Port Angeles, WA

Visits Make a Difference

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Our ministry staff, Cathy and Tom Benzler, in Port Angeles, Washington, are keeping tabs on the village elders who are not able to leave their homes. Personal visits to deliver food and friendship help make sure that homebound elders are receiving what they need, when they need it.

Cathy and Tom work with Native people on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, primarily with the elderly. Monthly they drive hundreds of miles visiting shut-ins and elders who are unable to get out of their houses. They often bring along fresh fruits and vegetables, especially if it is near the end of the month when finances are low. Cathy and Tom talk, pray, and share Scripture with those they visit. Because they have become an accepted part of the community, the Benzlers are frequently called by relatives to visit a loved one in the hospital or convalescent center.

When a family member passes away, Cathy helps complete necessary paperwork since many do not read and write well, nor understand what needs to be done. Additionally as part of a funeral, visiting friends and family expect to be fed when they come to call. Cathy is often cooking soups and stews or providing emergency funds for these situations. (There is no Ladies Aid to provide lunch at the church for the family.)

Cathy has become an advocate for the elderly, especially as many are unable to see well enough or speak on their own behalf. This recently included completing forms and seeing lawyers who are working on residential school abuse cases for some of the elders.

As the Benzlers have developed more relationships in the community and become trusted friends, they offer a weekly Bible study on the reservation – geared to the questions and needs of the participants. While the group currently meets in someone’s home, the overall goal is to have them become part of the mission church plant in the Port Angeles area and to offer a more neutral place of confidentiality to meet.