Even with all these photos there is no way to really explain yesterday! It was one of those days so filled with blessings that no one could keep count!
Thanks to a connection Convoy of Hope made for us we were anticipating the arrival of a semi load of "things." About an hour before the arrival of the truck 3 very amazing people showed up at the church. They were the flight manager, assistant and owner of the company who donated all the products. What an amazing 3 people they were! They came to see the location, the area and to see that everything they were sending was going directly to the community. And upon seeing that they insisted on doing something to help. Next thing we knew they were inside the building unloading boxes of donated clothing, sorting through them, folding and arranging them for the people who are coming in! Service with a new definition!
Before we knew it the truck was pulling in the parking lot. Pastor A made the call to the Mayor's office and within minutes the forklift they promised was also on site. Another opportunity for Monty to step in and use his heavy equipment operating skills. This allowed the city worker to return to what he was doing. We just called him when we were done and he returned to pick up the lift.
This truck was 53' long and filled from front to back and top to bottom with blessings! Monty had the truck itself unloaded in less than 45 minutes, staging everything on the parking lot. This allowed the driver and his son to head back to Michigan and back to the farming operation, which is their life.
From the parking lot Monty took everything to the door of the church where the Youth Pastor Joel, using his skills with a pallet jack, took everything inside. The youth volunteers lifted and packed box after box, some finding muscles they didn't know they had. In no time the organization process was underway and the parking lot was empty.
Just a sample of what was on the truck: cleaning supplies of all kinds, paper towels, toilet paper, jersey gloves, shovels, brooms, dust pans, dog and cat foods, diapers, adult diapers, baby wipes, medical supplies, bleach, water, juices, masks, dust pans, personal hygiene and on and on and on. Amazing blessings that will literally make it possible for people to survive in these times of disaster and displacement!
What I found even more amazing was an owner of a company who not only has the heart to donate, but comes to each donation site to meet the people and establish a relationship! God has angels all over this world and we were blessed to meet another one yesterday! There is no way for us to properly thank her, her company or anyone else involved. I told her that the only regret I have is that she will not be able to be here on Monday when we open the doors to the community to come and be blessed! She and I were both in tears at the thought!
Not more than an hour after her truck left our parking lot another nursing home van pulled up. These women had driven down from Chesterfield, IN to bring supplies to a neighboring community. After that location had what they needed they were directed to us with the rest! We unloaded more cleaning supplies and items that were quickly folded into the others making a huge Monday outreach even "huger." !!! (don't think that is a word but sometimes words just fail me in situations like this)
After all was safely inside and our final details of getting power, water and sewer arrangements made to locate our trailer to its "home" in the back of the church we made the move. And after landing it safely, extending the slide, powering it up and starting the flow of water we then discovered that the blow out had indeed blown our water lines! Once again the angel of the Lord stepped in! When we purchased this camper from the previous owner he assured us that literally anything!!! we would need was inside. He wasn't kidding! Monty found the exact part he needed in the drawer and managed to temporarily repair the line. The estimator who was here the day before figured the line was blown so all I need to do now is call him and tell him he was right!
Our dinner was quite late last night due to all the activity of the day! As we sat and went over our day we realized, once again, how God's hand is always over us! We are so thankful and so blessed to be "living the dream", to be onsite and to be used in any way needed by our Lord!
Later in the evening my parents and neice came to see us. It was so nice to have family come and see us! This is an added blessing in being here -- one I thank God for. Being out in the field for such long periods of time has kept us very far from home and family! Being back here is awesome!
This morning we were greeted with our returning team from Bedford, IN. Dallas and his crew came to MS and worked with us for a week. Dallas himself left MS quite ill but always kept his heart of wanting to return. He and his crew are here today. They are working in the area where we landed the truckload of supplies. They are opening boxes, organizing kits and making it where everything will run like clockwork come Monday morning at 9am. What a blessing they are, not only for us but for this entire community! I hope we will see more of them.
In closing I just want to say a huge "THANK YOU" to Convoy of Hope for reaching out beyond their usual emergency relief and making the connection for us with this company who stepped in and will change lives forever! The combination of the 2 organizations are the perfect example of showing God's love in a practical -- and life changing way! As each person comes through here they will not only be blessed with physical things to survive, they will be blessed with the love of Jesus that will give them EVERYTHING they need to survive, not only here on earth but in heaven!
Blessings to all for a wonderful 4th of July. Let us remember that the most important of our freedoms is the ability to share Jesus with everyone we meet, in everyplace we go and with the only consequence being LOVE!!!
Until next time . . . Susan and Monty
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