Women on Mission - January 2026 Update
Published January 13, 2026
January 2026 Update
Mission trips to New York City and Vancouver, British Columbia, by two teams from First Baptist Blairsville highlighted the Jan. 12 Women on Mission meeting.
Vickie Plunkett and Jeannie Hickey were among the team that traveled to Jackson Heights in Queens, New York, to assist missionaries Adam and Erin Bishop and their family with the annual Labor Day weekend backpack distribution sponsored by the church they helped plant there. Vickie noted that Jackson Heights is considered the most diverse neighborhood in the world, a true melting pot of people from across the globe, but predominantly from Middle Eastern and Asian countries with a strong presence of Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim religions in the area.
The First Baptist team of seven people helped lead games and crafts on backpack distribution day, packed bags with coloring books about Jesus for the children, joined with the group of some 200-plus neighborhood residents in prayer and singing in the park where the event was held, and collected tickets as children picked up their backpack of choice filled with school supplies. While language differences proved a barrier to many prolonged conversations, Vickie said the FBC team was met with many smiles and thank-yous and a common language of love.
The following day, the team from First Baptist joined with the New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM), where the team resided during their stay in NYC, to support a Sunday "stoop service" at the Institutional Church of God in Christ. The outdoor service was held on the block where the church is located in Brooklyn as an outreach event for the neighborhood surrounding the Pentecostal church. The FBC team helped welcome and register guests, prayed with parishioners, and helped in the changing room after baptisms. At the fun fair that followed the service, the FBC team did face paintings, made balloon swords and animals, and cooked hotdogs and hamburgers in the NYSUM food truck.
On Labor Day Monday, the team joined Adam and Erin and their children Addie and Griffin in visiting a Hindu temple, which Jeannie described as "one of the saddest things" she has ever experienced. "There were gods everywhere — to education, to the sun, to the moon, to the animals," she said. She noted how the temple worshipers were very devoted to their gods and how it grieved her to know they were on a path to hell. On the positive side, the group got to experience "bubble tea" and eat authentic dumplings at a Chinese mall food court.
The Vancouver team of 10 people from First Baptist worked with Origin Church to reach out to students at the University of British Columbia last fall. Team member Courtney McCahan told how the first day's prayer walk and approaching students forced her and husband Cole "to get outside our 'Blairsville bubble' comfort zone." Cindy Jenkins, herself a former international missionary with husband Rick, noted the UBC campus has some 70,000 students representing 160 countries, predominantly East Asian. "Talk about a mission field! There it was!" she commented.
The FBC team worshipped with the campus church in a university lecture hall on Sunday morning. In the afternoon they joined Cascades Church in a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner of spicy squid and tofu — along with some turkey and dressing. Spreading out on the campus, they asked students what they were thankful for and asked what the team could pray about with them. "We found people who were so ready to have someone to talk with them," Cindy said.
The team from First Baptist also helped with Pancakes and Prayers, where students from the Origin church prayed for other students' prayer requests. Cindy said the team served up 300 plates of pancakes and ran out of plates because about 500 people showed up. Having the FBC team there to help in the kitchen meant the local church team was freed up to be out front talking to students. The FBC team also helped at a food bank, sorting and packing lentils, chickpeas, and garbanzo beans, sorting and stacking canned goods, fruits, and vegetables, part of a ministry to married students and their children.
Vickie Plunkett and Jeannie Hickey were among the team that traveled to Jackson Heights in Queens, New York, to assist missionaries Adam and Erin Bishop and their family with the annual Labor Day weekend backpack distribution sponsored by the church they helped plant there. Vickie noted that Jackson Heights is considered the most diverse neighborhood in the world, a true melting pot of people from across the globe, but predominantly from Middle Eastern and Asian countries with a strong presence of Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim religions in the area.
The First Baptist team of seven people helped lead games and crafts on backpack distribution day, packed bags with coloring books about Jesus for the children, joined with the group of some 200-plus neighborhood residents in prayer and singing in the park where the event was held, and collected tickets as children picked up their backpack of choice filled with school supplies. While language differences proved a barrier to many prolonged conversations, Vickie said the FBC team was met with many smiles and thank-yous and a common language of love.
The following day, the team from First Baptist joined with the New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM), where the team resided during their stay in NYC, to support a Sunday "stoop service" at the Institutional Church of God in Christ. The outdoor service was held on the block where the church is located in Brooklyn as an outreach event for the neighborhood surrounding the Pentecostal church. The FBC team helped welcome and register guests, prayed with parishioners, and helped in the changing room after baptisms. At the fun fair that followed the service, the FBC team did face paintings, made balloon swords and animals, and cooked hotdogs and hamburgers in the NYSUM food truck.
On Labor Day Monday, the team joined Adam and Erin and their children Addie and Griffin in visiting a Hindu temple, which Jeannie described as "one of the saddest things" she has ever experienced. "There were gods everywhere — to education, to the sun, to the moon, to the animals," she said. She noted how the temple worshipers were very devoted to their gods and how it grieved her to know they were on a path to hell. On the positive side, the group got to experience "bubble tea" and eat authentic dumplings at a Chinese mall food court.
The Vancouver team of 10 people from First Baptist worked with Origin Church to reach out to students at the University of British Columbia last fall. Team member Courtney McCahan told how the first day's prayer walk and approaching students forced her and husband Cole "to get outside our 'Blairsville bubble' comfort zone." Cindy Jenkins, herself a former international missionary with husband Rick, noted the UBC campus has some 70,000 students representing 160 countries, predominantly East Asian. "Talk about a mission field! There it was!" she commented.
The FBC team worshipped with the campus church in a university lecture hall on Sunday morning. In the afternoon they joined Cascades Church in a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner of spicy squid and tofu — along with some turkey and dressing. Spreading out on the campus, they asked students what they were thankful for and asked what the team could pray about with them. "We found people who were so ready to have someone to talk with them," Cindy said.
The team from First Baptist also helped with Pancakes and Prayers, where students from the Origin church prayed for other students' prayer requests. Cindy said the team served up 300 plates of pancakes and ran out of plates because about 500 people showed up. Having the FBC team there to help in the kitchen meant the local church team was freed up to be out front talking to students. The FBC team also helped at a food bank, sorting and packing lentils, chickpeas, and garbanzo beans, sorting and stacking canned goods, fruits, and vegetables, part of a ministry to married students and their children.
Coming in February
Bill Shakat, pastor of Redeemer Baptist Church in Blairsville, will share about his ministry in Zambia and other parts of Africa when Women on Mission meet on Feb. 9.
Bill went on his fourth trip to Zambia last spring with John Prater, field representative for Gospelink in Zambia and the southern region of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Gospelink is involved with training indigenous pastors and sending them out to plant churches. The days involve theological/practical training along with evangelism meetings in the evening, particularly using the "Jesus" film. Zambia is a large country, formerly Northern Rhodesia. It is constitutionally a Christian nation, with English being the national language. However, there are 73 tribal tongues spoken in Zambia.
The February WOM meeting will begin with a covered dish luncheon in the Buchanan Hall at First Baptist at 11:30 a.m., followed by the speaker's presentation at noon.
Ongoing Activities
WOM also supports Hope House of Union County by collecting personal hygiene items such as shampoo, body wash, deodorant, etc., which are distributed free of charge to Hope House clients. Through offerings collected monthly and budget funding from First Baptist, WOM are supporting the following ministries:
- Cowboy Church of Jerusalem to purchase food and new boots.
- Pure Love Pure Water for more filters to be sent to missionaries.
- The Clarkston After-School Ministry, which provides a meal for the children and to purchase supplies for the children.