They won the battle

There are teams who come determined to give it their all and then there are teams who actually have to do so!

One group of our PDA teams has done just that over the past 2 days. They spent Monday in Galveston and it broke their heart to leave that homeowner and come up here to work for Tuesday through the end of the week. And then they chose to take on the task at Joyce's house with the clog straight from . . .

They dug yesterday, they broke through an 18 inch slab of concrete looking for the infamous clog, they removed the vanity in the bathroom, they dug some more and chopped some more and got themselves more and more covered with some sort of black "mess" and never complained. They just kept working and knew they must be able to shower before eating their dinner! :)

Today it was all worth while -- our angelic plumber once again came to our rescue. He only showed them where the lines ran and that's all they needed to take off running and finally got the clog removed -- along with finding another reason for all their digging and determination -- a pipe with a hole in the side! They were all smiles as I saw them heading off to purchase the few supplies they would need to correct all the plumbing and then move on to finish removing the walls and ceiling in the bathroom. And all the while --- Ms Joyce just smiles and reminds us all that this is all in God's perfect timing and she isn't worried in the least!

There are special teams like this one and we are so thankful that once again -- God sent us who we needed just when we needed them!

And there was yet another miracle in this day. On Monday one of our PDA youth lost her class ring -- and she had only had it a few days! She and the team looked everywhere, retracing their steps only to come up empty. She knew her mother would be less than happy and yet settled on the fact that it was just gone -- until Ethel and her meticulous cleaning paid off this afternoon when she found the ring on the floor at Brian and Carol's!!!!! And now Mom will never need to know because we always laugh and say that "whatever happens here stays here"!!!! She just might take that to heart!

The rest of the teams are doing great. The cabinets are creating a brand new kitchen for Jocelyn. Carol is getting her walls back and some ceiling insulation also put back in-- and this time it's the right kind. Brian and Carol have their walls painted and the trim is being painted and ready to go in. Kim's team learned how to climb into the attic to install their ceiling insulation. Teresa is also getting her house trimmed out and it also is beautiful. She has been extra blessed by having a team of youth this week.

I stopped in to check on Martha this afternoon and although she has been in the hospital once again and having some serious health problems, she is in good spirits and told me how much she missed the company of all the volunteers. We plan on painting the exterior of their home and so she can once again be blessed by their company.

We also had a bit of very bad news yesterday that I omitted last night. Mel and Billie's little dog, Baby Girl, passed away very early yesterday morning! Now if you didn't know Baby Girl was a dog you would've thought she was an added addition to Mel's arm! It took me weeks to realize she could actually walk! Their hearts are hurting as Baby Girl was their girl and our hearts hurt for them. I cannot imagine the loss as both of our dogs are family and there are many of you who know what we mean and have felt their loss. I also know God is a merciful God and am sure our furry friends will be in a special place in heaven ready to greet us with their unconditional love!

Until next time . . . give your pet an extra hug today! Susan and Monty