La Romana, Dominican Republic
June 2010 [view application and information]

This year’s mission trip will be to the Dominican Republic where we’ve been going for almost 20 years. The trip will take place June 18, 2010 through June 28. Due to all the fundraising the youth have done over the past few years, the total cost of the trip will be just $750 per person (which is crazy low since the total cost per person is approx. $1,000+). Great job fund raising guys and gals!
• $400 will be due with the application on or before December 15, 2009
• $350 due April 25, 2010.
See the information packet and application.

History
It all began back in 1987...prayers were said, land was purchased, more prayers were said, and construction began. "Construction" consisted of digging holes in the rough, coral-rock ground to make a home for the footings that would, a decade later, hold up a two-story hospital. With total and complete support from churches in the United States, little by little, the hospital took shape. On November 9, 1997 the doors of the Good Samaritan General Hospital were opened. The following year, the "Good Sam" provided medical service to 10,000 people, despite their ability to pay. Today, this figure has quadrupled! In 2002, an estimated 48,000 people, including those living in the bateys, have received medical care, ranging from minor infections, to life-saving surgeries.
Today, about 25 to 30 American groups travel from all over the US and Canada to come and work. There are two focuses of these teams- medical and construction, and often times, both. Construction teams labor on various projects. The most obvious is the ongoing hospital project. Currently, as of December 2005, the second floor is about two-thirds complete. Tile has been laid on the floor, walls have been painted and many of the offices are completed but several more patient rooms and offices need wood trim, wiring and plumbing to be complete. The second floor is home to the pediatric center, private patient rooms and consultation rooms. In the spring of 2004, the hospital completed it's new dialysis unit, providing care for up to 6 persons at a time, thanks to donated dialysis units from Texas and the hard work of construction teams to complete the dialysis room. We are now the only hospital east of Santo Domingo providing dialysis care. Another project is the renovation of the dormitory and dining hall. A group from Lisbon, ND began the renovation in November of 2005 and many of the groups of 2006 will continue building a second story onto the current facility. This is where work groups, such as ours, eat and sleep.
Depending on the need in a particular location, some groups work in a bateys, either building or repairing a school/church. These things are vital to the growth and advancement of both the people living in the batey, and to the Kingdom of God.
You may be thinking-What can I do??? Good news!!! You don't need to be an expert at anything. You don't need a degree. All you need are kind hands and a willing heart- all the rest are just details. Work projects vary from painting, shoveling sand/gravel, mixing and pouring cement, laying tile, cleaning debris, and oh, so much more...There may also be trade work for those with special talents in a particular area, depending on what project is currently underway.
Being part of a construction team is fun, but it is also hard work. You may get fatigued and a little hot now and then, and maybe even a little sore, but it is worth every second. The reward is far greater...
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Col 3:23,24

Long Beach Mississippi
June 2008

Continuing reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina, we worked with the Site Manager of the Presbytery of Mississippi Disaster Recovery Project responding to work orders from churches, their members and residents of the community. Skills of volunteers on site, the weather, availability of material and other factors played into the decision regarding the specific jobs teams worked on during the stay. Work orders include moving debris, ripping out drywall, removing roofing shingles and carting them to the curb, re-roofing houses, hanging drywall, mudding and sanding drywall, painting, moving furniture, and more. [view infopacket]

Some pictures taken in Long Beach. Fairmount was joined this year by the youth of St. Cuthberts Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas (Britney Maxwell, our previous Young Adult Co-ordinator is now their Youth Director).

left: glad they weren't caught by Kurt for the obligatory "sleeping on the bus" pictures.
right: arrival in Long beach at 7:41 AM on Saturday.

The 2008 Fairmount Mission Team

Getting to work on Monday AM

Britney Maxwell doing something with a shovel.

left: students from Saint Cuthbert's Episocapal Church in Houston, TX.
right: Brendan smiling and in the kitchen..

Dominican Republic
June 2007

The youth groups (CHEER and God Squad) along with their advisors headed to the Dominican Republic for seven days in mid-June helping with building of the Good Samaritan Hospital along with the mission of the Haitian Missionary Baptist Church Marantha. We were joined by youth and adults from across the country, totaling 44 people.  During the week we hammered, pulled nails, move a pharmacy, transported rocks and concrete, painted, poured a concrete roof (using a unique blue epoxy), and learned the basics of power tools.  We had devotions in small groups each evening.  We also spent hours on a non air conditioned school bus without shocks or any type of comfortable seats as we were transported around the country.  We got three levels of a four level human pyramid completed.  Some of our participants came home a bit sick… but all in all the trip was a huge success!  This is just small snapshot of our week. While in La Romana, the poverty became personal. We saw major health problems and enormous needs. We also met warm, caring individuals who have suffered greatly, individually and as a community. And, who welcomed us like family.  At the end of the trip, those that went remember Junior, Moises, Michael, and others.  We remember the building we helped break ground on in 1987 and we look at a hospital that we can truly say we helped build.  This trip is a wonderful way to get to know other members of our church and to get to make friends abroad.  If you’re interested in getting involved in the future, please contact our Youth Director Kurt Zitzner at 216-321-5800 or email him at kzitzner@fairmountchurch.org.

Long Beach Mississippi
June 2006

The senior high youth group was in Long Beach for eight days in mid-June helping with the hurricane recovery effort. We were joined by youth and adults from Church of the Covenant, totaling 54 people. This was the first disaster relief experience for either youth group. During the week we hammered, framed homes, wrapped, painted, insulated, dry walled, installed windows and doors, roofed, cleared debris, and learned the basics of power tools. We also worked at Katrina’s Kitchen, an ecumenical soup kitchen, serving around 3,000 meals each day. We stayed at a church whose Session, in one meeting, switched the congregation from a local church to a mission church serving relief groups from all over the United States. We had devotions led by a different group each evening. On the return trip, we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. We also spent over 40 hours on a motor coach. This is a small snapshot of our week.

While in Mississippi, the disaster became personal. We saw vast destruction and enormous needs. We also met warm, caring individuals who have suffered greatly, individually and as a community. And, who welcomed us like family – sharing their stories, sharing their hopes and dreams for a devastated community, sharing lemonade and popsicles and ice cream cakes. You may know the hurricane by the name “Katrina,” but we know it as Pam, Justin, Ann, Kenny G., Sue, Don, Gary, Sunshine, Terry, and Chris.

Middle School Mission Blitz - "Rock the Boat"
July 2006

The middle school mission blitz participants spent the week of July 16-22 in Ashtabula, Ohio with other youth from the Presbytery of the Western Reserve. This was the first Fairmount mission trip for middle school students. They dealt with heat, humidity, poverty, physical labor, and difficult personalities in the work place. They taught vacation bible school to 60 some day care center youngsters, did gardening and painting for homeowners who could not do this work alone, and were featured in an article in the Ashtabula newspaper!

Nothing rattled our young "missionaries." They enjoyed the camaraderie of other Christian youth representing six other Presbyterian churches throughout the Western Reserve, were revitalized each morning and evening by action-packed "energizers", learned new songs, sang some old standards, participated in small group Bible discussion, and discussed how they now look and see the world through different eyes.

The theme of the mission blitz was: "Rock the boat." Our boat was surely rocked, even more than once; but, we have smoothly sailed, and sailed, and sailed.