This summer we had some wonderful stories to be shared from all of our work sites. Not only were the people for whom work was done affected, but also those who came to work were blessed.

Mrs. J’s home beside the creek at Delbarton, West Virginia had water in it half way up her living room wall during the worst part of the storm of Memorial

Day 2004. FEMA had a limit of $5,100 for repairs that barely scratched the surface for what she needed to make her house livable again. Mrs. J, a widow, and her daughter moved into a FEMA trailer with a deadline to be out of the trailer by November 2005. Her brother did some repairs, trying to stretch the $5,100 as far as possible.

Mrs. J was referred to WVMAW by a local agency. Mission groups worked on Mrs. J’s home most of the summer, tearing out walls, replacing the floors, putting in insulation, and underpinning the foundation. Her kitchen cabinets had been warped and ruined by the water, and so her kitchen cabinets were replaced.

She cried when she saw that the groups did more than just the minimum required to get her into her house. They helped to make it a home. Mrs. J saw this as grace — a gift from God. For her the mission workers were no less than angels who opened their hearts and hands to bring her hope when she was in despair.

Mrs. J's story is just one of many whose lives were touched by mission workers who brought them hope along with practical help. And yet the stories are not just about those who receive the gifts, but the impact the mission has on those who came here to share.

Fourteen year old Molly and her mother were part of a mission group that came to West Virginia from Indiana. They helped paint the inside and outside of Mr. and Mrs. P's home after it had been repaired for water damage. Molly also played with the two little girls, and was struck by the differences in the cultures in which they lived.

When Molly got back home to her room in Indiana she got to thinking about how nice everything was and wanted the same thing for the two little girls. So at Molly's urging, she and her mom went shopping. A huge box arrived at the church — it was filled with bedspread and curtains and things to make the girl's room a little girl's room.

The lesson is not in the "stuff" that Molly sent as much as it is in Molly developing a giving heart. She said that being here and doing mission totally changed her perspective on what she has, and what she is called to do with her gifts.