Spring was quick approaching and the window for flood debris removal was closing.  Over the last 11 months, a lot of hours and work has gone into our home area, the garage, the lodge, and the cottage.  The mountain of debris from the flood on April 29, 2017 was just mind blowing.  We had to pick a point and start.  It took months just to get the roads opened up to reach the ministry area.  Unfortunately, the greatest amount of debris clung into the ministry area with 4 buildings of scrap metal and lumber, along with the river debris.  After almost a year of clean up efforts, and finally getting to a point of “we are close - yet it still seems so far away”, the steam in our sails seems to be diminishing.  But God!

God whispered to Glenda VanWoerkom, "Majestic Outdoor Adventures, Inc.", in response to prayer about a service project for Pella 2 CRC.  Although Pella 2 CRC is blessed with great construction minds and hands, the immediate need was still debris clean up.  A.K.A "pick up sticks".  

There were 37 people, 2 skid steers, and 2 wood chippers and lots of love.  Added together = HOPE and a summer outlook that shines.  The church service team began to arrive at 11:00 AM on March 15, 2018.  The rest of the team would roll in throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening.  

If you will grant me the ability to rewind here, I would appreciate it.  The hours after the flood, Shelby and I had so many people who reached out in love to show their concern.  I can remember the constant “awe” or “stunning” or “dumb-founded” mind that seemed inevitable.  It was numbing, yet there was peace from within that held us together.  We had so many offers of help, yet we didn’t know where to start.  Questions of how could people help, yet an unknowing of how to even begin.  

Then came Faith Assembly from West Plains, the home church of our school Faith Christian Academy.  They were here with a large group and many chainsaws.  They helped us get our drive way open, our yard reassembled, the lodge mucked out, and so much more.  They just came and when we couldn’t - with them we could.  Then after another month a group of disaster relief men from the Alabama chapter of the Southwest Baptist Church, came to help specifically stabilize the lodge.  If you are familiar with track sports this was almost like a passing of a batton in the body of Christ.  Then the third leg of the race was passed to Pella 2 CRC.  At another time when we didn’t think we could - they showed us we can.  This whole flood disaster has caused us to see the Body of Christ in a whole new light.  Jesus is Lord, Lord of All.  

Fast Forward… By the end of day, March 15th, there were sections of the ministry area that were beginning to look alive again.  These areas didn’t say, “there’s no way!”, “how on this earth?”, or “what are you going to do with all this?”  Instead these areas were saying, “there is a way, - when we are weak He is strong!“, you can work with this - with God all things are possible”, and “there is HOPE - these things remain, Faith, Hope and Love”.  

Not only did they bless us by helping us clean, they blessed us by being here.  Their sweet presence and sweet unity in the Lord with each other were a breathe of life to us.  It was the wind we needed in our sails to continue on.  Pictures are worth a thousand words. Here are some before and after shots that show the difference Pella 2 CRC brought to MOA.