From the moment these extraordinary young people tumbled out of their vans on Monday morning, July 11th, they were in constant motion, assembling tools and supplies, setting up ladders, smiling and working together as one team—my crew 43 (actually crews 12 and 31)—on the renovation of my home, inside and out, shoulder to shoulder with their supervisors.
     For one, all-too-brief week, my home was suffused with—and surrounded by—God’s love made visible and tangible by the meticulous work accomplished by these precious young people and their supervisors.
     My home was wrapped in God’s arms, and they were His fingertips.
     Sharing lunchtimes with the volunteers and the conversations set in motion by the daily devotions led by one of the workcampers added so much to the overall experience for me, giving me insight into their hopes and concerns and strengthening my own faith.
     My home is so beautiful now, and wherever I am, inside or out, I can still see their smiling faces and hear their cheerful voices.
     My heart as well as my hearth will be warmed all winter by the memory of the joy each and every one of them gifted me with while they were here. And now I can stay in my home, with renewed hope, thanks to God’s grace.
     I’d like to thank the volunteers, their supervisors, and the youth groups/church groups that made their trips possible to participate in Cairo, New York, from July 11th through 15th. I’d especially like to thank the sponsoring groups from the workcampers’ home churches for making their journeys possible, whether from nearby Hudson or all the way from Louisiana, and to acknowledge the seamless coordination between the adult supervisors to their own home churches.
     Asking for help was so difficult for me, because I was ashamed of not being able to take care of everything on my own. So I prayed, I applied, and put the Creator in charge.
     Faith can indeed move mountains. Thank you, Reach!

Sincerely,
Sylvia Van Sickle