Nearly 30 years ago, my family shared an unforgettable weekend. First was that slimy hotel. Ok... I admit it... ask my husband. I’m a hotel snob. My idea of “roughing it” is a stay without the amenities. I should probably warn you... I have also been accused of being a Starbucks and Big Ten snob. I would debate the Big Ten one... I mean, some of the arrogance oozing from perennial winning programs compels me to cheer for the underdog - regardless of conference. For this memorable weekend, we were in SEC territory...
Down in the heart of Georgia, we first went to Plains. As my political roots were deepening, I desired to visit the hometown of President Jimmy Carter, in office at the time, and taste the produce of the man who campaigned for the 1970 Georgia Governorship as the “Peanut Farmer.” Just for the record - with no intended disrespect to the Carter family - my peanut discernment capabilities were underdeveloped at the time; hence, I wasn’t quite able to grasp the uniqueness, save for the label hailing from Plains.
The next stop was undoubtedly the most memorable. My stepfather drove us to Koinonia Farms in Americus, Georgia, just a few country miles from the Carter abode. Koinonia was a farm community founded by Clarence Jordan in 1942. In the 1960’s, a man by the name of Millard Fuller came to Koinonia. Together with Jordan, he established Partnership Housing, to provide capital and thus housing for the poor. This would serve as the birth for Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat’s goal was to build simple, decent houses for low-income families using volunteer labor and donations, and requiring repayment only of the cost of the materials used. No interest was charged and no profit was made... An amazing thought when you consider that Fuller was a self-made millionaire by age 29, as a successful entrepreneur and attorney. But according to Habitat, “As his finances flourished, his health and marriage crumbled. To save their marriage, the Fullers decided to begin anew. They sold all that they owned, gave the money to the poor and in their searching, landed at Koinonia.” Millard and his wife, Linda, realized that some things were more important than wealth, and they surrendered their lifestyle for something better and more.
Serving with multiple board members through the years, including both Carter and my stepfather, the interracial ministry grew exponentially under Millard’s leadership. Yet he and Linda still had time to welcome us to their dinner table that weekend in Georgia. That was the kind of man Millard was, my stepfather would say... a visionary who put his faith first... a man whose faith played itself out practically and powerfully in his life.
Millard shockingly died Tuesday night at the age of 74. He will be buried like his mentor, Jordan, in a crate on a hill, with no significant marker for his grave. Interviewed the morning after his death, Linda added one more thing: “Millard would not want people to mourn his death," she said. "He would be more interested in having people put on a tool belt and build a house for people in need."
Thank you, Millard, for that weekend in Georgia and for the example of a life lived well.
AR
Posts
4 comments:
What a compelling example of a life well lived for other people!Thanks for sharing and by the way...it is in SEC territory that you will find true Southern (hence the S) hospitality. You do need to discern the taste for boiled peanuts if you are going to be a true Georgian.
Thank you for being news perceptive enough to bring the death of Millard Fuller to my attention. I missed that one. I had the opportunity to give him a fifteen minute ride across town many years ago. Those 900 seconds were life changing to me.
What a wonderful experience to have met Millard and his wife. I have always believed in what Habitat for Humanity did, and now it all makes sense as to why former President Carter has been so involved with the organization. What an amazing experience you had to meet this man! The world needs more men and women like he was, and what an example he set for all of us. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks for your story. I live at Koinonia Farm, and my mother Bonnie told me about your blog. It's so wonderful to think of all the people who have come here over the years and experienced transformations that we might never even hear about. Millard's death shocked us all, but his burial was exactly as you noted, a celebration of his life and a commitment to carry his vision forward. There were plans to have a larger memorial service later this month, but instead there's going to be a blitz build in Millard's home town later this year. The build was to be a celebration of Linda and Millard's 50th wedding anniversary. Now it will be a celebration of and memorial to Millard's life, and to his witness. I really enjoyed reading your blog. Hope you can come visit us at Koinonia again soon!
Post a Comment