Goodrich – Nasaria Downer needed a little help.
The 66-year-old Clarkston resident’s home was in dire need of restoration’in fact, it was so bad that she moved to a pole barn on her property which her family converted to a one bedroom apartment.
Arthritis in her shoulders caused her so much pain that restoring her house was just a dream.
‘I just wanted my house restored so my nine grandchildren and family could come over and sit around the same table with my ten brothers and sisters,? she said. ‘I wanted this to happen before I died,? she said.
Nasaria attempted tearing down the drywall in an effort to restore the home on her own, but she said the work was slow and painful.
That’s when Nasaria’s sister, Blanca, contacted Pastor Jeff Stonerock at Victory World Outreach in Goodrich. Nasaria had been a member of the church for more than 22 years’helping out the congregation in a variety of functions.
‘I remember the phone call I got,? said Downer. ‘It was the first of October. Pastor Jeff called me and said to me, ‘I hear you need help.? I was in disbelief because I didn’t know that anyone else knew about my house.?
Downer said she spent most of the next day in tears of joy.
‘I was teaching our youth group one night about the chapter of James,? said Stonerock. ‘When I got to verse 1:27 it said, ‘Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. . .?
‘I knew I had to do something. It was obviously the will of God.?
Stonerock told his administrative pastor, Gary Mullendore, about the situation and they both decided to go out to Nasaria’s house to take a look.
‘When Pastor Jeff and I got to the house and looked at it, we couldn’t believe it. Termites had done so much damage. Once we got back in the car, we both looked at each other and said, ‘whoa,? this is a much bigger project than we expected,? said Mullendore.
If they would have had the money, Mullendore said it would have been easier to level the house and start over, but he said they didn’t have the money to do that.
‘I was standing in the sanctuary of our church praying and I said to myself, it’s only labor. That’s when I felt like God gave me a direct assignment,? said Mullendore.
A journeyman sheetmetal worker, having worked at Ford Motor Company for 30 years where he supervised different construction trades, Mullendore said he knew he had the background and the skills to get the job done.
‘I have always been considered a man of all trades and I had all of the best tools, so I knew I could do it,? said Mullendore. ‘Once I started on the project, I was at such peace every day. I think it made God smile every day because I truly believed I was doing something God wanted me to do.?
For eight weeks, Pastor Jeff, Mullendore, and about 20 members of the church contributed their time and money to go back and forth to Downer’s house until the job was done.
‘We used 85 sheets of drywall, 21 rolls of insulation, 70 two-by-fours, four new windows and nine new doors, 100 yards of flooring, 600 feet of mouldings and 25 gallons of paint. We also built Nasaria a laundry room because she had never had a washer or dryer before,? said Mullendore.
There were frequent trips to building materials stores. ‘I must have gone back and forth to get materials at least 45 different times,? he said.
Mullendore said when he asked the congregation for a washer and dryer for Nasaria’s first laundry room, a couple of members stepped right up to donate them to her.
‘Whenever something needs to be done at the church, Nasaria is always one of the first ones to offer. She is a constant giver and is always there to help her family without complaining.?
Although her arthritis prevents her from being as active in her church as she has been in the past, Mullendore said Downer has been extremely committed to the children at the church through Sunday School and other programs.
‘I couldn’t believe it, two pastors coming to my house to help me,? said Downer. ‘To me that is a miracle. So many pastors travel to other countries to help people. I am not in another country, I am right here. There are so many people that need help here.?