Port Angeles, WA
God's Answer to Prayer
by Cathy Benzler
During the past two years we noticed how the potholes had been growing larger and more dangerous on the driveways and walkways of our elder’s homes on the Lower Elwha Reservation. We had been praying for a solution since we knew this would be a costly job to remedy. It was important for us to find a way to repair them before an accident happened and an elder would be injured walking to and from their home. For the elders that could still drive, it was dangerous because the holes took up the whole width of the driveway.
For two years we prayed. Then we found out about the “Join Hands Day” grant through
Thrivent for Lutherans. Our local chapter agreed to donate this year’s money to help us fix the roads. A local man donated his dump trucks, while at the same time helped us secure the gravel and road material needed to mak the repairs, at a reduced cost.
The Saturday of our “Join Hands Day” event, which we named “Honoring Our Elders Workday,” we had a wonderful turnout! Not only from the Lower Elwha Reservation, but also from the neighboring Makah Indian Reservation in Neah Bay, and volunteers from the cities of Port Angeles and Sequim. We had more than 45 people volunteer their time. We completed 12 elder’s driveways, did trash pick-up, stacked wood and planted vegetable gardens.
The elders were so excited and happy that this work got done. They couldn’t believe that a group of people would come together and donate their time and money to help them. One elder told me how happy she was, not just because the work was getting done, but because there were still people that would reach out to help others. Her prayers were being answered. Another elder, our oldest in the tribe at 99 years, needed wood brought into her home and stacked on her porch. She stood next to me holding onto my arm crying as two teenagers brought in loads of wood for her. She couldn’t stop saying, “thank-you!”
Tom and I were truly blessed and excited to see how 
everyone worked so well together. It was especially awesome to see how well the Makah from Neah Bay and the Klallam from Lower Elwha worked side by side. At lunchtime, Neah Bay people shared an awesome prayer song and then the Lower Elwha shared some of their prayer songs. Everyone laughed and shared and just enjoyed being with each other after a hard day of work. How blessed it is to see how God’s people can come together for a good purpose.
We especially thank the Lord for people like you, our donors, who uphold us in prayer as we minister on the reservations. You are making a difference in the lives of our native people!
Wa’do, ha-ng-sun, & thank you!