BETSY'S SIDE OF THE STORY

Just when I thought things were at the very worst in my life, I said a prayer; this was something I hadn’t done in many years. 

I sat down and wrote a letter to an old classmate asking him if he knew of ANYONE who could help me.  You see I had finally reached the very bottom ~ my life seemed as if there was NO hope for me ever to have a life with a safe, non-leaking, warm home for myself and my 2 dogs. Then it happened!  

My dear friend found me an angel from FrontLine his name is George…unlikely name for an angel ~ but none the less he is one!   

George did what all angels do….he gathered his angels to help me.  Before I knew it I had all kinds of people coming to “look and see what they could do to help me”.  

I had not had many people at all (actually NO company) in the house in years due to the disrepair of my home.  BUT with George’s prompting that “things will be ok ~ I promise” and his famous “keep smiling” I left people with hearts bigger than I had ever seen come thru the mess I called home ~ and then a day or so later George would say ~ well today we are going to…… and there it began! 

My back yard looked like a large unkempt jungle!  I have a heart condition and the trimming of the hedges and weeds were just too much and it looked really nasty back there.  

George brought into my life some young men that I will NEVER forget. These young men were the most polite, courteous young men I have ever met.  

They worked hard those days cleaning up back there, not a minute of complaining, even though it was really warm! 

I offered to get them a drink at the local store and their response was “no thank you ma’am” ~ something you RARELY hear from young people these days!  I was impressed.  

I stayed out back and watched them take down the jungle and turn my back yard into a yard again!  
While they did this work, in the heat of the day…can you believe ~ they SANG gospel songs!!  Their voices are indeed a treat to hear!  

During the next few months these young men did LOTS of work in and around my home for me. They worked with the electrician, plumber and anyone who would show them how to do this work (shadowing and learning the whole time).  

They learned how to run power tools (safely) They put together the new cabinets that will be in my kitchen…they did in a short time become dear to me.  

In fact two of the young men went to New York in November and they invited me to hear them sing at church before they left.  What a wonderful treat that was!  

They never questioned anything that was asked of them, and they looked always for guidance from George.  They looked on him as a spiritual guide and were/are very much his young angels.

There are more “young angels” that have been helping me, a young man whose father is my friend ~ has put up dry wall, cut and pounded nails all with a smile. Even a young woman who has her father’s “beautiful heart” ~ that would be George’s daughter.  She cut and sanded and painted and not once without a smile. 

The FrontLine Ministries are lucky to have such a man to serve.  I have seen him in tears worried about me, and my health and the condition that I lived in. 

He has taught me a lot about things I thought I had forgotten….God and the need to keep Him close to your heart. 

One of the volunteer helpers took the time to help me understand the need for a personal relationship with Christ. I now have that and I have been to church every weekend in the last few months…and my whole life seems calmer, I am more at peace than I have been in years! 

My kitchen roof had leaked for years, since my husband left me ~ the bathroom roof had leaked long enough that the tub went thru the floor!  My X had been “kind enough” <choke choke> to turn off the water in the bathroom so it wouldn’t freeze ~ and he left.

I had no heat ~ only ONE wall heater outside my bedroom…that was a very cold winter!!!  I would come home from work – go in my room – get into bed and see my breath! 

I would cover up as best I could, call my trusty “heaters” (my dogs) into bed and we would cuddle and go to sleep.  

I am not sure how George found all the help he came up with to get my home into the shape it is now…but I KNOW it had to take a lot of time and effort. 

He never got upset when he would get one thing done only to find out that something underneath that which was “fixed” needed repair as well.  He just kept on saying the profound words….”keep smilin’ it will be ok”…..  

The bathroom that was in such disrepair and the kitchen with the leaky roof soon disappeared off the house .

My house is becoming my “HOME” now…thanks to all of the wonderful people who have helped with either their time and expertise, donations, or just plain elbow grease.  

There are over 25 people that either I never knew before or knew just by name or from school. Now I call them friend. At least 10 businesses helped and they didn’t even know me either.  

Can you imagine how that makes me feel?  I went from feeling so alone and scared because I had NO idea what was going to happen to me, to making new friends, ones that just helped “because”. This amazes me!  

Like George and my dear friend and his wife that “introduced” George to my life keep telling me…. Trust in the Lord and all things are possible.  ONWARD AND UPWARD! 

Well my prayers for help and guidance were answered.  With nothing asked for in return, this man and his ideals have changed my life forever.

Betsy,
Bellwood PA