The July 15 – August 4 work camps of 2007 will long be remembered as “The year we built the bridge!” Knowing that the participants for the July 22-28 week of work camp would include a large number of highly skilled builders, our host, Vickianne Dotten, Director of Grace House, lined up a special project—building a bridge across acreek to make an elderly man’s home accessible for coal deliveries (for heating) as well as emergency vehicles. These pictures tell the story in “graphic” detail.

One of the other projects this summer was almost as much of an engineering masterpiece. Over the course of two weeks, two different groups constructed a set of stairs and landing platforms from the road down to an elderly woman’s front porch, 50 feet away. In addition to the distance, the other challenge was that the yard sloped. Pictures of the finished stairs here show the extent of the project; however, due to an optical illusion, it looks like the stair railings curve and wave. But, rest assured, everything is plumb and level!

The other work, while not as specatacular, was as needed and as appreciated: putting a new floor in a bathroom; building a ramp into a home; replacing broken and rotted windows; putting a new floor into a bedroom that had a 7-inch gap between the floor and the wall; general cleanup and painting. These are some of the work campers’ stories .

From The Rev. Schelly Reed Levy
Christ Church, West River, Md

The house, in an overactive flood plain barely five feet from the railroad track, is constructed of particle board and tar paper. The slab foundation is rotted, eroded by water and termite damage. Faded and decaying yellow siding has been nailed to two quadrants of the. Several windows are covered with plastic as insulation. Paint buckets are strategically placed on the perimeter of the house to collect rainwater for washing and possibly drinking.
 
A NO TRESPASSING sign is taped next to the entrance, a sharp contrast to the hummingbird feeder hanging from the broken gutters and the ceramic and plastic angels meticulously lining the windowsills.
The neighbors' dogs are howling angrily and competing with roosters that are crowing nonstop at excruciating decibel levels. The 100 car coal train parks in front of the house remaining there for hours, obscuring the view of the mountain laurels and wild flowers on the hill. Yet, to Edith and Melvin Hayes, this small plot in Dante, Va is sacred space, holy ground, their safe haven.

Christian hospitality is central to daily living in this rural mountain community. Their reception of us is Biblical, Scriptural. Fellowship is expressed precisely as Jesus commands in His teaching. We are welcomed with hearty hugs, kisses, and abundant “God Bless You” salutations.

A framed picture of a cross adorned with roses and a crown of thorns greets visitors inside the threshold where it rests on an abandoned freezer. The caption reads “There is no love more beautiful than the love of God”. The people in the hollers proudly proclaim this and better still, they actually believe what they preach.

Episcopal Appalachian Ministries offers assistance to provide shelter that is warm, safe, and dry. The Hayes home is none of these, yet Edith will tell anyone who will listen that she is richly blessed, because she has Jesus in her life. Edith waxes eloquently about her love, faith, and deep affection for the Lord. Jesus can be found on every wall and in every room. Different portrayals of him -- a veritable sanctuary and inner sanctum created by a pure heart.

Edith knows her Bible and believes what Jesus' saying, One's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions”.

 

The EAM teams have worked on their home for a couple of summers now. On this trip, we witnessed the destruction by flood waters which caused the floor in the bedroom to drop 7 inches, not to mention covered the walls with mold that is spreading like a virus. The Hayes family now has a new foundation, sturdy floor, freshly painted bedroom, and a beautiful handcrafted quilt from Christ Church to inaugurate the extreme makeover.

Edith had been saving stamps to purchase dishware which she had reserved for a special occasion. She used a portion of her monthly assistance check for a new cooler from WalMart and a case of bottled water especially for the work crews. I imagine she and Melvin sacrificed a few meals for that.

Before our departure, Edith insisted upon feeding us. We dined on fried chicken, garden-raised beans, potatoes, and peach cobbler. This was the great banquet, the feast that she had planned and longed for. We celebrated the Eucharist in the truest sense. Edith's new dishes served as patens, and the cups as chalices. The kitchen was transformed into the Upper Room. The table with the plastic cover miraculously became an altar. Christ was present as we prayed and broke bread. Amidst the clutter, cramped corners, and chaos of construction, I have never seen the hand of Our Savior at work more clearly.

Over the past few years, I have struggled with McMansion envy as the cottages in my neighborhood have been replaced with magnificent architectural wonders. I am deeply ashamed by my momentary covetousness. Now, Edith will serve as my inspiration.

In contrast to this conspicuous consumption, Edith is grateful for her marginally improved circumstances.
On the day before I left, she said, “You know I don't have many things, but I have the most important gift on earth - the love of Jesus”. She grabbed my hand, smiled and said, “My situation is only temporary. I have a beautiful room waiting for me in the Lord's house. One that is all mine and that I get to keep forever”.