Sense of normalcy returns to Fuller Center

By Chris Johnson
Director of Communications

What a week it was last week (my first on the job here at the Fuller Center, by the way)! I had the opportunity to cover the great work of a church youth group from Louisiana working on a couple of homes at Koinonia on my first day.

Then, on my second day, I get a call from my predecessor, Faith Fuller, who tells me about the Bike Adventure team’s van mishap in Idaho. Thankfully, everyone was OK, but it led to a hectic week for the Fuller Center, though nothing compared to the issues the team faced as it scrambled to get its hands on a new van.

Fortunately, no one was injured and it led to a slew of publicity, including a bright spotlight shining on Adventure leader Allen Slabaugh, who, survived the tragic 2007 Bluffton University baseball team bus crash in Atlanta. Allen’s a great spokesman for the Fuller Center and wants the spotlight exclusively there. He’s a humble guy and wants no personal spotlight, but I think he’s coming to realize that enduring a little spotlight on himself right now will help us spread the word about our mission. The story spread coast to coast in newspapers, on television and radio and on all sorts of websites from ESPN to CNNSI.

Here in Americus today, we’ve had the leaders of our U.S. Covenant Partners programs, Glen and Brenda Barton in town from Florida, as well as our Board of Directors. So it’s been a busy day here in the office. But a NORMAL busy day and not an unexpectedly crazy one.

Elsewhere, the Bike Adventure team is en route from Monroe, Wash., to Skykomish, Wash., and greatly excited about enjoying spectacular scenery with no drama. 🙂

Meanwhile, we are gearing up for a major push to rebuild tornado-ravaged McDonald Chapel that you can read more about in a day or two. Meetings Thursday and Friday with residents and volunteers went well. Skepticism was evident in the eyes of weary residents, who are looking for action, not empty words. The Fuller Center intends to help the newly-formed McDonald Chapel Restoration Partnership deliver on its goals to restore the close-knit community’s greatness. Stay tuned: This will be a project that has the power to inspire further great work.

And Glen and Brenda are looking for volunteers for the Millard Fuller Legacy Build in Louisiana in October. They need your help now.

As for me, I’ll try to keep everyone posted regularly, if not daily, about goings-on here at the center.

Keep up with the Bike Adventure team here on their blog.

Click here to see photos from McDonald Chapel, including updates from the latest trip June 9-10.

Click here to contribute to the McDonald Chapel Restoration.