Stories


Here are stories from years past!

The power to change our community!
Here is a story from Meredith T. during the 2011 service week.
“Yesterday, during Operation Foundation I led a group of Anderson University football players.  Our project was to pick-up trash along the railroad tracks.  Most of the people that come to help out with OFPA are volunteers but my group quickly let me know that they were being made to participate by their football coaches.  Upon hearing this I became a little discouraged thinking that they may be reluctant to doing the work or have a bad attitude about it not realizing what a great service they were doing for their community.  But God likes to use these experiences to teach us something and I quickly learned that with my group  a little encouragement went a long way.  I found that by reminding them what a wonderful service they were providing and encouraging them as they took part in cleaning up the community they seemed to really respond in a good way.  My group made two trips to the railroad tracks to pick up trash.  Both times we filled the trash bags until we did not have anymore.  Some of the members of my group even found walmart bags alongside the tracks that they used to fill with trash as well.  I was very encouraged by their enthusiasm and I had a good time getting to know some of my fellow students and having the opportunity to serve alongside them.  Not only does Operation Foundation do a lot for the community of Anderson but it also serves those who volunteer or participate because it teaches us that we have the power to change our community for the better.  I am anxious to see what else this week of Operation Foundation has in store for the community and those participating in this service.”
 
Also, Kayla M. sent all the leaders of OFPA this verse from the Bible, and I’d like to share it with you!

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed! We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”  Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.  All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being RENEWED day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

AU sports helping out
Cleaning up the railroad tracks
Spreading the love through selfless action
Here is a story from the archives of 2009. It is written by Chris Russell.
"As day two of OFPA came to a close, I was taken back by how much 85 volunteers can accomplish. Today Jon Bausman and I were ‘Logistical Support’ for the volunteers across Anderson. We had the fulfilling task of hydrating, restocking, and transporting the hard-working volunteers throughout the afternoon. As we scurried back and forth throughout A-Town, I began to see how impactful the volunteers of OFPA are in the community. After hearing stories from various volunteers about various people in the community asking them why they were helping and hearing how appreciative the people in the community were, it became clear how important OFPA is to spreading the love that we as Christians should through selfless action.
I am excited to see what will happen the rest of the week. Tomorrow there will be a TON of people there to help improve the aesthetics of Anderson. Make sure you volunteer and serve in this incredible opportunity!"

A picture of a 2009 group painting


God's beautiful creation

Take heart, for what we do truly makes a difference!
"Last year, April 2011, was my first year with Operation. I remember one of the first days I was out on a project with a mixture of Smith Hall RA's and Smith Hall residents. We were preparing for a unique project in which we were power washing the siding of a home in our area, not but 3 blocks from the Geater Center. We were all set to go, but after looking around the exterior of the house I realized there was no faucet or water pipe to hook a hose into for the water to pump into the power washer. In need of help, I frantically looked around for any sight of a water source. I spot a house across the street at an angle. There were at half a dozen people of all ages gathered on the front porch talking and visiting. I decide to go over and ask for assistance. A gentlemen (the owner of the house I approached) pointed me to a water outlet on the side of his house. We ran a link of two hoses across the road and managed the project effectively. The gentleman who allowed us to use his water realized what we were doing to help the community and presented the idea to me to help out his bookstore he was opening just around the corner. Together, we went to look at the building he had bought. He told me of his plans to open the building into a bookstore and told me what still needed to be done. I made a list of things we could do and two days later we were able to show up to this newly created site and help with things such as scraping off lumped sections of paint, painting over the newly exposed area's, and even filling cracks in the block walls with instant cement mix. It was great to see such a quick turn around on a project that was created through a conversation I struck up with them. Take heart, for what we do truly makes a difference. I drove by the bookstore just the other day and saw that it was opened. Here are some before, during, and after pictures."

Before
Preparing for paint!!!

 


Painting
After
"Much of the credit goes to the business owner, but it was great to see that we had a part in it."

-David