Come out to Ruhl's Church, 4810 Elizabethtown Road, Manheim, on Saturday, May 6, and you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast that supports the church's Mission Outreach Team. A strawberry and waffle breakfast will be served from 6 to 10 a.m., or until sold out, in the fellowship hall of the church. "The star is our strawberry waffles," noted Gail Ruhl, who heads the Mission Outreach Team with her husband, Chuck. "We normally get our strawberries from North Carolina, where they are fresh in season right now. We are also going to have pancakes, scrambled eggs as well as eggs to order, breakfast casseroles, bacon, sausage, home-fried potatoes and beverages."

Proceeds from the meal will benefit a mission trip church members will take in June. "We're actually venturing into a new area we've never gone before," Gail said. "We are going to be going to Vermont, near the capital, Montpelier. We're going to be working alongside Central Vermont Mission." Gail said the mission team members were searching for mission ideas when they came upon this one, and it seemed like a good fit. She noted that Central Vermont Mission has been working in the area since 2011, when it formed right after the region was hit by Tropical Storm Irene. "This is ongoing even from then, and I think that might surprise a lot of people," Gail remarked. "When we say we're going to volunteer in that area, they may think, 'What has happened there recently?' but it takes years and years to recover from disasters. At the beginning of a disaster, there are a lot of volunteers and a lot of money, and then that all dries up, but the need is still there." The group will be serving low-income families and the elderly, helping with construction or remodeling and maintenance work. New this year, they are also going to be helping to feed the homeless in the area by preparing lunch and distributing it to them.

As for the breakfast, no reservations are required, but Gail recommends coming early because items sell out. "People can expect some really good food, and it's just a really great place to come even if you're by yourself or you're a couple or you have a few friends that you get together," she commented. "It's a great environment just to sit and socialize, and it's also a good opportunity if you've never been to the church to ask some of us questions about our church or look around. Or, if you're interested in mission work, even though our group is mainly people from our church, we're certainly not against others joining us, so we are willing to share our experiences with people and invite them along or even to come to church if they feel like it."

There is a cost for the breakfast, with separate prices for adults and children ages 4 to 10. There is no charge for children age 3 and under. For more information, visit http://ruhlschurch.org or call the church office at 717-665-3400.