Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
Pam Plunket is the West Virginia Mission Coordinator for the Aiken, South Carolina Baptist Association Mission Team.
She and a team of missionaries are in Marlinton this week doing work to aid those in need in our county.
There are 72 churches in the Aiken Baptist Association and 16 of those churches have representatives here for the week.
The 52-person mission team, which arrived in the county last Friday, is staying at Eaden in the Alleghenies in Huntersville.
The team came in a caravan of vehicles which included a 26-foot U-Haul loaded with clothes and food.
“Our association has been doing this work in Appalachia – Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia – for 12 years now,” Plunkett said.
The Southern Baptist North American Mission Board lists potential locations for mission trips and the area organizations choose the places they want to go.
“This is the sixth year that we’ve come to Pocahontas County, and we hope to be here again next year,” she added.
The group is hosting a daily clothing and food giveaway at Gazebo Park in downtown Marlinton.
They also hosted a children’s Bible School from 10 a.m. until noon, Monday, Thursday, for youngsters at the same location.
The theme for this year’s Bible School was “Athens,” referring to the Apostle Paul’s first mission trip to Athens, Greece.
“We have a Habitat crew that’s building a wheelchair ramp for a blind lady who lives near Huntersville,” Plunkett said.
“Then there’s a nursing home team that is ministering to the residents at Pocahontas Center.
“Rev. James Young and a young men’s ministry team are working with inmates at the men’s prison at Denmar.”
There will also be a team delivering lunches, hosting Bible study and crafting with the women inmates at the Denmar Birthing Center from Monday through Thursday.
The group enjoyed meeting and greeting people during the Pioneer Days festivities last weekend.
They won the “Queen’s Award” for the float they entered in the Pioneer Days Grand Parade on Saturday.
There will be a revival held by the missionaries at the Cooktown Baptist Church every evening at 7 p.m. through this Wednesday evening, July 17.
On Friday, July 19th, they are inviting everyone to a Block Party at the gazebo where they will be serving hamburgers and hotdogs from 6 to 8 p.m.
“There’ll be food, fellowship, singing and celebration,” Plunkett said.
“Everyone is invited, and anyone who would like to bring a guitar or join in the singing is more than welcome.”
“It’s a blessing for us to be able to meet people and to help them,” Plunkett added.
“We enjoy being here and sharing with others.”