From Disaster to Hope

Maggie and Junior lost everything they had in the fire that took their home.  Maggie said that there is nothing so final as your belongings going up in smoke.  On the site of their house they lived in a mobile home that was given to them after the fire.  It was small, and they were struggling to build on to it to have adequate room.  Junior’s health made the going slow, and they were facing a winter with a leaky roof and an incomplete addition.

Volunteers saved the day!  Now with a new roof and much of the addition closed in, Maggie and Junior will weather the winter warm, safe and dry.  But Maggie will be quick to tell you that it was far more than just the work the groups did.  Each group of volunteers listened to their story, and that helped them to heal.  Each group brought encouragement, laughter, and hope to them when they felt so much despair.  Each group strengthened their faith, giving them the assurance that God was with them even in the darkest valleys.  THAT was mission — far more than the driven nails!  It was the sharing of grace that helped Maggie and Junior feel the arms of God.

Volunteer in West Virginia

This report was submitted by Joan Stewart, executive director of West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy & Workcamps (WVMAW), as part of the December 2008 WVMAW quarterly report.  Read reports from the WVMAW ministry.