In the spirit of the sunny Western Slope, two Grand Junction Church members, Don and Dollie Bell, are set to visit all church members during the coronavirus pandemic’s social isolation. They are “spreading sunshine to all of us,” commented Karla Klemm, who together with her husband David were recipients of their visit.
In the month of March, Dollie turned to Don and asked him what he thought of visiting all the church members, as she missed seeing them. He said yes and that he would even be her driver.
With address directory in hand, they set out to cover all the zip codes. “As I am writing this short report since their visit, they have visited a total of 60 members from the curb, with approximately 60 more to go,” Karla said.
Each visit starts with a phone call to announce their arrival. They hold a placard that says, “We miss and love you!” and give a wave, exchanging smiles and greetings. Sometimes they have a chat from the curb with the parishioners or hold a conversation by phone. Once their visit even included a “socially distant” walk.
“It has been so much fun to see everybody, and we have considered it a blessing,” Dollie said.
Remarking about the visit he received, David Klemm commented that “Don and Dollie have a gift for uplifting those around them, and it was great to see them.”
Don and Dollie had planned to retire and move this October to a town near St. Pete Beach, Florida. Needless to say, those plans have been interrupted due to the current pandemic. As greeters in the church, they have enjoyed learning what is going on in people’s lives. And now, driving to their homes has continued those efforts.
Dollie is happy people have been so receptive and welcoming. “They even met one young lady who hasn’t been to church for a while, and she was so excited for the visit. She now wants to bring her mom to our newly built church,” Karla said.
Don and Dollie’s spirit of community is a living example of what Solomon wrote: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Prov. 17:17).
