Quick Turnaround Move - The Story of Rachel
Short notice moving projects can be hard to accommodate, yet God still provides, even for some seemingly impossible tasks. In less than a week a team of volunteers was assembled, a moving truck acquired thanks to Citywide Delivery, and a wheelchair to fit the recipient was found. All of this was accomplished in a matter of just a few days.
We received a call from a recipient named Rachel on a Wednesday who was finding herself on the receiving end of a very difficult relational and living situation. The moving request came in on a Wednesday and was needed to be organized and completed by that Saturday. We never know if or how these projects will come together, but somehow they do.
On the initial visit Carrie Robinson scouted out the furniture they would need to move and saw that a lot of work still needed to be done before the move. As Saturday approached, Carrie kept in contact and began to worry a little that the storage unit and packing may fall through, which would have left a packed truck with no where to go. Carrie decided at this point to get some help from a more seasoned volunteer, Jeff Shatto. Jeff went and talked to the recipient, explaining that without the storage unit there was not much the moving team could do.
On the day of the move, a team of ten volunteers arrived at the apartment. The storage unit and some packing had been done, and a place to live had been arranged. In three hours the apartment was all packed up into the moving truck and volunteer Brett Myer’s truck. Before leaving, the group gathered in prayer. The team took the moving truck to the storage unit and unloaded the items. After that a smaller team went on to mother of the recipient’s house where they unloaded the rest of the items.
Rachel’s move ended up going went well. God provided the right volunteers and the right resources to accomplish this move. For that, we give thanks and pray for the others who are not as fortunate that seek assistance through NeighborLink.
Serving is more than just a project, a person, or a day, it is an investment. You may have to get your hands dirty and spend hours listening, but that is our call. We serve in practical ways, but the core is the heart and loving others as we have been loved.
- Janae Arnett - NeighborLink Intern
Some Quotes from volunteers involved in the project.
“Every project presents it’s own unique challenges. When I met the recipient the day before the move and saw that hardly anything had been boxed up and her storage unit hadn’t been rented yet I became pretty judgmental in my thinking. Bottom line is, I need to understand that few [people] are going to do things the way I would and that we are to love others the way we are loved. Hopefully my heart was softened a bit by this experienced and I will be better equipped to serve the next recipient,” Jeff Shatto said.
“My motivation for this project and any other project I have done through Neighborlink is to be God’s hand extended. I want to be in a place where God can use me. I want others to see there is something different about Christians and want to know more. I want them to experience what true Christianity is. It is not just a belief or religion, but a relationship based on love,” Carrie Robinson said.
“My wife and I have never been ones to passively throw money at some organization and call it ‘service’. We are all called to love like Christ. And that involves getting your hands dirty. Further, the relationships I’ve built with some of the recipients I’ve coached have been nothing short of an absolute blessing,” Brett Myers said.
