Sandy Vallas was in the eighth grade when, in Band class, Wayne Comans put gum in her hair! That’s when they started really liking each other. Their relationship moved to marriage in 1975 when he was 24 and she was almost 21. They joined Clarke-Venable Baptist Church and reared their three children—Kristin, Kasey, and Kody—“in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
They sought God earnestly during those early years, even being baptized together about 1982, about the time baby Kody was born. But it was when their children began leaving the nest, for school and/or marriage, that the Lord really began calling them to do His work.
For many years, they had taken the children to Broyhill Children’s Home, in North Carolina, to visit and help out, where relatives were house parents there. When Kody married in 2006, they really felt the lack of a sense of purpose and usefulness. They sold their house, lived in a fifth wheel at Turkey Creek for a year and a half, found God’s will, and signed on to be house parents at the Home in North Carolina for a year. They would serve there for almost two years.
The children there had been taken from desperate situations where they did not receive the necessities of life, and many times were abused. The Home gave them nice rooms, food, clothing, routine and stability, introducing them to Jesus through people whose lives reflected His love. Sandy said that what amazed her was that these children, having been taken from homes with terrible conditions, only wanted to go home and be with their parents!
Wayne and Sandy decided to come home, where they were beginning to be blessed with what is now a total of five grandchildren and even one great-grandchild! But God was not through with them and their willingness to serve Him. It wasn’t long until Rev. Stan Buckley called on Wayne to go to Haiti with But God Ministries and help build houses for people left without anything, since the earthquake there in 2010 which killed 200,000 people.
This call led to Wayne making 24 trips to Haiti, staying from one to two weeks each time. Sandy has gone, too, as have many other people from many different places. The first compound in Guantier, about thirty miles from Port au Prince, consists of seventeen acres, where they built a medical and dental compound, which has a full-time nurse and his wife. They have built 44 houses, an orphanage, and a building with dorms for the teams who come in to help. In the village, they built 40 houses, and a malnutrition center. There is also a second compound in the mountains, where thousands of people from many villages come for help.
When I asked them what had impacted them the most, Wayne said, “What impacts me the most is to see their hunger—not just for food, or even affection, but for the Word of God.” Sandy answered, “It has such an impact on me because the poorest person in the United States is richer than any person in Haiti. People there want to work, to have a job. And even with nothing, they are all so happy, affectionate, and appreciative!”
They had a car accident last April, in which Sandy’s neck was broken. But she is now fine, with a plate in her neck, and no lingering pain problem. Wayne has had a knee replacement, three shoulder cuff surgeries, one shoulder replacement, a carpal tunnel surgery, two sinus surgeries, and back surgeries. He fell off a ladder not long ago and is now recovering from having broken three vertebrae! This has caused him to miss two trips to Haiti. But he stood on his porch and bragged on God, telling of how he also has no problem with pain.
Later that day, August 24, I called them to clarify a fact or two, when Sandy told me that Wayne’s porch rocker had slipped off the porch and he had fallen headfirst about six feet to the ground, hurting his shoulder and possibly breaking ribs. The enemy of the Kingdom of God does not like the work Christians do to bring the light of Jesus and His gospel, with the practical help that must come along with that. But God is our Father, and He lovingly takes care of His own! I’m sure they would appreciate your prayers.
They told me of the new venture Bro. Stan has started with “But God Ministries” going into the Delta, with a mission at Jonestown, Mississippi. They said, even with government assistance, the poverty there is great. It will open December 13, 2017. To give donations for any of these missions, or even to participate in some way, you may go online to butgodministries.com.
On another note, Royce and I lead a faith-based AA-NA recovery class each Tuesday evening at the Church Arise building, located at the Decatur traffic light across from the Shell station on the corner. One of my class members suggested that I offer this information to the public, to invite anyone to come take advantage of this class. The meeting goes from 6:30-7:45, and we would be happy to have anyone to come be with us, as we try to encourage and help as many as possible.
