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Published: July 19, 2007 08:21 am in
the Times-Tribune, Knoxville, TN
Building On Faith
Church
group rebuilds home for Whitley County family
By Marty Finley
 Saws, drills and hammers sounded in unison Tuesday afternoon as
approximately 30 members of Old Dominion Church worked inside and out
to prepare a house for Mary Wynn.
A few yards away, members scrape through the remains of Wynn’s former
home, burning items as they go.
Wynn lost her home and everything in it when it was destroyed in an
early morning fire in March. But, the problems didn’t stop there.
Within the next two weeks, the transmission in her car failed and she
totaled her mother’s car.
However, the trials led some special friends to help. A group of
church volunteers has raised funds and gotten manpower to build her a
new house on her property.
With tears in her eyes, Wynn said she had seen God’s love since her
loss.
“They’ve given from their hearts ... there’s no other way to describe
it, other than God,” she said.
Old Dominion Baptist Church, based in Virginia, joined with Youth on
Mission, a national organization using youth as volunteers for
short-term mission trips, to assist people within the area. The group,
working under the moniker Cross-Eyed Builders, are in the process of
building a three-bedroom home for Wynn.
“I’m just lucky I’m one of His,” Wynn said.
Melany Hanrahan, a coordinator for Friends for Families, said God used
a variety of circumstances to bring Wynn the help she needed.
Lacount Anderson, a coordinator for Youth On Mission, contacted
Hanrahan asking Friends for Families to assist Youth on Mission in
mobilizing teams to work on several area projects. Anderson said there
are approximately 1,300 “youth on a mission” in the Appalachian Region
this summer and 4,300 nationwide. Hanrahan estimates Friends for
Families have accepted 250 volunteers from Youth on Mission.
Hanrahan said when Anderson contacted her, she was beside her
6-year-old son’s hospital bed praying for God to use her. Anderson and
Hanrahan said they do not understand exactly how their lives crossed,
but they know God was the reason.
In a way, the story begins with Ron and Georgie Andrews, who live near
Wynn on Bee Creek Road. The Andrews lost their house shortly before
Wynn did, and have been a source of help for Wynn as she recovers, she
said.
Wynn said they gave her family clothes, food and other necessities
they needed. Ron Andrews also rose every morning at 6 a.m. to bring
Wynn hot water and loaned Wynn their car for a month.
Hanrahan said volunteers originally planned to help the Andrews, but
they refused. The Andrews told Hanrahan they had insurance and could
cope, but Wynn needed help.
A man donated Wynn a trailer initially, but after inspecting it,
volunteers realized it was beyond repair, Hanrahan said.
“I was (fine with it); I was just happy to have a roof over my head,”
Wynn said.
But the donations continued. A visiting church gave Wynn a different
trailer, which Hanrahan said was livable.
The volunteers planned to renovate the trailer, but Aaron Tolson,
youth pastor for the Old Dominion Baptist Church, had different plans.
Tolson said he could not sleep because renovating the trailer did not
seem like the right decision.
“We felt God say that’s not what we should do,” he said.
Instead, the group is now working to get trusses in place for a new
house.
Hanrahan and Tolson both said the community had been a great help —
W.D. Bryant Hardware hauled materials and Mountain Outreach helped
coordinate the project.
And Tolson said they continue to receive help from friends and family
back home.
“We’ve got people praying around the clock while we’re gone,” he said.
The church is working on four projects total, but this is the first
house they’ve built, as well as the first for a Youth on Mission team.
Hanrahan said she is amazed at the young people’s willingness to give
up their summer and travel to another state to help strangers.
Anderson agrees.
“They could choose to do anything else, but they come here and work
like crazy,” he said.
Wynn said after volunteers finished the foundation, she wrote verses
of Scripture all over it to ensure her home was built on God’s Word.
Wynn said she is glad this group heeded the call of God and is
thankful for the opportunity to make new friends.
“Without
this, I wouldn’t have met these beautiful people,” Wynn said.
Wynn said
Frankfort Baptist Church had also helped her, providing food,
clothing, and prayer.
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