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And this summer, she did.
For the last 12 years, Lohmeyer and her husband, Dale, have led members of their church's youth group on an annual mission trip to do hands-on help somewhere around the country, typically the Midwest.
"We've been everywhere from inner cities to places far out in the country," Lohmeyer remarked.
She wanted to take the youth group to Greensburg last year, but learned it was still too soon.
"They weren't ready for workers yet," she said. "They didn't have enough rebuilt to be able to house people." So since the youth group couldn't go to Greensburg in the summer of 2008, they took their helping hands to an area of Wisconsin hit by flooding.
"When we were driving up there, we saw the massive flooding, and when we got to our location, a community center and thrift store, the sewer had backed up the day before, so we ended up sleeping on the floor of a church next door.
Lohmeyer didn't forget about Greensburg. This year when she called to ask if they could help, the town was ready.
More than a dozen youth and young adults made the weeklong trip to Greensburg. Labadie's David Lieber, a junior at Washington High School, was among them.
"My group helped build a deck, roof a house, patch holes," Lieber told The Missourian.
"I was surprised at how much still hasn't been fixed up. It's sad because a lot of people still aren't getting help." Lieber, who has made previous mission trips with First United Methodist, knew the drill for this one. It would be a lot of hard labor mixed with a lot of fun.
"I was able to have fun with my friends, which helped lighten the load a little," he said.
"Whenever I got tired, though, I saw the people we were helping, and then I just wanted to keep going."
Leaders, like Lohmeyer and her husband, who have previous experience doing these kinds of jobs on mission trips, guide the young people through the tasks.
The work is physically demanding, Lohmeyer admits, but nothing the young people can't handle.
"This trip isn't just for a fun time, but it makes you feel good at the same time," she said.
Emily Conner, a 2008 graduate of Washington High School who made the trip for the first time this summer, agreed.
"I felt good at the end of the week," she said, noting her group helped by cleaning out a storm shelter that had been filled in with mud after the tornado ripped off the door and repairing water damage to a family's home.
"It's something everyone should experience at least once," she remarked.
Conner, who isn't a member of First United Methodist, said she plans to go on more of the youth group's mission trips, and Lohmeyer is excited about that. The church is reaching out to find more young people and adult leaders who would be interested in making the annual trips.
"We have a core group who goes every year, but they're getting married and having kids, so they can't all go any more," said Lohmeyer.
"We're looking for anyone interested in experiencing a mission trip," she said. "Whether they're from other churches or no church, or maybe their church has a smaller youth group that's not big enough to do something like this."
Although you don't have to be a member of First United Methodist to go on the mission trips, there are some requirements.
First, students should be sophomores (have completed their freshman year of high school) or older. College-age students also are welcome.
Second, students have to attend a certain number of meetings to prepare for the trip.
Third, they have to participate in the fundraising efforts or else pay their own way.
Lohmeyer said she will start looking in October for the next mission destination so she can have plans firmed up by the end of the year.
"I search through our church database for places that need help," she said.
"These are not always low-income or needy people we go to help, but sometimes if the damage is widespread enough, they have a hard time getting enough workers.
In the past, the group has been to Michigan, Oklahoma twice, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Kansas. West Virginia is the farthest they've traveled.
"We always drive," Lohmeyer noted. "We try to pick somewhere within a 500-mile radius of Washington because that's an easy one-day drive."
The group uses personal vehicles to make the trip. They also bring their own equipment - ladders, scaffolding, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, hand tools . . .
Lieber, who said he would like to continue doing this kind of mission work for the rest of his life, encourages young people to give the experience a try.
"If you're even thinking about it, I'd say just come on a trip with us. You'll meet a lot of great people.
"There's a lot of pride in it, too, a sense of accomplishment," he remarked.
For more information on the First United Methodist youth group mission trips, people can contact the church at 636-239-4477.
