Fee Fee’s Kitchen Building Project

Twice a month Euphemia “Fee Fee” Jones walks from her front door to a makeshift kitchen her husband Calvin built a few years back and begins cooking. But she’s not cooking for two. Try more than 800! From a pantry stocked with food from The Rice Depot and other ministries and with the help of about 10 to 15 volunteers Calvin and Fee Fee cook and deliver meals to seniors and shut-ins all over Warren and Bradley County, Arkansas.

But the Jones’ love for service goes beyond just cooking. The stories in South Arkansas of their charity and kindness are legion. One such tail includes the editor of the local paper who says after news got out that he and his wife were expecting Fee Fee demanded he get over to her house right away. When he did she had a box packed full of diapers and other new born needs.

Now, tales of charity like this are rare but not uncommon until you consider that Calvin and Fee Fee Jones have a take home income of less than $1,000 month. That becomes clearly evident when you visit their home. The walls are buckling, the foundation is sinking and the ceiling is porous. Last year a group of volunteer builders from the local Baptist association came by to try and help but the condition of the house was so bad all they could do was put tarps on the roof and pray for God to intervene.

Well, He has. While I had met and ministered alongside Calvin and Fee Fee a few years back I had no idea of their condition until I received a batch of letters back in December from their church and other friends asking for help. I knew immediately this is something God wanted us to do. Jesus said that when you give “it will be given back to you; good measure, pressed down shaken together running over they will pour into your lap!” (Luke 6:38) Well folks, ‘we,’ you and me, are the ‘they’ Jesus spoke about. Calvin and Fee Fee have given above and beyond their ability. Now it’s our turn.

In the days and weeks to come we will begin posting more and more details on the web site such as a materials list and a price list so be sure and tune in regularly but what we can announce is this: The county has provided a large dumpster and beginning immediately volunteers are needed to clear trash and debris from the lot. Once the lot is cleared the house will be torn down and disposed of.

The Norwood Project

Last summer Gary Norwood's brother, who lived in West Virginia, passed away. He had four kids that needed a home, so his orphaned children came to live with Gary and his wife in Pettus, AR just outside of Lonoke. Gary and his wife, Donna, live in a small 600-square-foot house out in the country. Fine for them... but not for their brand new large family. So Gary decided to build a new house.

Since the Fall, Gary, who works the 3rd shift at Prospect Steel, would come home from work, get a few hours sleep, then start laying the foundation for the new house all by himself. With little help Gary had the foundation built, sub floor put in, the walls erected and was enlisting help to put on the roof when those severe storms of January 8th moved through Arkansas and knocked it all down.

Gary and his wife do not have their hands out. They are both employed, she at the Prothro Medical Clinic, and they have very big hearts. Their mail carrier actually brought this story to our attention as she's watched the house go up piece by piece...she was heartbroken!

A crowd of around 50 people were on hand despite the light rainand drizzle to help dedicateto the Lord Gary & Donna Norwood's new house.

We helped warm the house with:

Flowers so it may always know beauty.
Bread that it may never know hunger.
Salt that it may always have flavor.
A Candle that it may never know darkness &
Wine that joy and prosperity may reign forever!