Hello friends and family,

I am planning to head back to Jonestown, MS to volunteer with But God Ministries alongside Judson Baptist out of Nashville TN. For those of you who went to Maranatha back in the day, you may remember Janie and Tim Woodward. I will be volunteering with them.

I will tell you a little about Jonestown. In 2023, Jonestown, MS, had a population of 941, with a median age of 35.4 and a median household income of $20,900. The population is predominantly Black or African American (Non-Hispanic), making up 100% of the population. The town has a low percentage of foreign-born residents (0.0%) and a low percentage of households speaking a language other than English at home (0.0%). The homeownership rate is 37.3%, and the median property value is $60,300. Jonestown is also a food dessert, with with closest grocery store being greater than 30 min away. At the time of the last trip, they had a gas station and small mom/pop stores. Not really enough to serve the community. They have a small medical office and dental clinic staffed only by volunteers. The community of Jonestown was very kind and warm. They treated us like family

While in Jonestown, I had a opportunity to use some of my talents. I taught a cake decorating class. I also taught a bible study for elementary/middle school kids. Teaching is not really my gift, but God blessed my attempt and it worked out. I will be working with the community again this year with vacation bible school and in some other places as well.

I know that my request is coming to you very late. To be honest, I knew that It would be struggle to come up with the funds. I let this discourage me.

On a fun note, Jonestown recently won the opportunity to get their own baseball field. But get this, the kids in this town have never played baseball. I assume at some point they might be looking for someone to teach the local children how to play. It would be awesome for them to have their own Little League team.

The past year was awful with the loss of my dad and sister. It will be nice to be present and have the opportunity to have the focus off myself. If you would like to help me in my goal, please use the provided link to make a donation. The go fund me is to cover my flight to Nashville and stay at the But God ministries volunteer lodging facility. I will be driving from Nashville to Mississippi.