Hope rising from the ground

What if we come together for the Kingdom of God? In Georgia, here’s what that looks like.   

North Ohio Assisting Hands (NOAH), an Amish group that works collaboratively with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), has been framing homes in Douglas and Coffee counties.  

Thanks to a partnership with The Hope Initiative and Hope Force International, wall systems were transported into the area, where NOAH crews were able to quickly frame them up. “Watching these walls rise into place within days was truly something to behold,” said Lisa Mathews, executive director of The Hope Initiative. “Each home was ‘in the dry’ so quickly that it felt like witnessing a miracle. Hope was literally rising from the ground.” 

NOAH volunteers gather with partner groups and local homeowners each week for Thursday Share Nights. “Families and volunteers gather to share meals, tell their stories, sing hymns, and encourage one another,” described Mathews. “The relationships formed in these moments are powerful and lasting.” 

After Hurricane Helene devastated the area, Mathews sees this as “a beautiful example of what can be accomplished when we come together for the Kingdom of God.”