After a tornado struck Choctaw County on April 27, Pastor Mike Rowell and some members of Morgan Chapel Baptist Church, Toxey, went into a small community along County Road 32 to help clean up.
The women began to go door to door, giving out hygiene and other items in the impacted area, said Rowell, who now lives in Grand Bay and serves as an evangelist with his own ministry. As they did so, they came across a family whose home was significantly damaged by the storm.
After visiting with the family, Rowell said he felt the Lord leading him to rebuild its home.
Rowell then met with some pastors in the area to tell them about the need. Quickly Jeremy Sorrells, pastor of First Baptist Church, Butler, said his congregation would get involved.
So the two Choctaw Association churches, other churches and people in the community partnered to complete the building project.
To get support for the project, Rowell used YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about the need.
First, Butler, contributed $10,000 and Morgan Chapel Baptist, which has about 75 in Sunday worship, gave close to $7,000.
In a matter of a couple of weeks, there was enough money to construct the 1,208-square-foot home, with three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms, one of which has the handicap features a family member needed.
In all, almost $37,000 was given to build the home, Rowell reported.
Sorrells said the family also received some federal assistance and disaster relief funding for rebuilding. When companies learned of the construction project, they offered materials at cost, Rowell said. “We had a lot of stuff donated to us.”
In addition, individuals gave household goods to help the family, Sorrells said.
On May 16, construction began. In six days, the home was “blacked in,” and the structure was finished by July.
People from both churches — as well as Cullomburg Baptist Church and Eureka Baptist Church, Lisman — helped build the home. Skilled workers from those churches and Bethel Baptist Church, Canton, N.C., gave their time, the men said.
“It was a miracle,” Sorrells said. “It was definitely a house that love built.”
At the Oct. 23 dedication, about 200 people from the churches involved were present, he said.
But the story does not end there. Through this outpouring of the community and God’s people, three family members came to know Christ as Savior, Rowell said.
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