Texans on Mission (TBM) volunteers from Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo returned to Fritch in recent days to complete a project they learned about during the disaster relief deployment caused by wildfires. They built a playground for First Southern Baptist Church in Fritch for which individual Texans on Mission volunteers had given the needed funds.
"Anytime we’re on deployment all of our hearts go out to the church in the community," said David Wells, director of TXM Disaster Relief. "On this particular deployment the volunteers' hearts went out to the church that was hosting them," First Baptist Fritch.
"They took up an offering and raised close to $15,000 for the church to purchase the playground equipment," Wells said. "Texans on Mission then helped get the equipment on the site."
The project had special significance for volunteer Van Graves, from nearby Amarillo. His wife, Judy Rose Graves, said: "Before he was diagnosed with Parkinson's he and I could go out with the Paramount Baptist group from Amarillo," but that was no longer possible.
With the closeness of Fritch to Amarillo, Van Graves got to help the group from his church, Paramount, on this project and fellowship with them. “It meant so very much to him and to me,” Judy Graves said. “He was excited to go and be with them again. It was very good for him."
Wells said of all the disaster relief volunteers who paid for the playground equipment and the Paramount group, "It’s amazing to see the hearts of our volunteers."
Van Graves (white shirt) works with other Texans on Mission volunteers from Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo as they build a playground for First Southern Baptist Church of Fritch. (Photos by Judy Rose Graves)
