RANTOUL — Brennen Streibel and Braden Cochran are on a mission. And part of it involves shoveling out driveways. At no charge.
The 20-year-olds just might be seeing snow drifts in their sleep.
The Mormon missionaries put a message on Facebook offering to shovel anyone’s driveway at no cost. They had plenty of takers.
On Wednesday, the duo cleared seven driveways and had about eight more to do Thursday.
Streibel said he was “a little bit” tired after shoveling for about six hours Wednesday. “It’s all in a day’s work. I’ve shoveled driveways, but nothing quite like this where I’m shoveling all day.”
The young men reside in Rantoul, and they offered to shovel snow as part of their mission.
It’s not the first time they’ve helped area residents.
The duo earlier raked leaves and put up and took down Christmas lights.
“We also go around sharing messages about Jesus Christ and God. That’s another way we help people,” Streibel said.
When shoveling, they try to stay away from proselytizing so people don’t feel obligated, Streibel said.
“If they’re curious, we’ll talk to them and set up a time to talk to them more about it,” he said.
Cochran said they had no shortage of takers when they offered their shoveling services.
“Most of them were like, ‘Hey, my parents need help. Can you do my parents’ driveway?’” Cochran said.
Clearing a driveway takes them 20 to 30 minutes.
Many people offer to pay them for the work, but they refuse.
“It was kind of funny,” Cochran said. “People would try really, really hard to give us money. We said, ‘No, we can’t.’ So they would give us snacks. Everyone was really nice.”
Streibel said he had fun doing the work.
“I enjoy being able to help others and being able to see their gratitude without expecting anything in return,” he said.
Cochran, whose father was in the Air Force, said he grew up “all over,” most recently Washington, D.C.
Streibel hails from Marsing, Idaho, a small town near Boise.
The Mormon church headquarters assigned the pair to the Rantoul mission, which extends south to the Thomasboro area and north to Cissna Park.
Their mission service will run for two years. They will be in Rantoul anywhere from six weeks to six months.
“It’s all voluntary,” Cochran said. “We choose to do this. It’s not required of us.”
After the mission work is complete, Cochran’s goal is to return for his second year at Utah State University with a goal of joining the Air Force.
“Being at Utah State for a year, it’s cool,” he said. “It’s pretty over there.”
Streibel, who plans to return to his hometown, has a goal of becoming a firefighter. He also might go to school to become a paramedic.
