Woolwine United Methodist Church, Woolwine, VA
Wow. The world is truly full of surprises. Take, for instance, the discovery I made this morning that my expenses back home in the US were skyrocketing even as my income was remaining fixed. To say I had a panic attack was an understatement. While I won't go into the ins and outs of why my economic situation is suddenly changing, but suffice it to say that for a long ten minutes or so, I was reeling at the prospect of calling my mom and figuring out what exactly I was going to do.
I don't know why it's so hard for me to admit my difficulties to my parents; I guess you could call it foolish pride. I have worked very hard to be the best person I felt I could be, but when my world gets rocked I immediately reject the help I know they would be prepared to offer and try to handle it myself. Almost never a good idea. Luckily for me, I have Roman here to talk some sense into me, and he managed to calm me down and convince me to call home.
And boy am I glad I did! When I explained the situation to my mother, she was surprisingly calm and casually said "Well... you've got a little bit of money here... something from Woolwine..."
Woolwine.
Because I'm certain very few of you know anything about the location and relative size of this gem, let me tell you a little about Woolwine. For starters, Woolwine is a small town- town is actually an overstatement- deep in the heart of Patrick County, Virginia. It is 8 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, 36 miles from Christiansburg and Blacksburg, and about 25 miles from Martinsville. The population MIGHT be around 500 or so. And the downtown area consists of three main commercial buildings, a bank, an Elementary School, and a volunteer Fire/Rescue squad. It is everything that you equate with Appalachia- orchards, rolling hills, hidden streams...the works.
What is also important to know is that while my mother says Woolwine, she is actually referring to Woolwine United Methodist Church- the place where she was married and I was Baptised all those long years ago. I have such fond memories of this little country church. It is postcard-perfect, having even been featured in National Geographic years ago in a photobook of Appalachia. The congregation is small, but devoted; this is still a place where people remember your great grandmother, keep up with you even though you live in another state, and remember your mother when she was just a little girl.
What is perhaps most important to know about Woolwine UMC is that the money they sent- a large sum for a small, primarily elderly congregation- was the answer to a prayer I hadn't even had a chance to pray. This little church, filled with such love and heart, came to the rescue of one of their own- even though many of them haven't seen me in years. What counts is that they know where I'm coming from, and they know where I am...and they want to see me flourish. And I will... with their love and help, combined with the love and care of my own congregation. This is truly what the Christian family is all about.
Wow. The world is truly full of surprises. Take, for instance, the discovery I made this morning that my expenses back home in the US were skyrocketing even as my income was remaining fixed. To say I had a panic attack was an understatement. While I won't go into the ins and outs of why my economic situation is suddenly changing, but suffice it to say that for a long ten minutes or so, I was reeling at the prospect of calling my mom and figuring out what exactly I was going to do.
I don't know why it's so hard for me to admit my difficulties to my parents; I guess you could call it foolish pride. I have worked very hard to be the best person I felt I could be, but when my world gets rocked I immediately reject the help I know they would be prepared to offer and try to handle it myself. Almost never a good idea. Luckily for me, I have Roman here to talk some sense into me, and he managed to calm me down and convince me to call home.
And boy am I glad I did! When I explained the situation to my mother, she was surprisingly calm and casually said "Well... you've got a little bit of money here... something from Woolwine..."
Woolwine.
Because I'm certain very few of you know anything about the location and relative size of this gem, let me tell you a little about Woolwine. For starters, Woolwine is a small town- town is actually an overstatement- deep in the heart of Patrick County, Virginia. It is 8 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, 36 miles from Christiansburg and Blacksburg, and about 25 miles from Martinsville. The population MIGHT be around 500 or so. And the downtown area consists of three main commercial buildings, a bank, an Elementary School, and a volunteer Fire/Rescue squad. It is everything that you equate with Appalachia- orchards, rolling hills, hidden streams...the works.
What is also important to know is that while my mother says Woolwine, she is actually referring to Woolwine United Methodist Church- the place where she was married and I was Baptised all those long years ago. I have such fond memories of this little country church. It is postcard-perfect, having even been featured in National Geographic years ago in a photobook of Appalachia. The congregation is small, but devoted; this is still a place where people remember your great grandmother, keep up with you even though you live in another state, and remember your mother when she was just a little girl.
What is perhaps most important to know about Woolwine UMC is that the money they sent- a large sum for a small, primarily elderly congregation- was the answer to a prayer I hadn't even had a chance to pray. This little church, filled with such love and heart, came to the rescue of one of their own- even though many of them haven't seen me in years. What counts is that they know where I'm coming from, and they know where I am...and they want to see me flourish. And I will... with their love and help, combined with the love and care of my own congregation. This is truly what the Christian family is all about.
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