ANNA — Helen Lamastus didn’t know she was going to have a new roof this summer, but she did know having a leaky one was not ideal.
Abby Lightle agreed.
Lightle is one of the project leaders, youth group leader, one of the lay leaders at Anna and Botkins United Methodist Churches and a teacher at Fort Loramie, and was the main initiative behind this year’s “Love One More” missions project from the churches.
This is the second year the churches have conducted a local missions trip. This trip’s recipient is Lamastus, 91, 507 E. Main St., Anna, who’s house needed some love and care. In fact, the project’s title was drawn from the Bible verse John 13:34, which discusses loving one another.
This year’s project is even more important to the churches because Lamastus is a member of the Anna UMC.
“I overheard Helen talking to her friends about having a leak in her roof and how expensive it would be,” Lightle said. “So she graciously allowed us to replace it.”
The project took place over four days, June 1 to 4, ending at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The team of about 50 total volunteers ranging in age from 9 to over 70 are replacing the roof, giving the front porch a face lift, landscaping, overhauling the shed, painting window frames and power-washing and re-staining Lamastus’ outside furniture.
All members of the church and community are encouraged to help with the project. Pastor Randy Locker said the work was divided by ability.
“The younger kids stay on the ground and do groundwork,” he said. “We have people who can’t make it out here, and they’re our prayer warriors.”
Lamastus says this work is indicative of the kind of community Anna is. “It’s a close knit community,” she said. “Everybody looks out for everybody.”
Anna Mayor Mark Pulfer says the local missions trip came about last year when schedules didn’t work for the usual North Carolina trip. “Abby wanted to do something, and saw a need right here,” he said. “This is a much better way to involve the entire community.”
Lightle and Pulfer are co-project leaders and do all the behind the scenes work: finding the job, looking for volunteers, ordering the materials and finding donors. One of this year’s donors Agape Distribution Inc.
“It’s the response from volunteers that drives these projects,” Pulfer said.
More photos and updates from the project can be found on the “Anna UMC” Facebook page.
