Rebuilding Together Day was full of blessings

On Saturday, April 30th 2011, some 60 folks got together from Wellspring & the VFW 511 and accomplished some amazing things in a wonderful families home & lives. It was all part of Rebuilding Together Day that was going on nation wide and it was a true blessing to be a part of it.

The family we helped that day was Carl & Barbara. Carl is a disabled Vietnam Vet & Barbara developed a spinal disease and gets around in a scooter most of the time. They had many challenges with their home. When they first bought it some 11 years ago they were both in a much better place physically, but as time went on things became more difficult for them to maintain and do the much needed repairs on their home.

When we first arrived it seemed very overwhelming, but the whole team was determined to help this family out. We started at 7:45am with prayer & direction then hit the floor running. There was painting & plumbing & electrical work & yard work & trash removal &....well I could go on & on. Lets just say there was a lot going on. By lunch time we had filled a 30 yard dumpster, got the first coats of painting done, moved a washer & dryer & much more, but we where still only half done.

The highlight of the day, for me, happened after lunch. There was a another team of 5 that came in to replace the wheelchair ramp that they had. The old ramp was so bad that I was scared to walk on it. It was steep with missing railings, lets just say in the morning we watched the scooter coming down with Carl in it (Barbra is to scared to go down by herself) & he almost fell out face first. Well, when they had finished & Barbra did the first run up the beautiful metal ramp, she had tears in her eyes & was so excited as she yelled out “look I can turn & not back up!” & “look there’s railings so I wont fall off!”. There was a huge cheer & clapping from all the team members that were there. Giving someone the sense of safety is a wonderful thing.

There are so many more story’s from that day like of Rob spent a good portion talking with Barbra & listen to her testimony & the season she was in with God, news reporters, the Mayor stopping by, but the best part is that God was truly moving that day in this family’s lives. Seed’s were planted & I continue to pray that some day soon, they will blossom. I always say it’s not about what we do physically to help a family, but it’s the Spiritual & the simple act of showing them that God loves them. Thats whats its all about.

The last few of us left at 7:15 that night & I had the opportunity to look at everything we had accomplished in 1 day.....and here’s that list....

• 2 coats of paint including ceilings in the bedroom, livingroom, kitchen, foyer & bathroom. (special thanks to Steve for leading this)
• Installed 3 ceiling fans with remote controls, a kitchen light & a motion detector outdoor light.
• Moved the washer & dryer hook up’s from the basement to the kitchen with a new GFI outlet. This was a huge help for this family.
• Replaced & repaired many area of trim work & wainscoting. We also put in new blinds & curtains as well as installed new grab bars in the bathroom.
• Installed 2 interior doors & 1 storm door.
• Filled a 30 yard dumpster with items from the basement & attic.
• In the yard we replaced a section of fence, removed a lot of brush, mowed, planted flowers, put down mulch & trimmed her bushes.
• The best part of the yard was the installation of a handicap accessible garden. It is now called the Peace Garden, cause a rock was found in the yard that already had peace carved into it. Now Barbra, who loves to garden, can easily work her new vegetable garden again. (special thanks to Lynn on this)

It was a glorious day in the Lord & I know everyone was tired after the day was done, but very blessed that they were a part of Gods work. 

Thank you to all who came out to help & be a part of this wonderful day.

In the Spirit,

Chris Knapp

ps...special thanks to Jess for all the behind the scenes stuff....you were great!

pss...below are only a few after pictures. I should have more before & after pictures, as well as God in action shots on my Facebook page as well as the Crosscut Ministry Facebook page soon....so look me up.

Click here for more photos of the day!

 www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Connecticut/Crosscut-Ministry/159920957391500