Posts by startingover

Dozens of members of the local religious community were among the more than 3,800 volunteers who helped build a new home for Mary Ann Riojas, 37, and her four teenage children in west-central Fresno. The goal was to make a wheelchair-accessible home for Riojas, who was born with no legs, one complete arm and a right one that ends at the elbow with stunted fingers.

ERIC PAUL ZAMORA / THE FRESNO BEE

An unidentified boy holds a sign of hope on Jan. 15, the day that Mary Ann Riojas and family first saw their new home, which was rebuilt for the show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

In the process, members of the religious community say they felt a sense of spirituality - God at work - as they experienced a community coming together despite the bad economy. They say they also felt scriptural passages played out as volunteers laid the home's foundation, raised the framing and performed many other jobs.

"I had an overall sense of God speaking to people's hearts" and working through people, says Vickie Robinson, a member of The Bridge who volunteered in hospitality at the project's site.

Hansen says his understanding of the bottom line of ABC-TV reality show - to rally a community to provide a family with a home that better suits its needs - made it easier for him to feel God at work in the Fresno project.

"They imitate what God does," he says, adding that he regularly watches the TV show and, like so many other viewers, sobs a lot.

And what does God do?

Hansen believes God steps into people's lives who need help when they can't help themselves. The show has the same premise, he says.

Hansen says he learned through Jan. 5 media reports that "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" would help a family in the Fresno area. And his ears perked up. The Bridge challenges its members to put their "fingers into Fresno" - to reconnect with the city by getting involved in its needs.

Hansen says he wanted The Bridge to get involved. After the Riojas family was named Jan. 8 as the show's recipients, The Bridge began taking members in the church's van to the site. Hansen and others prayed over the neighborhood, and they talked with others.

When Hansen learned there was a movement for donations to pay off Riojas' existing mortgage, something pulled at his heart. "That's it," he said. He told officials from De Young Properties, who were overseeing the project, to put The Bridge down for $25,000.

Hansen informed the congregation at Sunday service the next day.

"He was sticking his neck out in faith," remembers Patty Behrens, who founded The Bridge's ministry, Care Connections. She volunteered collecting canned food at the "Extreme Makeover" site from people who took the shuttle bus from downtown to the site; the food was donated to the Community Food Bank.

Then the church raised $25,000.

"It's really God's story - God rallying this church," Hansen says, adding that he had

some reservations after making the commitment. "I thought maybe we would raise half."

The day after the Riojas family viewed their new home, Hansen was part of a Jan. 16 ceremony in which many businesses and organizations showered the Riojases with gifts. Pelco, Inland Star Distribution Centers and Fashion Fair also made large financial donations that swelled the mortgage money to $125,000. The Bridge's contribution was the largest by a congregation.

Behrens says she was glad to see the The Bridge's generosity, which crossed denominational lines. The Riojas family are Jehovah's Witnesses.

Sometimes, churches stay inward-focused," she says. "But Jesus didn't say, 'I'm going to help those people - and not those.' Jesus helped everybody. It's about showing the love of Christ. I definitely saw God's hand in it."

Some members of the religious community say they felt a sense of spirituality - as spectators.

When more than 5,000 people jammed onto the street to see the Riojas family view the home for the first time Jan. 15, Jan Lakovich had a prime spot near the VIP tent. She attends a weekly Bible Study Fellowship program at New Covenant Community Church, and the "Extreme Makeover" home reminded her of the group's studies on Moses and the Tabernacle.

"When it was completed, Moses inspected it and pronounced it completed as the Lord has commanded," she says. "Fast-forward to today - and Moses would've said, 'Move that bus!'"

Lakovich says she felt God at work in the community effort, too.

"It takes a lot of commitment and accountability to do this," she says. "I think God is reflected in this, even though it's not faith-based."

Not far from Lakovich, 9-year-old Jacob Gonzalez of Merced stood across the street from the Riojas home behind a metal railing with his mother, Liz Gonzalez. They arrived at 7 a.m. - and waited nearly nine hours until the Riojases arrived in a white limousine.

They prayed together the previous night. After finishing, Jacob, a fourth-grader at Chenoweth Elementary School, said, "Mom, I feel something special is going to happen tomorrow." And it did.

The Riojases saw their new home - but not before a show designer, John Littlefield, picked Jacob out of the crowd and asked him to look at the bedroom of Mary Ann Riojas' son, Angel, 15. Littlefield wanted to know what Jacob thought. Mom came along, too.

"We got to see the whole house," she says. "And it was a blessing."

14

Something important from the RBC

by startingover in

jw
friends

i was around a group of jw's last night, and one mentioned how at their recent kh remodel, done by the rbc, they eliminated their ceiling fans.

the rbc said that the fans were operating at a certain frequency that made it hard to concentrate.

they were not sure what the frequency that was referred to was, electrical or the fan blades.

startingover

It came from a guy who must be the PO (or whatever new name they go by now) of the hall that was being remodeled. They apparently turned the whole operation over the the RBC and many were upset that the fans were taken down. What I related is what he said he was told by the RBC. I do know a couple of guys on the RBC, I will ask them if when I get a chance.

14

Something important from the RBC

by startingover in

jw
friends

i was around a group of jw's last night, and one mentioned how at their recent kh remodel, done by the rbc, they eliminated their ceiling fans.

the rbc said that the fans were operating at a certain frequency that made it hard to concentrate.

they were not sure what the frequency that was referred to was, electrical or the fan blades.

startingover

Or maybe the fans didn't fit into the decorating scheme. From what I've heard the RBC really comes in and takes over.

34

Where is hell?

by startingover in

jw
friends

i am posing this question to christians.

this is a sincere question..

startingover

Thanks Leolaia

Intersting stuff.

34

Where is hell?

by startingover in

jw
friends

i am posing this question to christians.

this is a sincere question..

startingover

14

Something important from the RBC

by startingover in

jw
friends

i was around a group of jw's last night, and one mentioned how at their recent kh remodel, done by the rbc, they eliminated their ceiling fans.

the rbc said that the fans were operating at a certain frequency that made it hard to concentrate.

they were not sure what the frequency that was referred to was, electrical or the fan blades.

startingover

I was around a group of JW's last night, and one mentioned how at their recent KH remodel, done by the RBC, they eliminated their ceiling fans. THe RBC said that the fans were operating at a certain frequency that made it hard to concentrate. They were not sure what the frequency that was referred to was, electrical or the fan blades. Anyway, all their fans were disassembled and were sent somewhere, Mexico was mentioned.

I guess they don't have a problem with frequency in Mexico.

14

The Earth is the Center of the Universe

by startingover in

jw
friends

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc8an6tibm4&feature=channel.

startingover

Watch this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvM-6iiCFcw&feature=channel