A car show over the weekend at the Evergreen Christian Church in Salem raised money to help continue the Broken Chains Mission co-founded by Pastor Shannon Bopp in Costa Rica.
Bopp says the Mission is entering its seventh year.
“We have a feeding center down there that feeds children in poverty. We have a church alongside it. The kids get a free rice meal. They get a Bible lesson, they get games and crafts. We also support a group called Face of Justice which has the only human trafficking Safehouse in all of Costa Rica. They have a house that holds 24 girls that they rescued out of trafficking. There is room for their house moms as well. They have counselors and go through all types of rehab.”
Bopp says additional expansion is planned this summer.
“We’re getting ready to build a couple of classrooms down there for them and a storage area. We have two workgroups going down there this summer that will do some building for us down there. It has been going really well, God has been blessing the mission.”
Bopp says the girls rescued from human trafficking can only remain at the safe house until they are 18 at which time they can move to Grace House where they work with a coffee cart business and continue to learn skills to allow them to be successful in life.
Car show organizer Ken Carpenter says the first time car show attracted 58 vehicles. He was pleased with the turnout.
The Best of Show Award went to Rick Page of Mt. Vernon with a 1969 Chevelle SS. The Pastor’s Choice Award was presented to Dale Helpingstine with his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. The Jerry Gray Memorial Award went to Virgil Harris with a 1966 Chevy Chevelle. Dax Monroe won the award for Best Motorcycle.
The Top 5 car awards went to John Upton of Flora with a 1969 Chevy Impala, Steve and Carla Smith of Alma with a 1965 Chevy Nova, Travis Branson of Salem with a 1968 Dodge Charger, Diane Morgan of Centralia with a 1967 Chevy Nova, and Tom Brough of Salem with a 1933 Ford Coupe.
The top three truck awards went to Ernie and Mary Lee Holloway of Mt. Vernon with a Chevy CIO, Jeff Osborne of Mt. Vernon with a 1953 Chevy 1/2 ton, and Greg Tate of Walnut Hill with a 1955 Chevy Pickup.
Some of the entries in the Evergreen Christian Church Car Show on Saturday. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
More car show entries. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
