11 Aug Pine Tree Brigade

We ended our “summer” brigades by hosting the Pine Tree Church out of Longview, Texas. The Paris Church of Christ joined them this year along with a few others from surrounding churches. This year the group consisted of 64 people. They had a team working with our DESEO program, conducting a VBS in schools, and teaching basketball skills in the afternoon. There was also a team that focused on a construction project in one of our schools. They were able to complete a cesspool so that the school could have functioning bathrooms, as well as pour a concrete floor for one of their classrooms. The impact of the project will last for many generations. The biggest group of the team conducted a medical brigade in a community by the name of Candelaria. This community is the focus of our church planting team for a future church. The group provided medical consults, medications, eyeglasses, and much needed dental work. They also took photos of families, printed, and laminated the photos for the families to take home. The medical and dental needs were great, but the thing that brought the most joy was the gift of the family photo, something most families rarely have the resources to purchase. This team was able to see 1079 individuals during their medical brigade. We have a special place in our hearts for the Pine Tree Church of Christ. They have been with us, financially and personally, since the beginning.