God Sighting: A Community to Welcome Home
In September of 2020, the most destructive and expensive fire in Oregon’s history, known as the Almeda fire, scorched through Rogue Valley. The fire left behind a 13-mile-long burn scar which destroyed 2,600 homes, 200 businesses and left 10,000 people displaced. Our congregation gathered a group to serve in Oregon this summer and while the house our team of 10 worked on wasn’t a part of the fire’s burn scar, we were able to meet families that had been displaced by the fire in which Habitat for Humanity Rogue Valley is working to get back into safe and affordable homes.
Jody Simeck, long time Habitat/ Thrivent Builds team member and leader said, “I saw God’s hands in many ways, but one way that really impressed me was the way the community [of the Rogue Valley] immediately rallied
around the workers and their families who had lost everything in the devastating fire. The compassion for others seemed to outweigh other prejudices to care for others. I believe God was there.”
Ashley Dunn, a first time Habitat/Thrivent Builds participant, said, “God put people in the [homeowners] lives to provide exactly what they needed.”
Painting, laying flooring and doing some finish work on the house, our team helped to transform one house in Medford, this July. This work helped to get a family one step closer to their move in day.
While the work was great, one of the highlights of my week was getting to meet the families that are awaiting their move in day. The potluck that Habitat hosted for current and future Habitat homeowner families was a highlight for many in our group. Getting to hear stories about their family and about that day in September connected our team to the importance of our partnership.
First time Habitat/Thrivent Builds participant Barb Euler writes, “The blessings that come from participating in a Habitat event will never be seen directly by us, but we know that God’s work helps to heal and restore others. As a new participant to Habitat, it was amazing and inspiring, and there was lots of laughter.
The first Monday in October is designated as World Habitat Day. Please continue to pray for those in our community and around the world to have safe and decent homes to live.
by Amy Wagner, Director of Ministries