Denton Wesley students return to Africa

 
When Brittany Burrows and Christina Cavener, students from The Denton Wesley Foundation, which serves the University of North Texas, Texas Women’s University and North Central Texas College students, committed to a mission to help Rev. Wes Magruder in Cameroon, Africa, they had no idea that it would change the course of their lives for the next two years. Now both are headed for mission service in the Congo.

Both young women found Africa to be an amazing opportunity for mission and a perfect place to offer their gifts and service. During these past two years both young women have told their story about serving at a youth camp in Cameroon and the needs of the young people they served.

Brittany Burrows, age 22, serves as youth director at Krum UMC. She recalls guest preaching about her awesome experience to her congregation. “People really enjoyed hearing how their support changed the lives of the African youth. I think they want to invest in something that makes a difference in the world,” Burrows said.

Her mission trips include: Juarez and Matamoros, Mexico; West Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Cameroon, Africa.

Christina Cavener, age 23, works with youth at First UMC, Rockwall, and has always loved music and came home from Africa singing and dancing to their joyful songs. The freedom she felt to harmonize and be creative inspired the creation of a “Blue Grass” CD where both she and Burrows are featured.

Her mission trips include: Juarez and Matamoros, Mexico; Texas, Louisiana, and Cameroon, Africa.

Rev. Cammy Gaston, Campus Minister of the Denton Wesley Foundation, is very excited about the way her students have embraced mission work. “I say to my students, ‘Thanks for saving the world today, we need all the help we can get.’ How wonderful it is to have two talented, on fire young people who are stepping out to do something great!”

On July 26 The Denton Wesley Foundation hosted a concert benefiting their mission work in the Congo.

Burrows and Cavener are leaving this month for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to serve as United Methodist Individual Volunteers at the Jamaa Letu orphanage and the Methodist School in Lubumbashi.

For more information, or to hear the “Blue Grass” music, visit: www.myspace.com/soggybottomsisters, or call the Denton Wesley Foundation; 940 382-3813.