Damon and Kim Bland
Sharing the love of Christ by meeting the needs of His people
Kim and Monica at youth retreat Damon and Kim Kim with youth group at Lake J
Missions have been a major part of our lives for many years now. Combined we have been on 14 short term mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Cuba. We have also been on a national mission trip to Mississippi/Lousiana with our youth group and participated with them in some local mission projects. Now God has called us to serve short term mission teams as well as His people in the Dominican Republic. We are excited about the path God has laid before us in this beautiful country working with the awesome people here!
Damon helping youth build wall Damon showing youth how to tie reebar
Damon has been a youth minister and a middle school teacher. I have been a youth counselor for ten years and taught high school Spanish for 5 years. I had the pleasure of taking a group of students to Spain for Spring Break one year. It has been such a blessing for us to work with youth!
Kim at prom with McCall Kim with students in Spain
We have been living in the Dominican Republic as Individual Volunteers from UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) since June 2009 to serve the Lord and the people as a host family offering adult, college age, and youth short term mission trips to the Dominican Republic. It has been a very rewarding experience to be able to serve the people of this amazing country as well as the wonderful groups that come to serve with us! We couldn't imagine being anywhere else!
Damon grew up in Ellabell, GA (about 30 minutes outside Savannah, GA). He attended Bryan County High School. I grew up in Chickamauga, GA (about 15 minutes from Chattanooga, TN). I attended Gordon Lee High School.
We have been married since June 2002. We met at the Wesley Foundation at Georgia Southern University (a great place to meet your future spouse! Funny story: Our campus minister was talking to Damon about girls to date one day not long after I started attending Wesley, and he mentioned me. At the time, Damon said I was too young (a freshman), however just a couple of weeks later we were together :-) ).
We are members of Pittman Park United Methodist Church in Statesboro, GA.
Click here to read our testimony.