![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/74\/2011\/08\/Tools-logo.jpg\" "\\"Tools-logo\\""){kind=logo}
\u201cYou know, guys just like to do<\/em> stuff,\u201d Anderson notes with a touch of whimsy. \u201cWe’d rather not just sit around and \u2018chat.”<\/p>\nThe men began collecting lists of small jobs when one of the congregation members mentioned a family with three children. \u201cOne of the children has had high medical bills,\u201d Anderson says. The father was working two part-time jobs. The only bathroom for the entire family had tiles falling off the wall and into the bathtub.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few of us went over with introductions from the neighbor, and after one look, we had to offer our help,\u201d Anderson says. \u201cNot only were the ceramic tiles falling off, but there was mold and mildew behind them. There were plastic tiles on the other walls that were falling off, and the peel-and-stick flooring was in very sad shape. We didn’t know how, but we said we’d fix it for them, and that they wouldn’t have to worry about paying for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one in the group had ever planned on doing such a large project. After all, Anderson says, \u201cWe had no materials, no money, and seemingly little time.\u201d But then God showed he was involved.<\/p>\n
Donations started and kept coming in: a tub, ceramic floor tiles, drywall, insulation, plumbing, and needed tools. The Bible study normally draws between three and five people, but from November 3 to November 18, more than a dozen volunteers donated hundreds of hours, Anderson says. Work crews ranged from individuals to teams of eight and often worked from 7 p.m. to past midnight.<\/p>\n
The new bathroom looks nothing like it had previously because of the teams\u2019 work:
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Walls were replaced
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Blown-in insulation was replaced with fiberglass
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Plain drywall was replaced with a moisture-resistant variety
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The sub floor was replaced with ceramic tile
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The shower piping was re-plumbed
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Portions of the walls were replaced with paneling, trim and baseboard<\/p>\n
As the work continued, good news kept coming for the family and the work crew, whose lives had become interconnected. The mother was hired for a part-time job and the father was hired to begin a full-time job. The couple also received a city grant to repair the leaky roof as well as replace windows and siding – jobs that were too big for the \u201cMen with Tools\u201d study group.<\/p>\n
Developing relationships with the family, who weren\u2019t sure what to think when the project started, also has been important, Anderson says. \u201cThey couldn\u2019t believe anybody would do this out of the blue. As soon as we began ripping into the walls, they realized we were serious. Over time, we became pretty close.\u201d<\/p>\n
Experiencing God\u2019s work while they did their own has proved a blessing for the work team as well, says Anderson, adding it is a reminder that they are part of something bigger.<\/p>\n
To learn more about the church and its ministries, please see Dearborn Evangelical Covenant<\/a>.<\/p>\n