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Kingdom Hall is modern-day miracle
By JoAnn Shum
Seeing Kingdom Hall just rise from the ground during construction last week is like a modern-day miracle, Mike Luckeroth, elder of the local Jehovahs Witness congregation, said Wednesday.
Its something that doesnt happen every day, Luckeroth. Here was a flat piece of ground and in just days, the building was completed.
We are in our new home and we are glad, Dennis Kramer, who also is an elder in the congregation, said. It was an exhausting week, but it is a good tired, he said. We appreciate all the kindness from the community. The cooperation of the community was crucial for permits, inspections and everything that goes into construction of a building in a short time period.
An open house for the public is planned in the future.
About 350 people from 109 Jehovahs Witness congregations across the state were in Marysville throughout the week to build the Marysville Kingdom Hall.
The building includes an auditorium with a stage and seating for 80 people, a literature counter for Bible study, a library, foyer, office, coat room and restrooms.
The colors of plumb, beige and green are used throughout the building. Oak woodwork and cabinets were installed. The chairs in the auditorium were re-upholstered earlier in the project by members.
The outside is bricked in castle mist color brick and features a carport on the south. The building faces south, and a garage is on the west. The parking lot is paved. The cement work for the project was done early in September.
Everything was 99 percent done on Sunday, Luckeroth said.
On Monday and Tuesday more grass seed was planted, because some trailers were still parked on the lots.
A rock sign, made by Fishers Rock Products of Home City, was installed on the corner.
There are 39 in the local congregation actively engaged in Bible education and preaching, and about 50 to 60 attend the meetings and are studying the Bible with the congregation. The Marysville brothers and sisters cover Marshall County and parts of Washington County.
We have a different speaker each week, Luckeroth said. The building of the Kingdom Hall is complete, so we can focus on the preaching. We wanted to get it done, so we can honor God. We all love our God Jehovah, and thats what brings us all together.
Volunteers came and went throughout the week as their jobs were completed. The congregation plans a gathering after their meeting on Sunday to clean up the concrete.
With the rain came the mud, Luckeroth said. But everybody was happy, and it didnt discourage anyone at all. We had a job to do, and they were determined to get it done.
Rain fell on Wednesday and again on Thursday during the build, but it didnt dampen the spirits; the volunteers kept working.
Once they got the roof on, then the weather wasnt going to affect the build, he said.
The weather was sunny and windy on Friday, and the volunteers putting up Sheetrock worked throughout the night in shifts.
Everybody really cooperated with us so we could get on with the project, Luckeroth said. Were glad to see people working together. Its an overwhelming experience for us. All the brothers and sisters have a great sense of humor.
They met each morning and listened to a scriptural text before the work started.
Luckeroth quoted Zechariah, chapter 4, verse 6, as he summed up the work: Not by a military force nor by power but by my spirit, Jehovah of armies has said.
We want to give credit to Jehovah, Luckeroth said. We are just common folk. Gods spirit was helping us work together in peace and unity to make a place of worship for him.
Jesus is our leader and the head of our congregation. We are all brothers. We are all equal. Thats the way it is worldwide.
Luckeroth quoted Zephaniah, chapter 3, verse 9: For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.
It brought us together, working shoulder to shoulder, he said.
If you call them, they will come, said Kenny Frase, Wichita, one of the department heads on the build project, as he talked about the volunteers, the city of Marysville and the utility companies here. In the big city, if you call the electric or gas company and city, they put you at the bottom of the list. You tell me what company in the city would drop what they are doing and come to your assistance like they do here in Marysville.
Here in Marysville, it was different. When we called, they came right away. Everyone in Marysville was so helpful and cooperative.
The volunteers worked until 10 oclock some nights instead of getting off earlier in the evening because of the rainy weather, Frase said.
Alvey Daniels, Wichita, coordinated the food. It cost about $3,000 to feed the volunteers throughout the week.
John Musser, St. Joseph, a member of the Troy congregation and a director on the build committee, was coordinator of the construction work.
Everything was on schedule, he said. The rain slowed us down a little, but we just worked a little later in the evening. The city has been wonderful to us.
Jehovahs Witnesses have from six to eight builds a year in the state. The next builds will be in Chanute and the Kansas City area.
Our main objective is door-to-door ministry, Frase said. Our preaching work is our main stay. We do this build in less than a week, so we can get back into the ministry work.
We did not know one person in Marysville until three months ago, Musser said. We will leave Sunday with a good feeling. We have met lots and lots of nice people.
A short meeting was held before the volunteers departed on Sunday.
Musser said he was impressed with the Marysville community.
Somebody has invested in this town, he said. What town can you drive into and see such a beautiful golf course.
This community is self-sufficient, This town has things that bigger cities have. The downtown has everything a town needs, grocery stores, clothing stores, drug store, gift shops and all types of other stores. The buildings downtown are not vacant like they are in lots of smaller towns.
This is a very nice town. People are very nice. The only thing is that the trains kept me up all night.
Contact info:
The Marysville Advocate
P.O. Box 271
107 South 9th
Street Marysville, Kansas 66508
Phone:(785) 562-2317
FAX: (785) 562-5589
Office Staff
Howard Kessinger, Editor and co-publisher
Sharon Kessinger, co-publisher
Sharon Kessinger: [email protected]
JoAnn Shum: [email protected]