Greggton United Methodist Church Brings SALT to Mercy Ships

Posted by Mercy Ships staff on Feb 19, 2010 at 12:24 pm

A very special group from the Greggton United Methodist Church in Longview, Texas, recently paid a visit to the Mercy Ships International Operations Center.  The group calls themselves “SALT,” an acronym for “Senior Adults who Like to Travel.”  They plan four trips per year – two mission trips and two social trips.

Recently, Associate Pastor Doug Wintermute learned that Mercy Ships was on The Advance, a listing of nonprofits recommended by the United Methodist Church.  He was already very familiar with Mercy Ships from listening to the KVNE radio station which airs the “Mercy Minute,” a daily radio program produced by Mercy Ships.

Rev. Wintermute suggested that SALT plan a combination mission/social trip to the Mercy Ships headquarters to tour the facility and to prepare Haiti Disaster Relief Packets.

The trip included an added bonus.  It coincided with a visit from the former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Azarias Manywa Ruberwa.  He grew up in the Methodist denomination, which made him an instant “hit” with the SALT group.

After a lunch in the Mercy Ships dining hall, the group of 35-40 people prepared packets for Haiti.  The packets included towels and washcloths donated by Standard Textile, a corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company is recognized as the global leader in the manufacturing of healthcare, hospitality, and institutional textiles.

The trip was a huge success.  Rev. Wintermute said, “The adults are excited.  Some are ready to sign up to serve on the ship.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes an annual pilgrimage.”

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