Bill's Story and Party

Several months ago, the 297 Collective was blessed with the welcoming of a new addition to the community, our friend Bill. He has been serving as the maintenance and property curator, a.k.a., our "constant gardener" for the past three months. He has given his heart and soul to caring for the houses and communities.

For as long as we have known him, the roof that covered his head was the tin top of a van, and the mattress that supported his body was the van bench. Needless to say, our typical standards of comfortable living were not afforded to Bill, even though that living situation was a tremendous act of generosity and love extended by the owner of the van.

But as the saying goes, all good things come to an end, and Bill found himself needing to look for another place to live. Due circumstances out of his control, Bill had few - if any - options that seemed better than living under a bridge somewhere.

As a community that has been blessed by Bill, the 297 Collective wanted to see what we could do to help. A few Craig's List searches and several phone calls later, we found ourselves connecting with a seller of a 5th Wheel trailer who empathized with Bill's situation, and sold us the trailer for more than $1,200 less than his asking price. On top of all this, the seller delivered the trailer and helped set everything up free of charge.

Fast forward to Monday, December 15, 2008. The 297 Collective and several other families from the neighborhood gathered to celebrate Bill's 59th birthday at the Prock house, which also happens to be the location of Bill's new trailer. With awesome food, delicious cake, and some Guitar Hero, we all had a really fantastic time.

Before the evening drew to a close, we unveiled Bill's new trailer to him, and with a combination of speechlessness, overwhelming gratitude, and a few tears of joy, we all knew that he was home. These feelings were confirmed the next morning after Bill stayed in his trailer for the first time when he burst out of his trailer saying "I can't remember the last time I slept so well!"

On behalf of Bill and the 297 Collective, we want to thank all those who generously helped make the trailer a home. From the food and cooking utensils to the new mattress and towels, we are all floored by the generosity of the community, and are so honored to be partnering with each of you in seeing God's story intersect with our story.

Much Love,
The 297 Collective
(Hannah, Gina, Dave, Jarrod, Michelle, Glen, Sam, Carol, Jocie and Kevin)