The House That Love Built

Fifty over thirty-one.

Those were the last words Cindy remembered before her life began to change forever: her blood pressure numbers.

Cindy had just recently undergone surgery to remove kidney stones, a relatively simple procedure that was supposed to be a quick recovery. Not long afterward, she began to battle severe complications. This led to her needing a medication that saved her life by moving blood from her extremities to her vital organs.

Sadly, after Cindy started to get her strength back, blood flow never fully returned to her arms and legs, which led to her having parts of both removed. She was suddenly in a position where she wasn’t able to do most things for herself anymore, so her husband, DJ, stepped in as her primary caregiver.

For a long while, DJ cared for Cindy in as many ways as possible, but because their house wasn’t built with her new needs in mind, they faced constant challenges. The narrow hallways and doors, stairs, very small shower, and now-inaccessible faucets, cabinets, and so many other things all added to the mountain of tasks she needed help with.

As the Mullins’ community in Kentucky started learning and sharing about their situation, word got around to James Crocker, a business owner, who in turn shared the story with his friend, David Meyer, CEO of Hand of Hope, Joyce Meyer Ministries World Missions. James realized he couldn’t handle this alone—the house would be a massive undertaking, both practically and financially.

That day, David was moved with compassion, and God put it in his heart for Joyce Meyer Ministries and their partners to help build Cindy, DJ, and their two sons a more accessible house that would give her independence in her own home. Hand of Hope’s gift of $200,000 kickstarted the project from a dream into reality. Thankfully, many others were also ready to give and help with the cost and building process.

After purchasing a piece of land and choosing a floor plan, building began. Sixty-two different contractors and over 350 volunteers came together and worked tirelessly to bring their unique set of blueprints to life. The building process for a home of this size ordinarily would take nine months or more, but this incredible group of people made the Mullins’ miracle happen in just 10 days.

As Cindy and her family saw the home for the first time, they were overwhelmed with gratitude, joy, and a sense of hope for the future. With wider hallways, a built-in safe room, voice-activated faucets, no steep stairs to navigate, cabinets, handles, and a bathroom all designed to be handicap-accessible, the home is exactly what Cindy needs to regain a lot of independence. It also includes a room for her mom and a space where DJ can run his small business out of the garage, which will allow him to stay closer to his family.

“If you could’ve been here today and sensed the love of this town and know that it wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t stepped up and supplied the ministry with the means to be generous,” James Crocker said, “I know that you’d feel like your money is put to such good use.”

“It’s unreal…to think that someone would be willing to do something like this for someone like me,” Cindy Mullins told us. It’s really a great joy and a great blessing. Love built this house. It was so much more than I imagined.”

It’s truly amazing that even in the midst of so much turmoil, Cindy and her husband have held on to Jesus, and their hearts are full of hope. She is truly a light to everyone she meets, and looks forward to eventually walking unassisted and going back to her career in nursing again.

This home will be a huge part of her seeing these dreams come to fruition—it’s exactly what she and her family need to be able to thrive. It’s so much more than just a new address—it will revolutionize the way they do everyday life.

“She’s a very independent woman, and the simplest things will change her daily life if they’re just easier to access,” DJ shared with us. “I’m so blessed to have the wife that I have, that she keeps a strong attitude.”

All of this is possible because of your prayers and generosity—the amazing givers, volunteers, and partners like you, who give of their time and finances to follow Jesus’ example. Thank you so much, partners, for making miracles happen!