Mission Accomplished
The Rev. Wayne Bell didn't get to see his mission project conclude in Slidell, La., last month, but his accomplishments were not without witness.
More than 50 people traveled by charter bus to attend a house dedication held there May 30 in his memory.
Bell, pastor of West Sunbury United Presbyterian Church since 1999, began planning for the project last August toward the end of his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Bell had been active in mission trips since 1992, when Hurricane Andrew hit the Gulf Coast. His efforts continued after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.
Bell organized multiple trips to the region, often taking van loads of community members to assist with cleanup or rebuilding through the Presbyterian Community Outreach (PCO).
"We would watch these disasters — and especially when Katrina was coming through — because it was such a devastating storm," said Bell's widow Debbie, 60. "He would sympathize with the families and the suffering they were going through."
Anticipating the end of his life, Bell suggested memorial donations be given in lieu of flowers. The donations would go to his two mission affiliates: the PCO in Slidell and Bridges to Community, a nonprofit community development group that works in developing countries. The Bells had volunteered in Nicaragua through that organization.
"Those were the two places that were closest to him," Debbie Bell said.
Bell died Sept. 3 at age 59. By October, a Slidell renovation project already was under way. In February, a house was built in Nicaragua.
"In Nicaragua you can build a whole house for $3,000," said Debbie Bell, explaining how volunteers erected the structure in a week for a woman raising her orphaned grandchildren.
According to Ashley Ritchie, volunteer coordinator for PCO, the Slidell project benefits 65-year-old Annie White, a Wendy's employee with few family connections."They said, 'We have a perfect project for you,'" Debbie Bell recalled, explaining how she learned of "Miss Annie," still in a FEMA trailer."Her house had been pretty devastated except for the shell of it," Debbie Bell said."As the years go on the funding kind of disappears a bit," she added. "Some of the people are just kind of forgotten people. They didn't have insurance. They don't have the resources themselves to start the building process."Ritchie said Miss Annie's house received more than 6 feet of water from Katrina, with additional damage in 2008 from Hurricane Gustav."She was one of the unfortunate clients that fell through the cracks in the recovery effort," Ritchie said.Ritchie said Bell was among the more active volunteers through PCO, organizing multiple trips to Slidell each year. More than 60 people — Bell's parents and other family members among them — came out to observe the dedication."There were tears — there were tears of joy, too," said Joyce Laughlin, 44, of Connoquenessing Township, describing how Bell groomed her to lead and organize some trips he could not take part in.Like many affiliated with the trips, Laughlin was not a member of Bell's church."There were 17 churches from the Beaver-Butler Presbytery" represented on the trip, Laughlin said. "About five people were Catholic."I had a lady who was buying materials for the trip, and the girl that was checking her out at Walgreens went on the trip after learning about it from the person in line," Laughlin said.Laughlin traveled to Slidell five times, but Miss Annie's house was her first dedication."To see the full circle was very rewarding: to look around and think that many of these people would probably not have been standing in front of this house if not for Wayne's dedication," Laughlin said. "It was interesting to hear the people there who spoke — how he influenced their life."
Debbie Bell, who presented the house keys to Miss Annie, describes her husband as humble."I'm not sure he would have liked all the attention that was given to him at the dedication service," she said.But Debbie Bell dreaded the dedication for her own reasons, unsure if she was ready to face the emotional occasion."As I was working on the house and scraping paint and slapping new paint on, the healing started to take place within me," she said. "And when I met Miss Annie — she came home from work one day when we were still working — there was such a feeling of peace that was within me."This is important stuff," Debbie Bell added."And I need to be carrying this on."Although the memorial fund contributions of $10,000 covered building the Nicaragua house and much of Miss Annie's renovation, PCO coordinated additional labor as well as a donated bed and appliances."It's like it takes a village," Debbie Bell said."Well, it takes a country. It takes a lot of people to rebuild after such a disaster like Katrina."Donations to the Bell Memorial Mission Fund may be sent to the West Sunbury United Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 106, West Sunbury, PA 16061-3121.
