Postal Worker becomes God’s Contractor
By Shirley Cox
Mission Service Corps missionaries Bessie and Lester McPeek watched a God-given vision become reality June 6. That day, volunteers from First Baptist Church, Monticello and Salvisa Baptist Church near Harrodsburg dug footers and poured concrete for a 2,880 sq. ft. building in Jenkins, Kentucky.
The upper level of the new building will house a sanctuary, baptistery, classroom and a bathroom with a bridge to the upper level of the existing mission house. The lower level will consist of a small waiting area, bathroom, two dental clinic rooms and a large open area for food, diapers and clothing.
A few months ago, Calvin McFarland, U. S. Postal Service employee and member of the First Baptist Church in Monticello, never dreamed God would lead him to coordinate a building project. But, after a friend gave him Lester McPeek’s phone number, he felt compelled to call him one evening. “Lester got all shaky-voiced,” Calvin said, “and said he had just finished praying with a group of men for God to send someone.”
On January 25th, Lester and Bessie had shared about their ministry in Calvin’s Sunday school class in Monticello. On Monday, Lester called Calvin and said, “We think you need to be the one that builds our church.”
“I’m not a contractor,” Calvin said. “I don’t know anything about it.”
“We just feel like God is leading us to get you to do it,” Lester said.
For a week, Calvin wrestled with God, knowing the work was way out of his comfort zone. “Finally, on Friday, I pretty much pinned God down,” he said. “‘If you want me to do this, prove it, because I know nothing about what I’m doing. I don’t know anything about coordinating all these people from all these places and there are no drawings, no architect, no plans—nothing.’”
The next Sunday after church, a man walked up to Calvin. “My name is Dave Swinson,” he said. “I recently moved here from Orlando, Florida and I’m an architect. We were in the Sunday school class last week and if there is anything I can do, let me know.”
“Right then,” Calvin said, “I knew this was what God wanted me to do. He proved it!”
Swinson drew the architectural plans and Calvin began sending a materials needs list to more than 170 e-mail contacts, (OnMission2009@live.com). Building materials for the first floor of the building have been donated, along with a barber chair, two dental chairs, panoramic dental x-ray machine, 5-ton heat/ac unit, paint, plumbing and electrical materials and concrete blocks for the foundation.
“We hope to have a dedication service the Sunday before Thanksgiving, along with a meal for the community,” McFarland said.
“This place is soul-altering.” he added. “People talk about it. I have read stories. But I have never witnessed God work like this firsthand. It’s phenomenal. Everything we have done has gone perfectly—like today.”
While construction continues on the new building this summer, Bessie and Lester McPeek will coordinate 22 mission teams who will do home repairs, backyard Bible clubs, nursing home ministries and many other activities in the area. “God’s Love from a Diaper Bag” provides diapers and supplies for three county health departments and five resource centers. Last year, the ministry hosted 515 people for safety night at Halloween and 657 people at Christmas. The ministry will be featured in the September issue of “Start” magazine, a national WMU publication that teaches young children about missions.
“We feel blessed and humbled to witness and be servants for God,” Bessie said. “There is nothing in life as important as loving and serving others and helping those less fortunate by supplying them with their physical needs, but most of all, their spiritual needs. Faith is vital to our ministry and to those we meet on a daily basis.” | 
