Reflection of the Kentucky Mission Trip

Over the past 25 years, we’ve been blessed to join many mission trips. Our recent trip to Corbin, Kentucky, however, was extra special because we co-led the team and brought our 10-year-old grandson for his first mission trip.

While we relied on our experience to prepare for the manual work, prayer was the foundation of our preparation. We prayed for the grace to handle any unexpected challenges we might face and asked God to protect us from distractions that could hinder our service. We prayed for the team’s unity, safety, and effectiveness, and that we would all grow in our appreciation of God’s grace and love. Our prayers extended to the people we would meet and that we would reflect Jesus’s love. We  prayed specifically for our grandson, the only child on the trip, that his experience would be joyful, meaningful, and beneficial to the work. We continued to pray daily that God would meet the needs of our team and of those served on this trip.

Our prayers were answered in abundance! We were warmly welcomed and treated with such love by our hosts. The team grew closer, supporting one another through challenges, which truly showed the power of the Holy Spirit. Our grandson was lovingly embraced by each team member and he had a wonderful experience.

A particularly memorable part of our trip was meeting with Scarlette Jasper with CBF and Hannah Reeder. Their dedication to service and their testimonies left a lasting impression on us. They reminded us of the joy in focusing on others’ needs and how the Lord makes a way where there seems to be none. Their work inspired us to ‘think big’ and gave us a strong desire to return and help.

Reflecting on the trip, we are filled with gratitude and prayerful thanks. We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve, for the unity and love that grew among our team, and for the spiritual growth we witnessed in our grandson. We are thankful for a team of adults who were patient and loving with each other and a ten-year-old.
As we look ahead, we pray for another chance to return to Kentucky, and we want to encourage others to experience the joy of serving on a Snyder Mission Team. This amazing experience was truly a testament to God’s provision and the power of prayer.

-Carolyn Cannady