It's never too early for a taste of summer. Stop by Ruhl's Church and you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat strawberry and waffle breakfast on Saturday, May 7. The meal will be held in the fellowship hall of the church, 4810 Elizabethtown Road, Manheim, from 6 to 10 a.m. or until sold out. Proceeds will benefit a mission trip in June.

Along with strawberries and waffles, the breakfast will feature pancakes, eggs, breakfast casserole, bacon, sausage, home-fried potatoes and assorted beverages. "There's lots of good food to eat," said Gail Ruhl, mission team coordinator. "It's a great time to come and visit with friends or family, sit around and talk and just enjoy a very relaxing atmosphere. We don't rush people in and out. You can stay and converse, catch up with old friends or meet new ones."

During the meal, the church will show a video spotlighting previous mission trips. "We are hoping that might spark people to ask questions and possibly even spark interest in joining us on a trip in another year," Ruhl noted.

In June, a group will travel to Kentucky to work with the Central Appalachian Missionary Conference, formerly known as Red Bird Mission. "We'll be doing local service work throughout the community," Ruhl explained, noting that past projects have included everything from constructing porches and handicapped ramps on homes to electrical, plumbing and roofing work. "We have a very skilled team who goes on these trips, and we can do anything from basic painting to bigger projects. We're excited to do whatever they feel they need us to do."

Ruhl and her husband have been mission team coordinators for 14 years, and the trip to Kentucky will be a sentimental one for the couple. "Going there was the first trip my husband and I organized," Ruhl recalled. "This will be our sixth or seventh time going there, but we haven't been for several years, so it will be kind of like a homecoming for us and a chance to see old friends."

The mission trips are intergenerational and offer an opportunity for youths and adults to learn from each other while serving alongside one another, Ruhl said. This will be the group's first trip in three years since the pandemic canceled trips in 2020 and 2021. "We're so excited to go," Ruhl commented. "We're ready to get our hands dirty again."

Reservations are not required for the breakfast, but Ruhl recommends arriving early since items often sell out. "It's a low-key, friendly atmosphere, where people can be together in fellowship," she stated. "Come and check out our church if you've never been to our church before and learn more about what we do."

For more information on the breakfast, visit https://ruhlschurch.org or call the church office at 717-665-3400.