If you do not live near a river, you may never think about flooding. But if you do, every spring when the rains come, there is always a chance that the river will overflow its banks and flood your home. This spring, as many St. Louis area rivers overflowed their banks, many people were left to rebuild their homes as best they could. It can be easy to forget about flood victims when the news goes off every night, but Raymond Washington and his Growth Group from Calvary Church found themselves with an opportunity to help one individual. A member of the group, Jessica Willis, had an aunt whose home was devastated by the Meramec River near Eureka. When Jessica made her group aware of her aunt’s need, they decided to see what they could do to help.
“I sit at a desk everyday,” said Washington. “I am not a person who knows anything about repairs or construction. But I approached this task with the idea that I would do whatever needed to be done.” When the Growth Group arrived at the house, they were surprised by the amount of destruction. The floodwater had filled the entire first floor of the home before receding. Jessica’s aunt had continued to live in the home, but was overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done and the costs of repairs without insurance.
“The look on her face when we showed up was just incredible. You could just see the relief,” Washington remembered. “That look inspired us to do as much as we could for her.” The group had intended to work for 2-3 hours, but soon realized there was a much bigger job and spent the entire day gutting the first floor of the home and hauling away debris.
The Growth Group keeps up with Jessica’s aunt as she slowly repairs her home. Washington believes that projects like this one are important. “As important as breathing! Service like this is what keeps us humble and connected to the people's needs. When we help others, we are like Christ. He met people's needs, where they were hurting.” --Story by Susan Godbey
