Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Hello Friend!

How have y'all been?

It feels like forever..again...since I've dropped by here!   But we have a good excuse..we've been Busy..and Traveling..and Laundry Mountains that touch the sky....

Last Friday, we got back from a whirl wind, break neck pace tour of Alabama.

As most of you know, Jim has been down to Hackleburg Al twice now to help with their rebuilding after a tornado ravaged their little town.   During this last trip in Feb, it was mentioned that they were having a dedication of the church building in May...we wouldn't have missed it for the world!

This is just a glimpse of what the church looked like last May when the team drove down to help with demo.

...And this is the Hackleburg Community Church almost a year later!   The service was amazing, the people relying on God have shown such strength through this all, and God is so very good to restore what was only a pile a of rubble into a beautiful church (both building and people wise!).
Below is a photo of Pastor Clint (with the microphone), his wife, and Dan who headed up the teams going to help from our church.
This photo was a gift that Dan brought down....it's a picture of a mud streaked chair that had washed into the image of a tree and roots...
My very talented friend Lori, created the image from the chair seat below.....she added a verse:  At least there is hope for a tree.  If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its roots will not fail.  Job 14:7     
I can't even begin to put into words the emotions behind all of these pictures!  Redemption, God restoring and carrying this town, the hope and strength....I can't even begin to try to feel what these people went through, losing their homes, their belongings, and their loved ones in one quick swoop.  


Here's our team who were able to make the trip down for the dedication...quite a group considering it's a 12hr drive!
Jim's cabinets....he worked all week at repairing these and their beautiful!
Jeremy, Linda and their kids have been in our prayers from the very start....some photos of their little ones made the devastation hit home with the boys (there were kids in this tornado?!?).  It was so nice to meet them in person....especially because we got to eat some of Jeremy's FANTASTIC chicken!!!!!  Seriously, this chicken will be served in heaven lol!   Their kindness and hospitality.....well, it just brings tears to my eyes!
This is a shot of some woods that I snapped while driving out of town...those trees were just like broken toothpicks!  
We all met up later at a local Mexican place....which was sooooo good!   (I could never live down there....I'd obviously do nothing but eat and drink sweet tea!)


The boys wanted their picture taken next to this horse in the restaurant....Riley came down with pneumonia the day before we left....which is a whole 'nother story, but explains his pale face and sunken eyes!
On our way inside, Dan said that they just painted this picture after the waitress was told her section was getting a party of 30!  ;)
And here we all are!  

Such an amazing couple of days.....Hackleburg feels like family, they will forever be entwined into our hearts, and I see many more trips down to help!   No matter how much the teams were able to help the town with rebuilding, they have made the most change in our own hearts!  


Forever ruined for the ordinary!


But..the adventure didn't stop here...many more things to show you!

2 comments:

thevintagegodgirl said...

So awesome!!

Anonymous said...

What a blessing you brought to that community!