At First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN, the defining mission is to nurture and provide care for people within and beyond the church’s own community of faith. The congregation is committed – not only to ministering to people’s hurts – but also to their hopes. So when church members learned of the “Keep It!” Campaign’s efforts to build a community of hope in Ivory Park, South Africa, they embraced the opportunity to act locally and reach globally. 

Members of the First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN join "Keep It!" founder Bob Tryanski and residents of South Africa during a mission trip to Ivory Park.

Church member and former educator Carolyn Ward explains that the idea of helping to create self-sustaining improvements is what attracted her and husband Jerry to the project. “The philosophy of providing a hand up and not a hand out is an admirable concept,” she notes. “We were impressed by what had been accomplished in such a short time and that the people were eager to support themselves when they received the right kind of help.”

Joyce and John Johnson, also church members with a background in education, shared the Wards desire to support the project. When they learned that “Keep It” founder Bob Tryanski and his wife, Hannah Britton, were going to be visiting Ivory Park, they made plans to join them. Britton – whose mother, Sandra Britton, attends First Presbyterian Church – is a political science professor currently studying domestic violence in South Africa. 

While in Ivory Park, the Johnsons and the Wards toured the community center, day care, and the library located at the Drake Koka Primary School. The couples were pleased to see that many of their church’s previous fundraising efforts, including support of two new kitchens, had been transformed into tangible benefits for Ivory Park residents. They were also impressed with the dedication of the school’s principal, the librarian, and the day care workers. “We are all former educators, so education is a priority to us. You can’t teach hungry children and you can’t teach children who can’t see well, so it was gratifying to see all of the pieces – the feeding program, the day care, the eye center, the library – working together to improve education in the community,” notes Mrs. Ward.

Mrs. Johnson explains that, while in Ivory Park, the travelers participated in a brainstorming session to identify additional areas of need and potential solutions. The creative ideas generated from the session fueled the group’s excitement about the project – an excitement that they eagerly shared with the First Presbyterian congregation upon their return to Tennessee through photos and descriptions of the journey.

Since the couples’ return, church members have been busy with additional fundraisers aimed at bringing sustainable solutions to Ivory Park. They have raised more than $900 for tools that will allow adults to better maintain and expand on a community vegetable garden. They have also joined the campaign’s efforts to stock the library with new, quality reading materials and have raised $4,000 for books through community donations, member giving, and a storytelling event hosted by the Johnsons and featuring Tryanski and international storyteller Geraldine Buckley.    

For Mrs. Johnson, the best part of the experience has been meeting the people of Ivory Park. “They were warm, friendly, and enthusiastic,” she says. “And, they are really trying to take ownership and make the most of the opportunities presented to them.”

The “Keep It!” Campaign is proud to honor Joyce and John Johnson and Carolyn and Jerry Ward, two couples who “Keep It Going” by embracing their mission.