A True Fisherman’s Tale – Matt Herndon

There’s a beautiful new dock on the lake behind the Mission’s family home, thanks to the organizing efforts of Matt Herndon. Matt and his associate Norma Lopez work at Remediation Specialists, which restores buildings damaged by fire, water, and mold. Norma invited Matt to visit Discovery Church, where he was challenged to use his spiritual gifts to give back to the community. They asked Mark Cavalleri, a member of Discovery Church and a friend of the Mission, about good places to volunteer, and Mark arranged a tour of the Mission. “I didn’t know anything like this existed,” Matt said. “Here you are trying to change people’s lives and get them on the right path.” While there, Matt, an outdoorsman, noticed the mission’s dock on Rock Lake was in ill repair and unusable, and he saw it as a great project that fit his skill set. “I felt an opportunity in my wheelhouse, something I love, and that’s why I took on the dock project.” Matt assembled a team of his work associates, including Austin Faulkenburg and Jim Kingery from Embry Construction, and Justin Ranck and Thomas Wessels from Tremco, and they started planning. While working with the Mission guests to tear down the old dock, Matt learned that many of them would like to get jobs in construction, but they don’t have a set of tools. So Matt started contacting plumbing and electrical contractors to get tool kits donated for the men. “These guys are starting to get back on their feet,” he said. Matt felt like the completion of the dock deserved a big celebration, so with the help of Nick Bohne from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, they organized a dock dedication for the guests of the Mission on July 3. Activities included a baby alligator, stations for fishing, knot tying, and information about the wildlife in Florida. He also arranged for 50 fishing rods and mini tackle boxes to be donated to the children. Matt’s friends are eager for another project to work on, so he plans to restore rooms at Project Hope that are damaged by mold and paint the Bargain Store exterior from materials donated by Tremco. All of this happened because of a challenge to use our talents to give back to others in the name of Jesus. We are grateful and blessed Matt answered the call to serve the men, women, and children at the Mission.