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UCC mission volunteers come to the aid of Massena family
A group of volunteers from the United Church of Christ, 1607 Hazel, in Atlantic gathered in Massena on a mission project on Saturday, July 12, to help Chris and Lindsay Blaine work on the house they recently bought to replace their home which was contaminated by flood waters.
Mold Threat
The Rev. Nancy Jensen explained, “Jesus Christ has called us to be His hands and feet, his eyes and ears, and his heart of compassion to the people of this world. When we hear and see others in need, we want to respond and help with that need in any way we are able. When we envision ways to help, our hands and feet are ready to move forward to share Jesus’ heart of love.”
“With that mission in mind, the United Church of Christ in Atlantic had folks who decided it was time to “be Christ” to one of our families who needed some extra help.”
“Last summer, one of the big rains in Massena flooded the home of Chris and Lindsay Blaine and daughter, Natalie. The couple cleaned out the mess as best they could, feeling they had taken care of the problem. But, when it became cold in the fall and they turned on their furnace, the heat caused an explosion of mold to grow.”
The mold grew through the kitchen cabinets, covering everything inside. It enfolded their beds, walls, ceilings, their clothes, and Natalie’s toys.
Remolding lost
Natalie started becoming sick and they soon found their home, which they had been lovingly remodeling step by step for 10 years, became toxic. They had to move out, salvaging what they could.
Chris, Lindsay, and Natalie moved into home of Lindsay’s parents outside of Massena for a while. Lindsay was also expecting at the time, and the family needed their own space, so they moved into a camper parked near their Massena business.
The house with the mold could not be lived in and will need to be demolished. It also had a loan against it, but finally the Blaines were able to secure another loan to purchase a different place to live.
New house
The new house the couple purchased is higher on a hill, so that no water will come into the basement. But, the previous tenants had raised earthworms in the basement and garage. Dirt had covered the floor, with water sprinkled on the dirt to keep it moist. Other animals had been in the main part of the house as well, so it all had to be torn down to the studs.
Chris and Lindsay had been trying to do this work themselves, with Natalie and new baby, Nellie, born in April, along with them and it was going very slowly.
Linda Smith
Church and Home Elder Linda Smith spearheaded the mission project idea. She worked with Chris to find out the exact need and then invited people from the church to help out. Saturday, July 12, 22 people brought their tools and their caring spirits to Chris and Lindsay’s new house to do just that.
These people spent most of the day tearing everything out, down to the studs, in every room. The entire project was completed and later in the afternoon they began building walls. The couple will now be able to start putting up the dry wall throughout the house. United Church of Christ people are already excited about going back to help.
Yvonne Camblin took care of lining up food for the all-day mission project. Many people donated food and drink to keep the workers well fed.
Workers were Bruce and Yvonne Camblin, Gene and Linda Smith, Donnie and Arlene Drennan, Larry and Marlene Hummel, Steve Lewis and Sharon Guffey Lewis, Jack Burrows, Marsha Borders, Sandy Peggs, Sheryl Jensen, Jo Arn, Pastor Nancy Jensen, Chris’ mother, Shirley; his stepfather, Al; his grandfather, George; and a community friend, plus Chris and Lindsay, spent the day working hard, and together.
“It was an absolutely spectacular day,” Pastor Nancy declared. “Not only did we accomplish what would have taken Chris and Lindsay weeks and weeks to do, we totally enjoyed the fellowship of working together in Christ’s name, hands and feet carrying His love to those who need a helping hand.
“We want to continue helping until we can get this young family safely and comfortably into their new home. We thank all who helped in every way, and thank God for giving us the vision and empowering us to do the work together.”
Mold Threat
The Rev. Nancy Jensen explained, “Jesus Christ has called us to be His hands and feet, his eyes and ears, and his heart of compassion to the people of this world. When we hear and see others in need, we want to respond and help with that need in any way we are able. When we envision ways to help, our hands and feet are ready to move forward to share Jesus’ heart of love.”
“With that mission in mind, the United Church of Christ in Atlantic had folks who decided it was time to “be Christ” to one of our families who needed some extra help.”
“Last summer, one of the big rains in Massena flooded the home of Chris and Lindsay Blaine and daughter, Natalie. The couple cleaned out the mess as best they could, feeling they had taken care of the problem. But, when it became cold in the fall and they turned on their furnace, the heat caused an explosion of mold to grow.”
The mold grew through the kitchen cabinets, covering everything inside. It enfolded their beds, walls, ceilings, their clothes, and Natalie’s toys.
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Natalie started becoming sick and they soon found their home, which they had been lovingly remodeling step by step for 10 years, became toxic. They had to move out, salvaging what they could.
Chris, Lindsay, and Natalie moved into home of Lindsay’s parents outside of Massena for a while. Lindsay was also expecting at the time, and the family needed their own space, so they moved into a camper parked near their Massena business.
The house with the mold could not be lived in and will need to be demolished. It also had a loan against it, but finally the Blaines were able to secure another loan to purchase a different place to live.
New house
The new house the couple purchased is higher on a hill, so that no water will come into the basement. But, the previous tenants had raised earthworms in the basement and garage. Dirt had covered the floor, with water sprinkled on the dirt to keep it moist. Other animals had been in the main part of the house as well, so it all had to be torn down to the studs.
Chris and Lindsay had been trying to do this work themselves, with Natalie and new baby, Nellie, born in April, along with them and it was going very slowly.
Linda Smith
Church and Home Elder Linda Smith spearheaded the mission project idea. She worked with Chris to find out the exact need and then invited people from the church to help out. Saturday, July 12, 22 people brought their tools and their caring spirits to Chris and Lindsay’s new house to do just that.
These people spent most of the day tearing everything out, down to the studs, in every room. The entire project was completed and later in the afternoon they began building walls. The couple will now be able to start putting up the dry wall throughout the house. United Church of Christ people are already excited about going back to help.
Yvonne Camblin took care of lining up food for the all-day mission project. Many people donated food and drink to keep the workers well fed.
Workers were Bruce and Yvonne Camblin, Gene and Linda Smith, Donnie and Arlene Drennan, Larry and Marlene Hummel, Steve Lewis and Sharon Guffey Lewis, Jack Burrows, Marsha Borders, Sandy Peggs, Sheryl Jensen, Jo Arn, Pastor Nancy Jensen, Chris’ mother, Shirley; his stepfather, Al; his grandfather, George; and a community friend, plus Chris and Lindsay, spent the day working hard, and together.
“It was an absolutely spectacular day,” Pastor Nancy declared. “Not only did we accomplish what would have taken Chris and Lindsay weeks and weeks to do, we totally enjoyed the fellowship of working together in Christ’s name, hands and feet carrying His love to those who need a helping hand.
“We want to continue helping until we can get this young family safely and comfortably into their new home. We thank all who helped in every way, and thank God for giving us the vision and empowering us to do the work together.”
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