Neighbors
Ozark Mission Project uses this term in reference to persons in need. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. OMP puts that love into action by meeting the needs of the financially and physically limited.
On the surface, the benefit to the neighbor is purely physical – a wheelchair ramp, a porch repaired, a house painted, a lawn mowed. OMP seeks to empower the neighbors, whether it’s by enabling them to leave their homes via a new wheelchair ramp or giving them a sense of pride in their homes with a fresh coat of paint.
In addition to the physical service projects, OMP strives to meet social and emotional needs by encouraging the campers to spend time visiting, sharing lunch and a devotional with their neighbor if the neighbor so chooses.
Campers
Ozark Mission Project actively teaches youth how to get involved in their own communities and give back to others by providing them with firsthand experience at camp. OMP also gives campers a glimpse into the lives of their fellow Arkansans who are in situations that are unfamiliar to most participating youth.
Over 1,000 people, including youth and adults, will participate in OMP in a single summer. Campers benefit in many ways:
- Physically through labor and play.
- Socially as they work with others.
- Emotionally as they experience the pain of poverty as well as the joy of serving.
- Intellectually through challenges on the work site as well as issues of the poor and elderly.
- Spiritually as they hear the witness of neighbors and learn to serve as Jesus served.