Psalm 92:14 reads Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. In October, Trinity Terrace Retirement Community yielded much fruit, as we made Books for the Border our fall mission project.
Trinity Terrace is not a faith-based community, but it is a community of many faithful people who care. As chaplain for the past five years, I knew our community would get behind Books for the Border, sharing our resources to make a difference. We have many retired educators, librarians, and community leaders who know well the value of early literacy.
Our retirement community has a woodworking group called Tinker’s Den–and they definitely go beyond tinkering, as they crafted 26 bookcases for our project. Other residents hit the bookstores, while others encouraged great grandchildren to donate from the books on their shelves. Still others gave generous donations to help purchase lumber and paint, and to buy additional books at the Friends of the Library sale.
Our project was a great success, as so many people were eager to help in whatever way they were able. It was exciting to see the bookcases and books grow to cover the entire front of the chapel. On the final Sunday, we held a Vespers service dedicated to a Blessing of the Books. It was a meaningful culmination of the retirement community and Books for the Border bearing fruit together.
Tricia Baldwin, Chaplain
Trinity Terrace, Fort Worth