Cameron Wheaton has helped rebuild, not just the church but his character. Scrubbing graffiti, hauling trash — working with the very people he once wronged.
PALESTINE, Texas — An East Texas teen accused of breaking into and vandalizing a historic church in Palestine has found a path to redemption, thanks to a mother’s love and the community’s support.
What started as a mistake has turned into a mission of restoration for Cameron Wheaton.
The First Baptist Church, once a place of worship, had fallen into disrepair. Local group Revitalize PTX is working to restore the building and bring new life to the space.
“All you need is the right person, the right heart and the right vision, and you can breathe life back into it,” Kimberly Williams, the president of operations, said.
This summer, the restoration story took a rough turn: In July, the group posted on Facebook — two teens had broken in, vandalized the space and stolen tools.
With help from the community, one of the boy’s moms came forward, pushing Cameron to own up and make it right.
“That’s not who he is, and I felt like people needed to know that,” the teen’s mother Diana Geller said.
Just like the church, Cameron Wheaton received a fresh start.
Geller admitted she faced her own struggles growing up and stressed that Cameron lacked structure and guidance in his life.
Since the vandalization of the church, Cameron has helped rebuild not just the building, but also his character. He’s scrubbing graffiti, hauling trash — working with the very people he once wronged.
“If you can show other people that it’s OK to make mistakes, as long as you go back and try to make it better, then that’s what life is about,” Geller said.
All of this has been powered by elbow grease, community grace, and a mother who saw an opportunity for growth.
“I’m grateful for my mom because, if it hadn’t been for her, I would still be in jail,” Wheaton said. “But, if you want to see a rainbow, you’ve got to go through the storm first.”