Day Three
LeContact church had been planning the activities of this
day for many weeks. It had many of the characteristics of our own BIG SERVE
event. However, unlike BIG SERVE,
LeContact had placed an ad in the local newspaper advertising free help to
single mothers and the elderly who needed help in moving or household
chores. Eight projects were identified,
of which about half were for people who had no church affiliation. Our team along with the mission teams from Texas
and Mississippi dispersed into small groups and began tackling the projects.
Several teams were faced with the daunting task of moving
a family's entire possessions from one residence to another. This often
included moving refrigerators, stoves, washers and driers down several flights
of stairs around tricky corners in confined spaces. Coupled to these logistical
obstacles were the sweltering heat and humidity.
Other teams provided help in cleaning homes and utility
sheds, building storage shelves, painting rooms, cleaning windows and cutting
grass.
What was most perplexing to those non-church members who
received the help was why were the teams willing to offer free assistance. The answer of course was that the teams just
wanted to show the love of Christ in action.
What the long range result will be we don't know, but the recipients
know that LeContact is the church that reaches out in love.
A very tired and soiled team returned to our lodging
thankful for each of the day's opportunities of sharing the love of Jesus.
Bill Bassette
