A few teenagers were spreading mulch. Another group stood with a couple of adults pondering the best way to heft the foundation of a wheelchair ramp into place. Others were clearing power tools from the yard.

“I found Harold,” one of them exclaimed.

While a friendly calico cat occasionally nuzzled members of the group, Harold was a bit less enthused by the activity around him.

“Harold is the snake,” explained Ames Puckett, looking up from a pile of mulch. “We met him yesterday.”

Puckett was part of a group from Epiphany Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, Ill., repairing shutters, cleaning out planters and installing a wheelchair ramp at a home on Buchanan Street in Mexico on Tuesday morning.

More than 200 teenagers spent the week painting, doing repair work or creating wheelchair access at 24 homes across Audrain County and in Centralia. The Rush Hill Community Church, working through Group Mission Trips, hosted the event.

They took on a dozen projects in Mexico and three in Vandalia. Crews spread out to houses in Rush Hill, Farber, Laddonia, Thompson and Martinsburg, as well.

Church youth groups from across the country participate in the work camp program. Pastor Anna Ernst of Epiphany Lutheran said her group has taken part since 2004.

“They feel they are living their faith in action,” she said.

Ernst supervised a crew of eight from the Elmhurst church as they painted a house on High Street in Mexico. They encountered no wildlife at this location, but were distracted by a couple of active children, Charlie and Jaecion.

One adult with the group sought to entertain the kids with what might charitably be called a “dad joke.”

“That’s not funny,” was the response, which drew a roar from those wielding paint brushes.

“I like helping people in need,” said Kelly Martich as she paused between brush strokes. “It makes me happy — and you get to play with kids.”

The folks at Rush Hill Community Church applied to host a work camp. Group Mission Trips approved after sending representatives to check out the area. A big part of the process was having a facility willing to open its doors to a significant number of people for seven days.

Mexico High School agreed to serve as the base. Campers slept on air mattresses in the classrooms and played basketball or nine square in the gyms. They also held meetings and daily devotions in the building.

Each day different churches from the area provided snacks. And United Credit Union sent root beer floats as a thank you.

The campers appreciated the unusual amenities — particularly since the group from Elmurst spent last year at a wilderness camp without running water.

“It’s fun,” said Juliana Innocentini. “You’re in a room with your friends.”

“You get to walk around and meet people,” added Simon Redfern. “Everyone looks forward to it.”

Despite the success of the event, Justin Hagedorn of Rush Hill Community Church had doubts it would all come together.

The church completed the application process six years ago. They originally hoped to be on the summer 2018 schedule, but the community of Troy beat them to the punch. A year later too few groups signed up to make it feasible.

In 2020, however, some 400 teens were on the attendance list, which would have allowed for repair work at more than 70 houses. But the pandemic forced another postponement.

The rise of the Delta variant spooked Hagedorn this time around.

“Even two weeks ago I didn’t believe it would happen,” he admitted.

But it all worked out. And the youth group from Rush Hill, which has been involved since 2006, was able to stay close to home.

“I like traveling, but it’s rewarding to be in your own community making a difference,” said Allie Sprock.

She was with Olivia Schafer, Tyler Stanford and Ean Johnson at a Robinson Street house replacing rotting boards. On Latney Street, another team from Rush Hill’s church rested after digging post holes for a ramp as the sun glared.

Austin Taylor, Eli Johnson, Sarah Angel and Abreighana Davis were tasked with the work on Latney. They also decided to build an impromptu dog house for a neighborhood pet.

“Next time I’m going to pack more shorts,” observed Davis, who was taking part in the camp for the first time. “I’m going to gain some muscle from this.”

Meanwhile, over on Robinson, the crew from Elmhurst discovered that Harold had friends. Several of them. And there were other species to play with, as well.

“We found a ton of slugs and arranged them,” Puckett said, waving toward a platform. “We had a slug party.”