The Many Hands Thrift Market Impact Team is made up of staff, volunteers, and friends of the Many Hands Thrift Markets located in Iowa. On Sunday, the team delivered food in the community. Doug and Jerry were moved by the stories of people of great faith and resilience, hoping they might have the faith to display the same trust in the Lord.
We began the day pretty much as we do most every Sunday. We went to church. This time, though, we attended services at the Kirk of the Pines, where Pastor Barret spoke of the Gospel story where Jesus spoke at the synagogue, and those present were amazed that he spoke with such “authority.” And how was Jesus able to speak with such authority? Because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the ULTIMATE AUTHORITY.
Following services, we had a nice lunch, broke into three groups, and set out to deliver bags of food to twelve different individuals/families.
All had a story to share. Stories of heartache and loss, but much more than that. Of greatest impact was the story of Miss Wilmore.
When hurricane Dorian hit Abaco; she, her (daughter, who was six months pregnant), and her six-year-old grandson escaped their home on the coast and moved to a local motel. Then the wind and the devastating storm surge came. They were trapped. The water entered the room and the depth of the water continued to increase. “Fortunately,” she said, a portion of the roof was blown away, and they were able to escape the room into the raging torrent of storm surge.
They spent the next nine hours being tossed about in the surging water. She described how they clung to anything they could–telephone poles, floating pieces of debris–anything. At one point, Miss Wilmore’s daughter became entangled in a fence and could not free herself. Miss Wilmore tried to free her, but couldn’t. Her daughter told her to take her six year old son and leave. She refused, saying that they would all either live together or die together. Finally, she tore her daughter’s clothing from her body and she was freed. They survived.
She described how they could not have survived without “God’s Grace and Mercy.”
Before we left, we prayed for her and her family—then she prayed for us. And–oh yes–Miss Welmore’s daughter gave birth to a healthy baby boy three months later. They named him Noah.
What we learned today was simply a continuation of what we had learned from a number of the people of Abaco. They, as well as Miss Wilmore, are people of great faith, great hope, and extraordinary resilience. We can only hope and pray that someday, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we may exhibit such faith, hope, resilience, and trust in the Lord.
