This summer Patty Marsh received an unusual request. Her phone rang, and a Marilyn from Maine was on the line. "In my four years as Adventist Community Services director, this is the first time I've received a request like this," says Marsh.
Marilyn's friend, Bev, in Spokane, Wash., needed a roof on her home. Neither woman is a member of the Adventist Church, but Marilyn saw Community Services and Disaster Response in the church name, and she thought it might be a caring church.
After chatting with Marilyn, Marsh sent the request out to the Spokane-area pastors. Roger Rudd, Linwood Church head elder, drove over to see Bev. She had been working on her roof herself, and she is disabled. He gathered four members from his church to help by clearing off the old shingles. They canceled an upcoming canoe/kayak trip on the Little Spokane River to allow the time to do some "roofing evangelism."
Rudd laid tarps on the roof because of the chance of rain, and Ted, South Hill Church member, was able to help finish the removal of the old roof and lay roofing felt.
Other local pastors also contacted Marsh to volunteer their church members' help. With all the help already, Bev was able to accept a bid from a contractor to finish the roof.
She is so appreciative of all the help that she would like to give back to the church by telling a children's story about her dogs. She raises service animals and has two trained springer spaniels that may accompany her to the Linwood Church soon.
Perhaps Matthew 25:35 could be paraphrased to say, "for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you put a roof on My house."
Spokane-area church members help remove shingles from the roof of a community member needing help. (Bev)
