West Columbia, SC (WLTX) - One rehab group is counting their blessings after their thrift store burned down this past Saturday.
Rubble, ashes and the smell of smoke is all that's left off of Meeting Street. The Rev. Roger Weaver, president of His House Ministries, is looking at a building that once stood for 44 years.
"You left Friday afternoon, and everything is great and then I get a call at one o'clock in the morning and they say you're on fire. It's amazing how fast something can go away. We're not guaranteed anything but it's always amazing how quickly life can change," explained Weaver.
His organization is dedicated to helping recovering homeless alcoholic men.
"We feed, clothe and house, was about 47 guys a day," said Weaver.
The fire on Saturday destroyed files on all the men they've been able to help collected over four decades.
The West Columbia Fire Department tells News 19 they’re still investigating the fire and do not know how it got started.
While they have thrift stores in three others spots around the Midlands, they're looking to God for answers.
"Setbacks are setbacks. That don't mean you quit. We keep going," said Weaver.
Little did they know a purchase they made nearly a year ago, would turnout to be God's Grace.
"God had a plan already. We had purchased the building across the street about nine months ago and we had other ideas about it," explained Weaver.
When it felt like plans weren't coming together, Weaver said God spoke to his wife and said they're going to make that building the new thrift store. His faith in God continues to grow even when it can sometimes feel like everything is in shambles.
"We know he has a plan for bigger and better things. We know He's going to use this for His good and people are going to be blessed out of it and it's going to turnout really well," said Weaver.
The men who were living next to the thrift store have found other homes in the area. They hope to open up the new thrift store once they receive approval to do so.