Bramwell,
West Virginia: July 2009
Bramwell is an Appalachian mountain town in West
Virginia. An old coal mine area, once populated by the "Bramwell
Millionaires" ( the actual name given to the students of
Bramwell High School whose families owned the mines), this area is
largely impoverished now. We went to help out 5 families whose
homes were in serious disrepair and several who had no running water or
food. There were missing floors, windows and porches, and there
were empty refrigerators.
Despite their poverty, we
saw a surprising amount of strength and loyalty in their families.
Though drug abuse is common, many are just caught in a cycle of despair
due to lack of proper education and circumstances. We made many
friends on this trip and got lots of work done. All of the
families came out with us on a shopping trip for the things they needed
most, they came out to lunch and dinner with us, and had their homes
repaired. May God bless these wonderful people. Please
keep them in your prayers.
