As the seasons change and the temperature drops, visiting family and friends is always a great way to warm the heart and find refuge from the cold. Similarly, in order to warm up the hearts of the men and women who served our country, the World Mission Society Church of God visited the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home on Sunday, November 20, 2016.

The Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, established in 1985, is an assisted living facility and nursing home solely for veterans. It’s located in St. Mary’s County in Southern Maryland, a little over an hour away from the Church. Nevertheless, the volunteers woke up bright and early to go and share the love of Heavenly Mother with the veterans. Furthermore, the volunteer effort is part of the Church of God’s Smile Campaign, a Church movement inducing happiness in the community.

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Church of God volunteers keeping veterans from Charlotte Hall Veterans Home company.

The volunteers put together an assortment of performances for the veterans. Older veterans were delighted to hear a duet of the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The volunteers also performed an interpretive dance to the contemporary song “Rise Up.” Another performance involved a cover of the classic “Love Keep Lifting Me Higher.” The veterans especially gave a big round of applause in response to the acapella quartet performance of Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time.” Finally, an instrumental version of the song “You Raise Me Up” with a flute and saxophone closed out the performances.

Guests were tremendously happy to see the bright smiles of the Church members. Additionally, they were greatly appreciative of the passionate and enthusiastic performances. One of the women living at the Charlotte Hall Veteran’s Home had nothing but positive words. “Thank you so much for coming,” she said. “I know you all care because you came. I really enjoyed this. You all sang so nicely. I love you all. Thank you.”

Many of the other residents also responded with thankful words. All in all, it was a roaring success, and pure enjoyment for both the veterans and the volunteers. The Church of God in Maryland plans to continue the Smile Campaign through various volunteer events and community services within the state.

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