Monday, August 1, 2011

Branch Service Project

What a good weekend we had in Fredonia.  We met a lady and her daughter that we can help.  Her daughter is a 19 year old with cerebral palsy.  She is taken by bus each day to a school where she can learn and work.  They are not going to be able to continue to bus her if they do not get a ramp for the wheelchair at their home.  She has become too tall and gangly for the assistants to carry down the front porch steps.  We have worked with the Branch council and are going to be able to build this ramp for her.  We also met a man who grew up in the church but has not been active for years.  He is experienced in construction and wants to help us.  He is in the middle of doing a complete remodel of his own home, but is excited to be able to help someone else.  There is a 3rd brother in the branch who is going to help us also.  He is an experienced handyman and has a pickup and tools including a gas powered posthole digger which we need for the ramp.  He just moved in to the Branch 2 months ago.  He bought an old vacant house that he is trying to make livable.  Paul spent all day today designing the ramp and now we need to get the permit and start building it in a week or two.  It was amazing that our visits this week built on each other.  In the first one we recognized the need and in the 2nd one we found a brother to help us meet the need.  The next day we met with the branch counsel and got the 3rd brother from that meeting.   We feel that working together with these two men will open the door for us to be able to help them with their homes, lives and testimonies.  The Lord has orchestrated this one beautifully.  We are excited.

We were pretty discouraged last week end.  Out of 10 families that we tried to find and visit, we only were able to get in and visit with 1.  This week end we were determined to try them again and had five good visits out of five.  When you keep trying even when you are discouraged, the Lord really blesses your efforts.  We love it here!

We hear that the family reunion was a great success and everyone had a good time.  Although we hated to miss it and missed being with all of our kids and grandkids terribly, it was a very sweet and satisfying feeling to know that great things happened without us. That prayers and devotionals were planned and attended to without our being there to prompt or remind.  We weren't needed at all!  The baton has been successfully passed and the next lap is being run strongly and winningly well. Well done!  We are so proud of you all!
Don gave us a copy of all of the testimonies that went into Mike's scriptures.  What a treasure!  Thank you all!  We love you all so very much and we are so pleased with how much love you show each other.

Have a great week!

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