Members of the Hollandale Christian Reformed Church filled the pews with an inexplicable joy in their hearts this past Sunday. One of their own has received a wonderful gift. The Dirk and Susan DeVries family is receiving a new house from the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” show.

From the moment Sylvia DeVries, Dirk’s mother, heard the news she has been quite excited. Sylvia sat by the table last Tuesday with the phone right next to her awaiting any kind of news. She didn’t receive a call, but later as she worked in her garage, she found out her family was chosen from Tena VanKampen, a friend in the community.

“I was hoping they would get it and prayed that they would,” Sylvia said.

As a member of the church of Christian Reformed Church since 1967, she has raised her family in the way of the Lord. Every Sunday that they can, her children come over for dinner. She said she knows it’s hard for Dirk to keep up with all the needs of the house as he has the use of one arm.

Receiving this new house is just a wonderful thing that only the Lord could provide, she said. This past summer, she vividly recalled a moment from the rally at their house when Dirk prayed, “Thy will be done.” In her eyes, we aren’t worthy of any gifts we receive.

“I don’t know if we deserve anything really,” she said. It’s just a wonderful thing. It is God’s gift to them.”

Other members who have a connection to the DeVries family are Larry and Sylvia Zevenbergen. When the DeVrieses had a chicken business a few years back, the Zevenbergens were more than willing to be of assistance.

The help goes both ways. If Sylvia needs a few pointers with her piano lessons or music, Susan steps in to make everything go smoothly. The help Sylvia receives from this “tremendously gifted gal” is one that she doesn’t take for granted.

“Through Susan’s musical abilities, she has definitely blessed anyone who has listened to her,” Larry said.

Larry and Dirk are both operators of the sound system at church. Larry knows that he can walk up to Dirk and start up a conversation with ease. The Zevenbergens are both thankful for this blessing that is in God’s hands.

“There is no jealousy among the church,” Sylvia said. “That is what is so neat about it. I’m hoping that there are people at the site who maybe are not Christians who see the difference in how they live for him.”

Someone who spends time with Susan at church and at the Hollandale Christian School is Sara Kooyenga. As the first- and second-grade teacher, Kooyenga works with Susan on a daily basis. Susan teaches the first-grade reading and is always flexible, positive and always willing to work. Even if there are tensions at school, they can goof around together.

Kooyenga has lived in Hollandale for a year, but admits that the family’s difficulties are new to her. They never really made it evident that they needed help. However, she has been there every step of the way in this and feels blessed to be involved with it.

“It’s amazing that they got it and hearing the stories about Bev and Betty actually doing this because they felt God was telling them to nominate the DeVries,” she said.

Betty Nienoord and Bev Draayer have been members of the church since they have been born. On their way to help clean the DeVrieses’ house one day in April, they mentioned that maybe “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” could build them a new house.

At work the next day, one of Nienoord’s co-workers went online and “shot out an application and said, ‘Here, do it, do it.’” Still leery of the idea, they waited a few days, but Draayer called Nienoord and said that they needed to do this. Not much later, a KAAL-TV news report said that the show was looking in the southern Minnesota area for the next project.

With the guidance of the Rev. Gary Brouwers and prayer, they went ahead with the idea as the family approved. Susan thought it was a “hoot and was all for it.” Next, she called Dirk at work to see how he felt. Everything from fulfilling the application requirements to general contractor Al Larson being willing to help out seemed to fall into place.

“It was all those steps that the Lord led,” Draayer said. “So many instances you hear of the people searching for people to talk to. We didn’t have to do that, it was always right in front of us.”

They both know that God moved them to get this process rolling. It’s a very humbling experience; they both believe that even small acts are important in the eyes of God.

“Sometimes I just stand there with tears in my eyes,” Nienoord said. “We asked for a house, but it’s so spectacular with the people that have come forward to give things and seeing the community’s response.”