UMCL Adult Mission Trip in Greenfield, Iowa: Reflections on Gratitude

A group of adults from UMCL traveled from Libertyville to Greenfield, Iowa, in April 2026 to help residents still rebuilding after the 2024 tornado tore through their town. We're so grateful we got to send this dedicated group to support the ongoing recovery efforts and share God's love through hands-on service. One of our first-time trip participants, Valerie Parker, shared what the experience was really like, and it's worth reading:

Are you in need of an activity that will transform you? One that leaves you feeling humbled, thankful, educated, cared for, and amazed, all at once? If so, the Adult Mission Trip might be exactly what you're looking for.

I was a "first timer" on the Adult Mission Trip to Greenfield, Iowa, this past April. Trip information was expertly documented: who was going, who was driving, accommodations, meal schedules, projects for the folks of Greenfield, and what to bring. Everything, that is, except the overwhelming feeling of how thankful the residents were for the gift of our presence to help them.

What began for me as a simple "Sure, I can help with painting and carpentry for five days" became an amazing gift of hope and love our team brought to the town. It was so much more than painting and carpentry.

We heard about people who had been buried under the tornado-created rubble of their own homes. We worked on a house that had gone an entire winter without siding or drywall while the owner ran a daycare inside it. We heard how the tornado had demolished the town's fire station.

Members of four different town churches fed us home-cooked lunches and dinners. And mostly, we listened—a lot.

And not once — not once — did I hear a person from that town feel sorry for themselves. Not once did I hear "why did this happen to us" or "how will we ever finish all this work." They all felt blessed. They all felt thankful.

What a lesson for those of us who think we're the more fortunate ones. Are we really? I'd rather recognize how blessed we all are, and that I was blessed to have the time and the heart to share my limited carpentry skills to improve someone else's life. (And honestly, I picked up a lot more carpentry skills while I was there than I brought with me!)

I will definitely be going on the next Adult Mission Trip. Won't you please join me for this amazing opportunity?