22 Students Participate in Short-Term Mission Work

Story by Angela Peach

Spring Valley Academy (SVA) has long believed in the importance of mission trips. This academic year, students will have the opportunity to take a mission trip to Kenya in Spring 2025, with the possibility of two more international mission trips during that same period. But this past summer, Chaplain Joel Greve led a group on a mission trip much closer to home.

Twenty-two students and nine adults served in LaFollette, Tenn. Jack Hunt, former SVA teacher, helped to coordinate service opportunities in the local area. Don Shull (’92), current PE teacher and SVA alumnus, and Greve led the group, and alumna Paulette Bair (’73) provided the food. Other parents, alumni and community members rounded out the adult leadership team with their expertise and enthusiasm.

After worshipping with the local LaFollette church on Sabbath, the group ran a VBS program Sunday through Thursday. Students led song service throughout the week and brought energy and enthusiasm to the children’s programming.

The group took on other projects in addition to the VBS program. They expanded one of the Sabbath School classrooms, built a firepit and redid the landscaping on the side of the church. Greve and his wife, Kenyon, led a group out to Camp Galilee, a summer camp for underserved youth. There, the SVA group cleaned bathrooms, cabins and other spaces. They weeded the lakefront, pressure washed steps and helped with a variety of other projects.

In addition to a lot of hard work, there were also opportunities to worship and enjoy Lake Norris. Hunt provided his two boats, skis, tubes, kayaks and life vests for the students and staff to enjoy. Evening worship provided time for the team to share where and in whom they saw Jesus throughout each day. They sang songs of praise and worship, shared meaningful thoughts about service and humility and prayed powerful prayers.

“A huge thank you to all the chaperones and leaders who made this trip a reality,” says Greve. “Experiences like these don’t happen without adults who believe in short-term mission work.”