The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks,
The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and
spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."
Last Friday, there was a party at 708 N. Billy Bryan in Carbondale.
More than 20 people were sitting in chairs that had been placed in the shape of a circle to make it easier for the group to socialize. A man barbecued while three women worked inside of a tent to make sure that the food was set out perfectly.
This may seem like a typical summer barbecue, but that is not the case. The crowd is taking what appears to be a well-deserved break.
For the past week, the WorldChangers teenagers have been working feverishly to improve the home of Donald Casper.
"I've lived here for the past 50 years," Casper said, "and this is going to be the first new roof that I've had since I've been here."
WorldChangers, which is sponsored by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, is an organization that attempts to provide Christian youth and adults with opportunities to help others through practical learning experiences.
"The reason that we do this - it's because we have a love of Jesus," said Bobby Shelton, a youth leader for WorldChangers. "Everyone out here shares a love of Jesus - without that, we would just be out here working."
Bernie Weithorn, who has been a crew coordinator of WorldChangers for the past five years, received a list of names and addresses from the city of Carbondale. Weithorn went out looking for a home that the teenagers could fix with their capabilities and decided on Casper's home.
Each morning, they arrived at Casper's home from Thompsonville at 7:30 and worked until 4 p.m. When finished, the group would go over to the new Carbondale Community High School to shower and get ready for a worship service when they returned to Thompsonville.
Kevin Cabe, who is a youth leader for WorldChangers, said that he is impressed by the commitment that each volunteer has shown.
"Each one of these projects costs about $245, which these kids pay for out-of-pocket," Cabe said. "These kids are taking off of their jobs and giving up their summers."
Jesselyn Rogers, Canton, N.C., had to pay for her own way because the trip was not sponsored by her church's youth group. It took her about a month to save up the money; she worked at a McDonald's in her hometown and did odd jobs around her church.
"This has been a great feeling," Rogers said. "I've met a lot of new friends and formed a better relationship with God."
Emily Allen, Thompsonville, said that she did not accompany her church youth group to a WorldChangers project in Tampa Bay, Fla., last year because she had just joined her youth group.
"My parents were a lot more comfortable with me going this year because it was right here in Thompsonville," Allen said. "This has been a neat experience for me, so I plan to do it as long as I can."
And Casper's roof was not the only thing that was in need of repair.
The home also had problems with the gutters. In the back of the home, water from the gutter leaked into the kitchen, so several members of the group dug a ditch to prevent further leakage. Casper said that he did not want to have any gutters up because he was no longer able to clean them, so only a small portion of guttering was left up.
The porch roof of the home was at a slant, so members of the group cut down the poles that held it up and cemented them into the ground for stability.
There were also a number of smaller projects that the group worked on, which included everything from painting the mailbox to putting a new toilet seat in Casper's home.
While WorldChangers was hard at work repairing Casper's home, members of Walnut Street Baptist Church were busy preparing lunches for the workers.
Judy Weithorn, a church member, said that she and other members of the church would drop off lunches for the group every day when they took their break at noon.
"We just can't say enough about the people at Walnut Street," Shelton said. "They have been really good to us."
Jonathan Trippett of MacClenny, Fla., said that this project has been fun, but it has also been a lot of hard work.
"I am really tired," Trippett said. "I am ready to go to bed - and not wake up."
While Casper looked back at his newly remodeled homes, he seemed to be at a loss for words.
"I just can't say enough about these kids," Casper said. "I've never seen anything like them - they're a great group of kids."
