Appalachia, VA Transformation Trip
After many months of preparation and planning, our Evangelism Transformation Team journeyed to a little town called Appalachia. This beautiful town is nestled in the foothills of Southwest Virginia.
While the team consisted of many Aglow women, feeling the nudge to ‘expand’, the team made connections with a team from The Mid Tidewater Baptist Association, where 37 Churches from Northern Virginia connected twice a year to the Appalachia region for ministry and outreach. They had their own doctors and dentists, too.
The team stayed at the Hampton Inn in Norton, Virginia, which was conveniently located only 6 miles from Appalachia. The goal of the team was to share the Gospel while the Railroad Coal Days Festival was taking place on Friday and Saturday.
There were many opportunities for prayer as the team handed out gift bags filled with emergency supply items, as well as pamphlets about Aglow, Human Trafficking, and Emergency Preparedness. Items included mini battery-powered flashlights, hand warmers, tissues, New Testament pocket Bibles, snacks, toothbrushes, hand sanitizers, and Neosporin. Special little bags for the children included crayons, socks, combs, and toothbrushes.
Not only did we pray at the event, but we were also able to pray with many who were staying in the same hotel. One man was particularly interested in who we were and what we were doing. Eventually he asked for prayer for his eyes as his doctor said he had macular degeneration. Another time, as we were debriefing, he found us in the breakfast area and asked for prayer again.
At the event in Appalachia, we had a beautiful tent that was red, white, and blue. We had a special banner that was attached to it that read, Need Prayer Stop Here – Aglow International. God was so good to us as people helped us set up the tent as well as take it down. We never lacked a thing as God supplied every need.
Our Aglow team included Jennifer Hartman, NC State Prayer Coordinator; Mary Royster, VA State Prayer Coordinator; Sarah Ruble, from NC; Eileen Flenner, Delmarva Area Team President; Deborah House, from Maryland; Rita Chandler, VP on the W Central/SW VA Area Team; Priscilla Weaver, WV Area Team President; Sarah Weaver, VP on WV Area Team and President of the Weston, WV Lighthouse; and Susan St.Clair, part of the VA W Central/SW Area Team and President of the Roanoke Neighborhood Lighthouse.
As the team debriefed, we felt God’s approval as we went to those in need. Ideas began to come forth as we considered going back next year. What if we set up a children’s face painting section that allowed us to have more time with parents? We are so excited and are planning on partnering with the Mid Tidewater Baptist Association when they go to Kentucky in December.
While this story of the outreach doesn’t have all the reports of prayers that took place, we know that we will see the fruit of our being there in the coming years. God is faithful to watch over His Word when it goes out. Please let us hear from you so we can share what your Aglow groups are doing as you reach out with the Gospel in your community through the assignments God gives you. Follow those nudges! When He calls us to go, He provides!