There is something special about the RVA community. We work together, we laugh together, we go to church together, we do ministry together. Sometimes, it is too much together, and other times it just isn’t enough. I have come to love this community, my rhythms, my routines, the people I see on a regular basis. But what continues to blow me away is how people who have absolutely zero margin in their schedule still carve out time to help one-another in a time of need.

And lately there has been a lot of need. I myself experienced some of it a couple of weeks ago when I came back from a run to an isolated power outage (different from when all of campus is out and running on generators) AND sewage overflowing out the culverts built into my front porch.

I called the maintenance on call number and within minutes five different men were at my home, lifting sewer covers, electrical boxes being opened, tested, breakers being flipped and more. A ladder appeared, men climbing to the electrical lines, a metal rod stuck was through the culvert as a snake to break up the buildup of blockage. Doors of neighbors were knocked on to see how broadly the power outage was… Monkeys were spotted and finally blamed for the disconnected wire.

The blockage was cleared up, but the problem not fixed! Apparently that was my neighbors issue- mine was the next drain cover over, also just as blocked. After another hour of hard labor, the clog cleared up and began to drain. I was so thankful that RVA runs a rent-a-husband program actually dubbed “Maintenance Department.”

The very next week, instead of being on the recieving end of our community, I got to join in the giving side.

“Meal Train: T Family” the first email came through. Significant concussion and additional family crisis was making getting a meal on the table hard.

“Meal Train: J Family” a new life has joined the community! Their baby girl was born. Can someone also sub for some classes? Come spend time with middles schoolers in the dorm?

“Meal Train: M Family” their little one is sick in the hospital. Who is willing to provide sub coverage?

“Meal Trian: H Family” an unexpected broken leg and surgery.

“Meal Train: M2 Family” an trip to the emergency room with a heart anomaly- can someone come and cover the dorm for the evening?

“Meal Train: V Family” another new life! This time a baby boy…

The crazy thing is, as organizer of one of these meal trains myself, even with so many asks out there, I had the privilege of telling someone all the slots were full. Cooking for so many, covering classes, this community knows how to show up!

But it is certainly wearing. Draining on those struggling, draining on those covering.

Would you please be in prayer for our community? In a way I have not experienced before, there is a lot going on, and it is only the third week of term…

Prayer Points

Please pray for health of these little ones, welcoming three new babies in the last month to our campus, there is much excitement to be found!

Please pray for the health of the adults, there is sickness going around involving fevers and colds, never a fun combo, on top of the extreme illnesses we’re already seeing resulting in four different hospitalizations of different staff and their families in the past month.

Please pray for our students, I’m sure they too are feeling the crunch that we’re all as staff experiencing.

Please pray for rest to come from the Lord, and for strength for those willing to step up and step in. I’ve provided a few meals, I’ve covered a couple classes, but now I’m spent as my workload is increasing with other things! I’m happy to help when I have space, and happy to let others help when I don’t. Please pray God would continue to help those who have the space to have the willingness to step in where they can.