I met Craig Snow when he was working with Hope Force in Biloxi, Ms. after Huricane Katrina. He and his wife Becky are Christ-like with their hearts for serving mankind, especially those in need. They have been missionarys overseas, running Mercy Ships and working with Hope Force for over 25 years. They have four grown children and after being on the road that many years, Craig finally bought a fixer-upper in Nashville and restored in to a mini-mansion. After they established their base, Craig prayed and asked God for a mission within an hour or so of Nashville. The answer came back -  McDowell County in West Virginia (about 8 hours away).
     War, West Virginia used to be a big coal producing town . Until the coal companies left. There is now runaway unemployment, a big meth amphetamine problem, alcoholism and one of the poorest counties in the US as well as one of the poorest educational systems.
     Craig came up with a plan to help reduce most of these problems. It would involve him being away from Nashville half of his time. He raised the funds to hire three young men with no jobs and no skills and would begin an apprenticeship program with them. They would restore two dilapidated homes and build one new. These three would be called the Teachers Village. The 3 young men would be learning skills they could use to support their families and in the process are building housing to attract better qualified teachers to the area.
     This past weeks, for two weeks in May, about 60 volunteers desended on War and set about the task of helping make this dream come true. The new home, which is a duplex, required a firewall right down the center and was a bit of a slower downer, but at the end of the 2 weeks, the walls were all sheathed and most of the roof (7/12 pitch, no fun too) was covered .
      Rehabs are always fun. You've got to know where and when to stop tearing out the old stuff and start putting it back. I worked on the front porch of the on that had sagged a couple of inches to the front. We stripped the old shingles and old rotten sheathing and tightened up the framing after it had been jacked up into level position. Then new plywood, ice and rain and architectural shingles. Good as new.
      The group stayed at 2 places while there. Craig has built a volunteer center in War that houses about 20 and the others stayed at a converted school. Our commute to the worksite was about 30 minutes up and down the mountains and hollers and through winding roads that were cut into the sides of the mountains. Beautiful country. Met lots of volunteers from past builds here and there. Bart and Heather came down from Boston and were responsible for signing up most of the volunteer crew. I stayed with a crew from Ravensworth church in Annandale, Virginia. For our last group photo, they came late, but one of the guys in the group photoshopped them in late.
     The work continues. Craigs daughter was going to be married the week after we were there and was taking the next week off and also his main helper had given his notice that he would be leaving. I have no doubt that all three homes will be finished and some day the teachers whom God has prepared will be living there.
     Keep up the good work, Craig.