I would like to thank the citizens of Port Townsend. I want you to know what a wonderful, caring, hardworking, “can do”  bunch of folks you have in your community.

The dedicated volunteers who came over earlier this year from Trinity United Methodist Church, Port Townsend, were outstanding.

Don and Judy Olsen were the work team leaders who recruited Marlene Colvin, Bill Metzer and a number of the Olsen family plus a few others from out of the area. Retired Rev. Wendell Ankeny and wife, Laurel, were the Hawaii coordinators, along with our local church leaders at Honoka‘a United Methodist Church on Hawaii Island.

Port Townsend–area contractor Tony Buemer provided extensive skilled labor and oversight, during the weeks of physically demanding work.

In two weeks, the volunteers painted the exterior of Lydia’s Closet, our mission thrift shop, and organized new donations; installed new doors and windows, requiring new framing, and re-sided our termite-damaged educational building; made several repairs to our parsonage.

In so short a time, these helping hands from the Port Townsend Trinity Methodist Church have done more than just improve our historic buildings. They have started a connection and fellowship of sharing that will be passed on. They have inspired our small Hawaiian church “ohana” to continue making improvements.

The congregation of this church and I thank them from our heart of hearts for sharing their gifts.

BRENDA VIDA

chef to the Trinity UMC

Mission team volunteers

Honoka‘a United Methodist Church

Honoka‘a, Hawaii