walls were up. By the end of the week, we had carried heavy roof trusses up a steep hill, framed and decked the roof with plywood, laid shingles, and built a front porch. Every day was hard work under a hot summer sun, but each nail driven, each shingle, each deck hole set, felt like a small act of love.

Evenings were filled with laughter and connection. As a group we played cards, various games outdoors with the volleyball, went for a swim at a beautiful mountain swimming hole, and even partook an escape room. Those moments of joy were as important as the work itself, as they allowed us to grow closer and closer together as a community.

For me, the week became a living parable of what it means to be the Body of Christ. In Scripture, we hear again and again that loving God cannot be separated from loving our neighbor. Service is not an optional extra. Rather, it is the shape of Christian discipleship. Jesus himself “came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45), and he tells us that when we serve others, we are serving him (Matthew 25:40). Throughout the week, we, as a collective group, learned that the gospel is something you live with your hands, as much as you speak with your lips. This was the Church at its best: young people and adults, laughing and sweating together, giving ourselves away in love.

Others on the trip shared similar reflections. Dan Harris, our senior warden, remarked:
“I enjoyed getting to know Chris, our construction foreman, a Southern Baptist from Missouri, and learning how much we all had in common.”

Ginger Harris reflected on both the youth and the impact of the work:
“These kids are amazing, and if anyone has the chance to do anything with the EYC group, they should do it! And it was amazing to see how much this meant to Linda and her daughter…they were genuinely moved that people would give up time in the summer to help them.”

For EYC student Allison Elliot, the week was a blend of service and joy:
“Our mission trip to western North Carolina was so incredible! We served our community, learned some new skills, made lots and lots of fun memories, and got to experience being the hands and feet of Jesus. Between playing cards, almost slipping down the big hill while playing spud, solving an escape room, and jamming out in the car—we had some fun! I definitely want to go on another mission trip!”

Her sister, EYC student Isabel Elliot, echoed that joy:
“This year’s mission trip was such an incredible and rewarding experience. One of my favorite memories was learning how to shingle a roof (shoutout to Mr. Edward), and playing card games in the evening with our friends. I am so grateful for the opportunity I was given to learn many new things, meet new people, and share the joy of Christ.”

Overall, mission trips are never just about the projects we complete. Instead, they are about the relationships formed, the faith deepened, and the witness we bear together to the love of Christ. Burnsville reminded us that when we offer ourselves in service, God uses even our smallest acts to build up God’s kingdom here on earth.

Learn more about our trip here