Mountains, Mission, and Meaning: FUMCA Youth Serve in the Smokies

Earlier this month, the youth of First United Methodist Church of Alexandria traded familiar surroundings for the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and returned home with far more than memories. Partnering with LIVE-IT Ministries, students and adult leaders spent a week serving others while discovering that mission is less about accomplishing our plans and more about joining God in what God is already doing.

The journey itself became part of the adventure. After departing Alexandria with a church potluck sendoff, the group made its way north with games, music, and laughter filling the cars. Along the way, they explored the Lost Sea Adventure in Sweetwater, Tennessee, descending into Craighead Caverns and taking a boat ride across America’s largest underground lake before arriving at their cabin near Gatlinburg, ready for a week of ministry and fellowship.

One of the week’s most memorable days was spent serving Fr. Rafael and Rev. Patti Ortiz, retired Episcopal clergy who had devoted decades to caring for others. Through LIVE-IT Ministries, the FUMCA team helped haul gravel and complete yard work around their home. The FUMCA youth approached the work with such joy and determination that the couple was moved to tears. Their gratitude eventually led them to make a gift that will help scholarship a future student for a mission trip. One act of love inspired another; a reminder that the Kingdom of God grows through simple acts of grace in ways no one can predict.

Another day brought the team to the home of Martha, an 82-year-old widow who had not welcomed guests into her home in four years. There, FUMCA youth power washed her house, stained her front porch, trimmed hedges, cleaned inside, and tackled countless projects. Yet perhaps the greatest gift they offered was simply their presence. Through conversation, laughter, and companionship, they brought joy and encouragement to someone who had spent much of the last several years in isolation.

Youth Director Carly Bratcher reflected that the ministry extended far beyond physical labor.

“We ministered to Ms. Martha with our presence,” she said. “She was so happy to see us, and we were so happy to help.”

Perhaps the greatest lesson of the week came when plans unexpectedly changed. Arriving at Ms. Mary’s home, the team discovered that a professional lawn crew had already completed much of the work they had expected to do. Instead of forcing their own agenda, the group adapted. Concerned that the expense might burden Mary, a member of the team quietly paid for the lawn service so she would not have to.

Before leaving, the group gathered to pray over Mary, her property, and the workers who had completed the job. Among those present was a young man named Andrew. Moved by the prayers and the spirit of compassion he witnessed, Andrew approached the ministry leaders and offered to become a volunteer with LIVE-IT Ministries himself. What appeared at first to be a disruption became a reminder that God’s plans are often better than our own.

Throughout the week, the group experienced moments of joy and adventure that strengthened friendships and built community. Shared meals around the table, including an evening of homemade tacos prepared by FUMCA Senior Pastor Rev. Kennon Pickett, late-night games, laughter during haircuts at a small-town barbershop, and even a memorable encounter with a very large black bear in the driveway of the cabin became stories that will be retold for years. The youth also embraced adventure together, navigating the Class III and IV rapids of the Pigeon River with courage and plenty of splashes and smiles before later hiking to Midnight Hole in North Carolina, where they cooled off with a swim surrounded by the beauty of the mountains.

Along with countless conversations in between, these experiences revealed another truth: Christian community is formed not only through service but through shared life. These young people returned home with memories and friendships, but perhaps they brought back something even more valuable—a deeper understanding that every person matters, every act of kindness has eternal significance, and that God often does God’s most meaningful work in moments we never planned. Through it all, leaders witnessed something deeper than projects completed or memories made.

Rev. Kennon Pickett said the students represented First United Methodist Church of Alexandria with humility, compassion, hard work, and joy. “In a world that often focuses on what is broken in the next generation, I witnessed what is beautiful, hopeful, and holy about this one,” he said.

The mountains provided a beautiful backdrop, but perhaps the greatest lesson of all was simple: mission is not merely a trip we take. It is a way of life.

God’s work is often found in unexpected places—in conversations around a dinner table, in prayers shared with strangers, in laughter after a hard day’s work, and in acts of kindness that inspire still more kindness. And while the week in Tennessee has come to an end, the work God began in these young Christians is only just beginning.

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