FCA rewarded on Joplin mission

When 13 members of Cape Girardeau Central High School's Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter attended a conference in Branson, Mo., in November, they didn't just convene with their peers, they went on a mission.

Since Branson is close to Joplin, Mo., and Webb City, Mo. -- where the Central High School football team was coincidentally playing the state semifinals against Webb City that weekend -- FCA faculty sponsor Scott Sanders called to find out what might need doing in the city that is still suffering the effects of the May 2011 tornado.

The local FCA and Home Sweet Homes USA, a Webb City not-for-profit organization, found each other.

Marcella Claar, office administrator and volunteer coordinator with Home Sweet Homes, said her organization had been working with John and Roxanne Ness. A five-bedroom Webb City home was donated to Home Sweet Homes that was the right size for the Ness family, but needed refurbishing, so the FCA and the project were matched.

Claar said Home Sweet Homes mostly works with seniors 62 and older and are "wounded warriors."

"Most of the families that we work with, we're kind of their last resort in getting work done, or saving their home from being foreclosed or condemned," she said. "With wounded warriors, we try to make their home handicapped accessible."

Along with having their home destroyed, the Nesses and two of their grandchildren, for whom they are permanently caring, were hurt in the tornado, their daughter is terminally ill with stage 4 cancer, according to information from Home Sweet Homes.

The Nesses also did not have insurance to rebuild and were renting an apartment too small for the family. Most of the students helped gut the house, while others did construction work on another Joplin home.

"Lots of groups literally had turned down the work these guys chose to do," said Sanders, who also teaches math. " ... They were willing not only to do it, but get after it. They didn't turn down the job. It wasn't too messy for them and they worked hard."

The students said the experience will stay with them for a long time.

"It kind of reminded me that I take things for granted and we're lucky to have what we have," said junior Afton Brown.

Kylee Stevenson, a sophomore, wrote to the Southeast Missourian that she enjoyed seeing the smile on John Ness's face while they were working on the house. Temperatures while they were in Joplin were in the 30s and it was windy.

"While I was suffering in the cold," Stevenson wrote, "it [reminded] me why I was doing it. I'm so thankful that Christ has led Home Sweet Homes Inc. to the man in need."

Senior Jonah Roop said his take-away from the experience was to try and have joy in everything you do, "whether it's shoveling trash or doing something you enjoy" -- although he didn't mind his chore.

For the rehab project, Roop said John Ness insisted the group write their names on the 2 by 4s and framing.

"He said we made our mark," Roop said.

"I thought it was a good experience just doing that," he added. "It was definitely rewarding to see his [John Ness's] reaction to us being there. You could just tell he was happy."

When you serve others, junior Paige Messerli wrote, you don't realize how much they are actually helped until it's all "done and over.

"I learned that, to many people, even a smile can help change a day. It was interesting to see what just a few hours of one's day can change. We take time so often for granted and never think we could do something this impactful at our age," Messerli wrote.

Jazmin Faulkner, a junior, worked on the home construction project and wrote that it helped her grow as a person and a Christian. It also taught her to be thankful for what she has now, because "you never know how quickly it can be taken away from you."

Central High School's FCA chapter tries to be an avenue for students to share their faith, and live it out "to reach their classmates, teammates, coaches and the community," Sanders said.

The theme of the conference members attended was "Sold Out," meaning selling out to Christ's ways, Messerli said.

FCA tries to take part in service projects two or three times a year, but usually only one the size of the November project. Since the group doesn't get funding from the school, community donations helped keep the cost of the trip down, Sanders said.

"Hopefully in the spring, we can find something closer. This took a day and a half of missing school," Sanders added.

Sponsors also included math teacher Rachel Sprandel and Shamira Ulrich, of the Preparing for Academic Success program. Preparing for Academic Success is designed to support incoming freshman in making a smooth academic and social transition to high school, according to a past Southeast Missourian article.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

1000 S. Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.