A Reflection on the Frakes, Kentucky Mission

          Since the 1980s Trinity has had a close relationship with the Frakes, Kentucky community in the economically depressed Appalachian area on the Kentucky -Tennessee border. We have sent numerous mission teams to work with residents under the auspices of the Henderson Settlement. Typically, teams have left Smithfield on Sundays after receiving a special blessing from the minister and spent the following week in Frakes working on various projects to help improve the quality of life for community residents. Our team coordinator, a role knowledgeably handled by Simns Jacquette on most of our trips, has worked with the Henderson Settlement to plan the projects we will work on long before the trip. Supplies needed for the projects have been paid for by Trinity and are ordered and shipped to Frakes prior to our arrival. While mission team members may work in a variety of roles , we mostly renovate and upgrade housing including building steps from the yard to the house, installing indoor plumbing where none had existed before, repairs of all kinds, building needed additions, and similar projects. We serve on these mission teams as a way we can help those in need and we do get a benefit from this ourselves. We develop an awareness and better understanding of others and their needs and we gain a measure of self satisfaction in knowing we may have made a difference in their lives. -Carolyn and Mickey Stallings