| Dear Mission Family,
As I jot down the thoughts that are brought forth in this writing, I am sitting on a beautiful hillside in an area known as Clark Hollow (or Holler to us locals). Rising and falling before me are small mountaintops, steep cliff lines, and a winding road which seems to tie the entire countryside together like a ribbon around a most precious gift. It’s easy at moments like this to forget that my current vantage point rests squarely in the midst of some of the greatest poverty that our nation experiences. Gazing across the rolling field before me, I can see the roofs of two ‘homes’, each bearing a ragged checkerboard pattern of tar and metal which have been placed there, not for aesthetics but for survival. Most of the houses in this community were built sixty to eighty years ago by the families who still occupy these dilapidated aging structures. It doesn’t take someone with a trade-school diploma to see that these country carpenters did not have access to levels, squares and other essential implements of construction. In nearly every case a husband, his wife, and a couple of friends had spent a few weeks assembling rough-sawn lumber, often stripped from an abandoned shed, and secured the pieces with nails which they had retrieved from previous building sites, hammering them straight for use once again. As one local resident recently told me, “Ya’ do what ya’ gotta’ do!”
During this past week I’ve been approached by no less than ten people living in this ‘holler’, who were seeking our Ministry’s assistance with their deteriorating homes. In nearly every case a leaking roof was the source of their misery. These people recognized my truck and trailer as I negotiated the narrow roads in their community, and they weren’t shy about expressing their hopes that we would be able to provide the necessary repairs to their dwellings. I always take the time to talk with them at length, but I hate seeing the disappointment on their faces when I tell them that I have twenty-five other roofing projects that I won’t even get to this year. I’m quick to add that we reprioritize our work on a near daily basis, responding as we can to those who are most needful, especially widows and young children.
This morning another needful sole stopped her aged Chevy pickup truck next to mine and timidly sought me out on the job site. Kathy shared a story of great need with me. She said that every time it rains the water literally pours into her little house, shorting out the electrical service panel and requiring her to shut off the main breaker. I didn’t have the opportunity to begin validating her request. There are times when I find cases like hers, but on closer examination I discover several able-bodied men living in the home, not even considering what they might do to alleviate the problem. But what this mid-aged woman shared next pained me as much as her plight.
It seems that several weeks ago another Christian organization had stopped by her sagging shack. They talked with her, surveyed the work, and stood with her in the gravel driveway, holding hands and praying together. I’ve been a part of identical moments of ministry many times over the years. But as Kathy related, unintentionally quoting from a popular movie based on Appalachian life, “then they just runn’ oft’… I never heared from them agin’!”
I’m certain that the mission team, church group, or whoever it was that took the time to relate to Kathy’s need, did not enter into her life for those few brief moments, only to bring disappointment rather than hope. I am not the least bit critical of their visit. But this scenario points to one of my greatest frustrations in my personal ministry to the poor. Certainly we can’t be everything to everyone. But I hate being a source of disappointment to someone. I know that my desire to avoid that situation is an unrealistic hope. Everyone who seeks assistance from our ministry believes that they are the most needful situation to come along, and if we are not able to satisfy their perceived need then disappointment will no doubt surface, even leading to expressed anger at times.
But I also am sensitive to the fact that I represent Jesus to folks we serve. For many of these impoverished folks, our mission teams are the freshest glimpse of Christ that they have received in a long time. Most have been raised in the deeply religious traditions which are prevalent in the ‘Bible Belt’. Through our service, we have the opportunity to bring salt and light into their lives; to savor and illuminate. We work hard to represent the Love of God to people, even when we can’t satisfy their material needs at the moment. I don’t want folks seeing Jesus as Someone distant Who made an appearance and then “runn oft’”! Once again, this is not criticism for Kathy’s earlier visitors. It’s simply a point that we must be sensitive to; the need for accurate empathy and clear communication.
Our summer construction program for visiting mission teams is at the halfway point. We’ve just concluded four straight weeks of ministry without a day off. Some teams were very aggressive, highly organized, and accomplished a great amount of work in a short period of time. Others spent as much time developing deeper relationship as they did hammering nails. This past week I was frequently afforded the opportunity to stand in the shade of an apple tree and talk with someone about the things of God, outside of the immediate need for building materials. I LOVE those types of relational moments!
Thanks for keeping the Hills and Hollers of McCreary County, Kentucky, in your hearts, minds and prayers. We have a week to tie up loose ends before the mission team activity once again begins, extending into mid-August. Please pray that we will all be a source of realistic hope in the lives of those we encounter, whether in Clark Holler or Walmart. Blessings to y’all, and Happy Inter-dependence Day!
Jim and Rita Cmolik
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