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Monday, October 06, 2008
LIBERTY TWP. — Applause and cheers broke out at Princeton Pike Church of God when the hundreds gathered Sunday, Oct. 5, watched Ty Pennington of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" yell "Move that bus!"
"Move that bus," the audience repeated toward the screens projecting the show's telecast.
There was laughter, tears and plenty of applause for the Akers, who inspired a community to rally together to build a handicap accessible home for Brooke, 8, and Faith, 4, both of whom have spinal muscular atrophy. Their brother, Christian, 10, and his father, Greg, have Crohn's disease.
Until the new home was built for the family in July, the girls had limited mobility in a bi-level house.
"It's been quite a ride the last four years," Greg Akers said.
In 2004, he started searching for a new home for his family. However, he said God blocked his every path — even up to the point this past year when he thought he had found the land on which to build his new home. He left dejected after learning that land had been sold.
"I looked up to Heaven and said, 'Lord, what now?'"
Upon returning home, he got a phone call from ABC to let him know his family was in the running for a new home.
Sunday night, the Akers family members got tears in their eyes when they saw the building of their house unfold on television.
"It was awesome," Ginger Akers said. "I can't believe they put that all together so good. It brought back all the (memories) from three months ago."
Her mother, Judy "Bobbi" Fletcher of Middletown, said this experience was all from God.
A large photo of Fletcher appeared Sunday in The New York Times Magazine, arms outstretched to the heavens.
"I was just praising the Lord," she said.
For two years, she had been praying for this house, and God answered.
To the rest of the world, Fletcher said she wants them to see what true Americans look like and the good God can do through them.
"Real Americans — they help each other," Fletcher said. "You do all that you can, and when all that you can is not enough, it takes a community."
