Behold! A Builder!

May 3, 2011

Dear Heroes!

For months we have been wrestling with the problem of finding a trustworthy builder to supervise the building of the first block of classrooms for the new school in Grippis Farm. Many local Zambian builders were considered, but none had clear reputations. In the meantime, a wonderful church in Texas was moved to fund raise and book tickets to go to Zambia to help build the classrooms! When Vincent was in the U.S. in March, we talked and prayed about the urgent need for a builder would arrive in Zambia by June 1, to set the stage for the team, get the materials, have the foundation ready by the time the Texas team would arrive on July 1. Praise God -with only one month to spare, God spoke to someone's heart to be our builder! Below is his life story and how it led to his acceptance of this role. He is a God-send, and we are so thankful for him!

Please Remember The GHIGolf Tournament on May 16 . It is our one major fund raiser for this calendar year to raise funds to support the school, the animal husbandry, the sewing, and the adult education projects. We still need 4 teams of golfers. Let me know if you want to put a team together to help us raise the needed funds. Email me at tanya@grassrootsheroes.org

Our Builder: Alvin Graber

I was born and raised on a farm in Central Illinois. I was introduced to residential construction at the age of 16 by working for my brother, who was a general building contractor, when I didn’t have farm duties. I became a Christian at age 15 and immediately sensed a call to some sort of Christian ministry. I and my best friend became leaders of a vibrant youth group at our church which lasted several years until we both went our separate ways. After getting married and starting a family, both myself and my wife Doris felt uncomfortable just living and working in my home community. After a time of fasting and prayer, we were led to serve as youth leaders in a stateside mission outpost in southern Indiana. While being there, getting acclimated to our new responsibility for only six months, the senior pastor suddenly died. The sponsoring mission board then asked me to serve as an interim pastor, which turned into a 10 year interim. Sensing the need for some additional pastoral training and having qualified local men who were willing to give leadership to the church, I and my family moved to Harrisonburg, VA for 2 years of additional training.
We then moved to Knoxville, TN to pastor another mission church. While there, the family became involved in a limited ministry to University of Tennessee international students, along with ex-prison inmates and displaced families. After seven years there, Doris’ aging parents requested us to moved close to their home to help care for them. In 1987 the decision was made to move to Waynesboro, VA where Doris ‘ parents lived. Upon hearing of our intended move, a local church requested for me to consider a pastorate there. It was accepted. That pastorate lasted until 1998 when for a number of reasons I resigned the pastorate to join the construction business that I and David Kanagy had launched in 1990. (Most all of my pastoral years were bi-vocational, pastoring while also working in construction.) I worked full-time until the fall of 2008, when work slowed to the point of needing to lay off some of our employee’s. Instead of laying off anyone, I chose to retire and pursue other opportunities. I have been doing a lot of volunteer work with various disaster relief organizations such as MDS, Samaritan’s Purse, CAMA (the mercy branch of the Christian and Missionary Alliance), and a national organization called, “Rebuilding Together”, which specializes in small additions and home repairs for low income families.
Doris and I have been working with international students from Mary Baldwin College, a local school. This has given us an opportunity for many cross cultural experiences along with numerous foreign missions trips sponsored by the churches we have attended, both presently and in the past.
Also our daughter and her husband are YWAM missionaries in Thailand. These connections and experiences have served to make us conscience of global needs. After being introduced to Grassroots Heroes International by our neighbor, Marilyn Burkholder and invited to an informational meeting with Vincent sharing about Grippes Farms needs, my spirit seemed to connect. After much prayer and some counsel from trusted friends and family, I said yes to the need as it was presented. I’m looking forward to serve the Lord, Grippes Farms community and Grassroots Heroes in the coming weeks of June and July.