Patch Blogs: A Ray of Light

A small tent stands out in a grass field, amongst a caravan of assorted vehicles ranging from pickup trucks to 15 passenger vans. A swarm of people gather beneath as screams of children echo from the playground in the distance.

This marks the beginning of another year for those in Wallace, WV. Church groups and others have traveled from states along the east coast to team together and help those in the community. It is the beginning of a beautiful week of relationships being built and lives being transformed and changed. For this week they set aside difference in age, location and whatever else might usually stand in the way to serve their Heavenly Father. It paints a glimpse of hope to those in Wallace, painting a picture of a God who is very real and very much a part of all involved in this week.

Amongst this group is a strange assortment of middle school students, choosing to give up for a week baseball games, video games, movies and friends for a week in service. Some may call it crazy, but crazy is a good word to describe the entire week. None really knows what to expect, each year being different from the last.

As I watch these students take their shovels to the first piles of dirt, take hammers to the first nail they had ever hit and nervously adjust their safety goggles as they prepare to cut their first board, it makes me smile. What a joy to watch as these students take part in this amazing weekend. Though not ones we would consider qualified, they are more than equipped for this week.

One could challenge what a handful of middle school students can accomplish in a week. But already, God is at work through them. One team has nearly finished their work project at the end of day 1. A hard day of tearing out and repairing the under-pinning on a trailer.

Much more is yet to come, and just a glance at these students working shows something different about them. A glance at the community in Wallace this week shows something different happening. It shows a glimpse of God at work, evident on the joyous faces of the kids running and playing, blowing bubbles in the park. Evident in the joyous smiles of couples working alongside scrawny sixth graders to build a new deck. Evident in the clouds parting overhead and the sun shining brighter on a day forecast with rain and storms. What a blessing to be a part of something so awesome, a group of students leaving North Canton, Ohio, for a week to share their love with this community in West Virginia.