NATCHEZ &045; Dirty teenagers from Georgia were a delightful sight for 84-year-old Helen L. White.

The Omega Church youth group from Omega, Ga., is in Natchez for Immanuel Baptist Church’s vacation Bible school this week. Apart from their door-to-door canvassing and recruiting children for Bible school, the youth are painting the outside of White’s house.

&uot;I’m thrilled to death over it,&uot; White said of the project.

Sweat and paint were visible markers for the group.

&uot;We wanted to get out in the community,&uot; Omega youth supervisor Andy Hornbuckle said.

The group has been canvassing by passing out fliers about vacation Bible school and spreading a spiritual message in neighborhoods, like Morgantown.

&uot;We came to reconstruct the house and spread the word,&uot; 17-year-old Amanda Pope said.

Besides bringing helpful hands, the group brought some ripe Georgia peaches to share with the church.

The group teaches and helps with vacation Bible school from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m., and then they do work on the house from 1 to 4 p.m. After taking a break, they canvass from 5 to 7 p.m.

Questions such as, &uot;Do you think it’s helpful to read the Bible?&uot; are asked on the front steps of strangers.

&uot;No doors have been slammed in our faces, yet,&uot; Pope said.

Still, another girl in the group said some people peep through their window and turn off their lights and lock the door when they see the group coming.

During their stay, the group will take a day off to experience Natchez and its surrounding attractions. One of their stops will be Melrose Plantation.

&uot;It’s hot, but I like it. It’s really pretty,&uot; said Pope of Natchez.

The vacation Bible school at Immanuel Baptist Church, which only has about three children who come regularly for service, has about 30 children in the program this week.