It may seem unusual for a church mission group based in St. Louis, Missouri to help people in Oxford, Mississippi. But that's exactly what the Acts 1:8 Mission Society has done, and is still doing. "Our work has no boundaries," says group director Pastor Randy Wilken. "We try to find people who have fallen through the cracks and help them, wherever they are."A former contractor, Wilken and about a dozen or so teenagers find homes in need of repair and rebuild them. In the process, they also rebuild lives and families. "It's really more about creating community and fostering families," says Wilken.
The group got to Mississippi almost by accident. They were headed to a national Lutheran youth gathering in New Orleans, and saw that Oxford was about halfway. They contacted the local church, Peace Lutheran, and asked for a place to stay the night. The group has now been back to Oxford four times since that first visit in July 2010.
Now, the group is trying to raise money to do its work in South Africa. They are distributing a CD/DVD which includes South African Themba singers, singing together with American recording artist Erin Bode.
You can find information on Acts 1:8 and the DVD by clicking here.
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