For the past four years, Matthews Presbyterian Church has taken a group of members and friends on a mission trip to Gary, W.Va.

Located in the heart of the Pocahontas coal field along the mountainous border of Virginia and West Virginia, McDowell County has gone from being one of the richest counties in the country during the coal run in the 1950s to being one of the poorest counties in the country today.

The population is about 25 percent of what it once was. Through the years, nearly everyone who was educated, healthy or had any money has moved away. What remains is a poverty-gripped community that much of the world has forgotten.

I believe our trip to Gary is unique for several reasons.

First, it's only four days (Thursday-Sunday), which enables us to get teens, young parents and even seniors to participate. It also doesn't require the kind of money or time necessary for many of the other more exotic mission fields around the world.

There's a lot of work to be done there, and the church is really starting to make an impact. We can get there in four hours, and it only costs about $100 per person. This makes it accessible to a lot of people, including families.

Our work is split between home repair (painting, roofing, etc.) and visitation (local nursing homes and shut-ins), so there is something for everyone.

Last year, we partnered with Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church in southwest Charlotte. Our relationship with them started in early 2008, when our associate pastor (the Rev. Luke Maybry) accepted a call to be their new pastor. This trip has allowed us to keep in touch with Luke, form new friendships with members of his new congregation, and to increase our footprint in Gary. Last year, we had 60 participants in all.

To help line up the projects and the accommodations, we have formed a relationship with Jack and Brenda Fultz, who run the School for Life ( www.schoolforlifeinc.com) in Gary.

They bought the old elementary school there in 2005 and are in the (never-ending) process of converting it into a thrift store, a community center and a base of operations for area missionary work.

Jack and Brenda are amazing and inspirational people who, in their “retirement,” have dedicated themselves to serving the people of Gary.

Webb is a deacon at Matthews Presbyterian Church.

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