CLEVELAND — Pastor Wanda Hill-Chestnut of St. Luke Church in Cleveland's Kinsman neighborhood often speaks about rising above trials and tribulations.
"Believe. Be patient. Be hopeful. Not just in church but in life," she said.
Last month, I was at the church and saw a large gap in its parking lot fencing. 125 feet of fencing was destroyed in a June crash when police said a driver was going 90 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour zone.
Watch News 5's original report from Aug. 23 when Pastor Wanda Hill-Chestnut showed the damage to fencing and sanctuary.
"The driver did not have insurance. If we use insurance, then that means our rates go exponentially," Hill-Chestnut told me when we spoke in late August.
The fence incident was followed by early August storms that sent a tree through the church's sanctuary.
"The tree was struck by lightning, so it was split in two from the top all the way to the base," Hill-Chestnut said.
Church members were able to repair the sanctuary, but Hill-Chestnut admitted they needed help removing the problem tree. She said an estimate for the work was about $3,000.
"It's uncomfortable asking for help, because we're so accustomed to being the helpers," she said.
Friday, I was back on the grounds. Just the base of the problem tree's trunk remained.
"News Channel 5 showed up. You aired the story, and we had a volunteer tree company to come and remove the entire tree," Hill-Chestnut said.
Arnold's Tree Service ended up taking down the tree and removed a financial burden.
"They scaled the tree, and there was ropes and pulleys and people climbing… it was an amazing effort. And we're so grateful," Hill-Chestnut said.
Arnold Thrasher owns the tree company. Friday, he was on the water fishing but said in a text message that he was compelled to answer the call and that God has been very good to him and his family.
His wife, Victoria, spoke to me over the phone.
"He's (Arnold) a certified arborist," Victoria said. "He worked for Cleveland Public Power for a number of years, and he's retried now. So, he has his own tree company and that's what he does by trade."
Victoria said they saw the story on News 5 about the church needing help and wanted to offer assistance. The couple's son and some friends also helped with the project.
"And your stories— the ones that you air is evident. When you put it out there, the stories, people know they want to help," Victoria said.
As for the fence replacement, a company began removing posts this week, but there was a slight hiccup.
"They sent us residential fencing instead of heavy-duty commercial fencing," Hill-Chestnut said.
She added that the fencing was also the wrong size and several panels were missing.
Hill-Chestnut said the issue is being sorted through, and the fencing should be installed by the end of the month.
She said she's grateful for the tree service and prayers that are helping the church push forward.
"If it was not for News Channel 5, the story would not have gone out the way it did. And we appreciate you guys," Hill-Chestnut said.
