With a relationship lasting over 15 years, Herd 4 Christ traveled to Midwestern Children’s Home in Pleasant Plain, Ohio, to continue its work in assisting the foster care organization.

“The work varies greatly, ranging anywhere from mowing the expansive grounds to breaking up concrete for new bathrooms to be made,” Laura Petty, senior public health major, said. “This year, our group was asked to go to a couple of spots on their property to clean up the brush, limbs, and logs of fallen trees from a couple of bad storms that they have had this past winter and in the early spring and take them to various burn piles.”

The relationship between the two groups is based on mutual appreciation for the other, said Chris Roberts, Herd 4 Christ campus minister.

“We have a wonderful relationship with them,” Roberts said. “We really appreciate the work they do in the foster care system and it is something that is very needed and in turn they appreciate us when we come and basically help do whatever they need us to do.”

Midwestern is a designed for foster families to host children in a safe environment, Petty said, which is one of the reasons Herd 4 Christ continues to build the relationship.

“Midwestern does great work in creating a good, safe environment for foster children and it means a lot to me that we can take a weekend to help lighten the load of the employees there who work continuously to maintain that environment,” Petty said. “It is a lot of work for them and anything that we can do for them is always greatly appreciated.”

The weekend work retreats are not just to build stronger relationships with Midwestern, but with two other organizations who partner with Herd 4 Christ to assist in the work, Roberts said.

“We got together with some students from Ohio State University in the group Buckeyes4Christ and Ohio University’s group Lights4Christ,” Roberts said. “There was about 20 of us that went to work clearing a bunch of debris. It was a lot of work but it was a good weekend. We all really enjoyed it and are a little sore but feel good.”

With the large amount of work to be done, Petty said the weekend teaches members how working together to complete a task can change another’s life.

“I think everyone gets to see how much can get done when everyone works together,” Petty said. “We are always given a pretty large task that looks impossible to complete at the beginning, but we normally can get it done or close to finished. We also get to see how no matter how insignificant or menial a task may seem to us, it can be a huge help to others because it is something that really needs to be done and they do not have the time or man power to get it done.”

For students and staff, Roberts said he hopes these weekends can show how to live out faith through serving.

“I think most of us look at something like this as a way to live out faith,” Roberts said. “It is a chance to serve and try to serve the way Jesus served and help others. I think for a lot of the student see this as an opportunity to really give back and doing something worthwhile for others in the process.”

This act of service and continuing relationships is what Petty said keeps her going back every April to the work retreats.

“My favorite part about the retreat is knowing that whatever work we are doing is a huge help to them and it is honestly fun doing whatever work they have us do as a big group,” Petty said. “I also really like that we get to do this with groups from Ohio State University and Ohio University and we get to hang out and get to know them better through this experience.”

For more information about Herd 4 Christ or their upcoming service projects contact them at [email protected] or on Facebook.

Meredith O’Bara can be reached at [email protected].