Olivia Hipp is the first person you will come in contact with when calling or visiting our downtown location. A true ray of sunshine, she joined the William Means family this summer as our new Administrative Assistant. Her father, Preston Hipp, was recently featured in the Charleston Mercury’s new faith-filled journal, the Carolina Compass. His spiritual journey through his battle with cancer has served as a source of encouragement and inspiration to many. Preston’s story is truly one of resilience and selfless faith.
Olivia and Preston
Feet in the Vineyard by Prioleau Alexander. Article courtesy of Carolina Compass.
As part of the Carolina Compass, each issue will feature a person doing God’s work in the vineyard. Here in our inaugural issue, we can think of no person more appropriate than Charleston’s native son Preston Hipp.
In 2008, Preston and his brother were running a very successful real estate development business. In the third quarter of 2008, the real estate bubble exploded, taking the banking business with it. In the same quarter, he was diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer and in the winter of 2009 began a painful, exhausting and aggressive treatment regiment. Then, in February of 2010 he lost his brother to cancer.
We believe an unimaginable set of experiences like this would challenge any devout Christian’s faith. Not Preston. In the Christian blog Living on Jesus Street, he wrote “Trials and hardships are exceptionally good at getting you closer to God. You think you are close to God in times of plenty, but there is always an element of independence and self-satisfaction. This affliction of pride is so subtle you usually miss it, but it can really obstruct your relationship with God. Ironically, it takes a severe trial to grasp in your gut what the Bible means by finding joy in hardship.”
Preston and Chester the Springer Spaniel
Such faith is a rare and wonderful example for all of us to follow…one that can inspire us to re-evaluate our relationship with the Almighty and view life in its real context.
Once again consider the writing in the blog. Preston quotes Titus 3:4-5: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” He then goes on to write, “The washing often feels like God is using a hammer and chisel to carve off the unwanted parts of me. God is carving me out of a block of wood that has been imprisoning me.”
Preston serves the Lord everyday, talking to others about his experiences and the faith in Christ that’s carrying him through it. Despite the surgeries, loss of muscle mass and overwhelming exhaustion, Preston stands firm in the vineyard, working to make disciples of all nations.
The Hipp Family – Laura, Preston, Olivia, Victoria, Delia.
Praise God. To find and accept your calling to fulfill the great commission is the greatest work we can do. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. God Bless.
Awesome Please send all information you have. Doing a tour with Laura on Wednesday July 11 with my four generations of gals. We have done this before and looking forward to seeing her again.