The Kindness of Strangers and Friends By Scott and Kathy Killingsworth September 2008
Our Serve & Celebrate project was to clear some land at the corner of Piatt and 2nd St. and put in a soccer goal, so the area kids would have a place to play. At one time there had been three houses on the property, but now it was mostly trees, brush, poison ivy, rocks and debris. Prior to our arrival at the job site, professionals had cut down the larger trees for safety reasons, a large trash dumpster had been delivered, heavy equipment such as a chipper and Bobcats were available, and several loads of dirt had been delivered. Our group of around 20 workers brought everything from chain saws and weed eaters to shovels and a lawn mower.
While younger kids in our group picked up trash throughout the neighborhood, we began dragging limbs to the chipper. A contractor working on the house next to the project even came over to help. What a blessing his help was. Unfortunately, the chipper wasn't working, so we started making piles while they called the owner of the equipment to come and fix it. We knew God was in control of the project though, so we gathered around the chipper to lay hands on it and pray -- and praise God, the chipper immediately started! God was in control. By the end of the first day, most of the lot had been cleared, and the dumpster was full. At one point when some trees had been cleared, we discovered a telephone pole. When looking at it closer, we noticed metal bracing near the top and discovered it was in the shape of a cross.
Our second work day was very different from the first. A group of six teens arrived from Lake Afton Boys Ranch to fulfill community service responsibilities. They were part of a program called Youth for Christ. We learned from their sponsor that out of 85 teens who had been through the program, only five had returned to jail. They were determined in their work and dug up bricks and pulled posts out of the ground bare-handed. Their sponsor "just happened" to have a trailer, so we could load the branches cut from the alley that morning. Again, God was in control.
A neighborhood youth pastor brought community teens to help. We learned that he had actually moved into the neighborhood so he could build relationships with area gang members and bring them to the Lord. A group from Eastminster's 242 volunteered. Three boys riding by on their bicycles (a 2nd grader, a 4th grader and a 2nd grader who didn't live in the neighborhood -- get it, 242) stopped and actually played soccer (they thought the soccer goal was awesome!) and helped pick up limbs and debris.
God truly blessed that morning. We accomplished a lot of work, but the fellowship is what will be remembered the most. Gang members who had turned to the Lord, now sharing their stories with us was truly a blessing. It was a very humbling experience.
The Ones Most Blessed By Donn Parr September 2008
We had another excellent experience with Serve & Celebrate. We were blessed to meet and work on "Sylvester's House." Sylvester is a diabetic amputee who needed his house painted. He also had fallen twice while trying to get from his kitchen down two steps into the utility room.
When Bill Schmidt and I went over to meet Sylvester and look over the project, Sylvester said, "Thank you for taking on this project. What can I do for you?" This was very humbling for both Bill and me. Sylvester had just had his fifth surgery on his left leg October 3. His positive outlook on life and great laugh made it so much fun to be around him.
Officer Cavanaugh, Carol Campbell, Ed Dillon and I started scraping and priming on Wednesday and completed most of it by Friday evening. We also had Fred Haag and several of our Grace Presbyterian friends help on Friday. Bill Schmidt, Bill Johnson and several others raised the utility room floor to the same height as the kitchen floor on Saturday. They truly did a phenomenal job. Stew Stephens thought he was coming over to "pick up" in the yard. Little did he know that he would be working to complete a new deck in the backyard.
We had a great time priming and painting the house on Saturday. Another crew picked up trash and paint shavings. It was an entire team effort. Sylvester was brought to tears more than once. He said, "Why me? I don't deserve this." I just said, "It was the good Lord at work."
Every time we do Serve & Celebrate, it amazes me that I walk away being the one most blessed. Thank you to all who were involved. It was great to serve with Jim Grannis and our friends at Grace Presbyterian. Sylvester is truly thrilled!
