Thu, Jan 08 2009
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Published June 23, 2008 09:58 am - God’s Call to Jewell, Kan. The Oskaloosa Herald OSKALOOSA — June 8, 2008, 39 high schoolers and 12 sponsors set out for a life-changing week in Jewell, Kan. The Youth Group from First Christian Reformed Church in Oskaloosa spent four days cleaning farm yards and acres of wheat fields after an EF3 tornado went through Mitchell and Jewell counties on May 29.
The Youth Group gained experience in natural disaster clean-up when they went to Biloxi, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina as well as previous trips to Kentucky and Colorado. The group had planned their trip for Greensburg, Kan., this year to help build houses after an EF5 tornado devastated the town in May of 2007, but the Lord had better plans for this group. Russell Plate, the group leader, received a call from Greensburg on June 3, asking if they would be willing to help in Jewell. Six months of planning was redone in five days. The question of where will they stay was easily answered. God put everything into place, of course. The church’s youth elder, Leon DeGroot, contacted Russell Groenendyk at Dispatch CRC in Jewell County, Kan. Dispatch is just 23 miles from Jewell and was found to have a servant’s heart. The doors of Dispatch CRC were opened and Oskaloosa’s Youth Group was greeted with a potluck dinner upon arrival. The Dispatch Youth Group didn’t have a Serve project planned for this year and now they knew why. God kept them home to serve Oskaloosa First CRC. The group enjoyed fine dining one evening and a bonfire under the big Kansas sky another evening. Bonds between the youth groups were made that will last a lifetime. God was calling the Oskaloosa First CRC Youth Group to Jewell and He knew that this group of Midwestern farm kids could handle anything. The work wasn’t always easy. Many hours were spent walking through wheat fields and picking up items as small as a precious diamond necklace and as large as parts of buildings. However, when you can witness to a victim that has lost everything material and their depression turns to hope, you know you have answered God’s Call. 
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