OVERVIEW

So many times Larry and I sat in our living room watching news of a natural disaster and remarked, "If only we could just pick up and go help those people?" In that statement lay the seeds of a dream that finally came to fruition as we prepared to begin our first day of cleanup in McDonald Chapel, one of the five outlying communities of Birmingham, Alabama, ravaged by an F-5 tornado less than a week before.

Vehicles of Hope: Serving Others on the Road to Satisfaction chronicles this and other momentous and extraordinary encounters Carol and Larry Tebo had after eschewing the trappings of "normal life" and becoming full-time RVers in 1996.  This absorbing, informative and inspiring narrative provides relief and release from the oppressive plethora of negative news and engenders hope in the inherent positive potential of humanity.

Three defining threads are uniquely interwoven into the fabric of the narrative--the personal pilgrimage of faith and growth of the author and her husband; the life-changing benefits of service to both giver and receiver, told from the perspective of working with Habitat for Humanity and engaging in disaster relief and recovery; and a message of hope gleaned from examples of people who have responded to the call to be vehicles of hope to their fellow travelers through life.  Vehicles of Hope speaks to the heart, the mind, and the spirit.

Personal Pilgrimage.  For a number of years, my Larry and I talked and dreamed about someday selling our home and possessions and taking to the road in an RV.  Several factors fueled that dream: Larry's discontent and lack of soul satisfaction with his middle management work in industry; a desire to simplify our lives and live in closer harmony with nature and its rhythms; and an inner calling to devote more time and energy to serving others' needs rather than simply maintaining our "stuff."

Before our dream could come to fruition, however, numerous mental roadblocks had to be broken through.  Vehicles of Hope follows our transition from being fearful of the unknown and worried about financial security to moving forward with our vision.  It examines our arrival at the critical crossroads where we had to decide either to abandon our dream and accept that life would not be as fulfilling as we desired, or relinquish our fears and make a bold leap of faith, trusting the guid­ance of our inner voice.

Vehicles of Hope illustrates how our journey has been an on­going process of growth, augmented by numerous diversions and unanticipated destinations and encounters that gradually convinced us to renounce the notion of controlling our lives.  It describes the unforeseen opportunities that have presented themselves and discloses how, without worry or grasping, our needs have continually been met in a timely manner.  Readers will discern that we are now living the authentic life we dreamed about and will observe the rich rewards and deep satisfaction that have accrued to us through serving others.

Service Work.  Our work with Habitat for Humanity began with a chance encounter that resulted in heading to St. John's, Newfoundland for a Habitat "blitz build," where seven houses would be constructed in one week.

Vehicles of Hope brings readers along to view all the components of a blitz, giving them an understanding of the planning, preparations and actual building process, and allowing them to share in the excitement and emotions that run high throughout the week and culminate with the presentation of the house keys to the new owners.  The personal stories and reactions of four homeowner families are featured.  Two other blitz builds are also described, each from a different perspective.

From accounts of our experiences in Birmingham, readers also learn from Vehicles of Hope what a major disaster site looks like, the responses calamity evokes from both victims and volunteers, the grinding labor that is involved in relief work, and how to make arrangements to help after a disaster has struck. 

Readers come to know one particular family through their story and see the multiple ways in which a disaster impacts people's lives.  The strength of the human spirit under duress, the pulling together of communities, churches, businesses, and government in time of crisis, and the outpouring of support and aid from all over the country stand out as beacons of hope.  Many of the same heartening responses are noticed in descriptions of the mobilization to help the victims of the tornado that leveled Spencer, South Dakota, and the relief effort for farmers and ranchers in that same state who suffered the debilitating effects of merciless winter blizzards.

A unique aspect of Vehicles of Hope is the follow-up on the featured people and events.  One chapter examines the ele­ments of a disaster recovery plan and shows how the process operated optimally in Birmingham.  Through the words of the participants, readers comprehend the qualitative differences wrought by Habitat for Humanity in the new homeowners' families and the progress made in repairing the lives of the disaster survivors.

A Message of Hope.  There is a great thirst for hope in the world today.  Bombarded by daily bad news, many despair that little goodness still exists and feel unempowered to make a difference.  Vehicles of Hope helps to dispel that crippling misperception by spotlighting the abundance of underreported goodness quietly expressing itself every day.  A disastrous event is a catalyst for people to actualize their innate desire to do good, confirming that deep within humankind is a will to make things right.

Throughout the book the premise that serving others is one's highest calling and the source of deepest satisfaction is underscored by tracing the profound changes that the author and her husband have undergone as a result of their own involvement.  In addition, Vehicles of Hope conveys the sense of purpose and enrichment derived by hundreds of volunteers who contribute their occasional or full-time energies to responding to the needs of others, and showcases the undeniable benefits and life-changing effects for those who were helped.

Seeing that our survival is a mutual affair, dependent on uplifting and including all members of the human family, readers perceive that one's own best interests are served by serving others.  It is our fervent desire that Vehicles of Hope will help everyone who reads it to understand how necessary their contribution is, and that it will encourage them to discover their own unique vehicle of service.

Organization and Special Features

Based on the many intriguing and informative stories we have shared with friends and acquaintances, Vehicles of Hope is written in a conversational style that involves readers in our journey and encounters.  The book is divided into a prologue, five sections and an epilogue.  Each of the twenty-four chapters opens with a pertinent or inspiring quotation, and is divided into subsections with enticing titles.

Although the narrative is recounted in chronological order, the format allows the author to deliver the story in anecdotal style.  There is variety in both tone and content of the chapters, which keeps the book fresh and moving.  Some chapters are personal, others informative; some are serious, others are light­hearted; some report, while others reflect and inspire; and each Habitat project or disaster situation is approached from a distinctly different viewpoint.

The scope of Vehicles of Hope is another of its strengths.  Despite the fact that we are the connecting threads that tie the book together, in a very real sense it is a collective story featuring vignettes of more than 45 people and enlivening clips about a number of others.  Reporting, humor, dialogue, discussion and spiritual interpretation intermingle to both inform and, without being maudlin, to evoke a broad range of emotional responses.  The follow-up chapter near the end of the book is designed to impart a sense of closure.

In short, through Vehicles of Hope, readers see that it is possible for ordinary people to translate their dreams into reality.  They glimpse the noblest potentiality, as well as the incredible strength and resilience, of the human spirit.  Vehicles of Hope not only engrosses and informs; it also stimulates people to contemplate their own priorities and level of life satisfaction.