Robert and Olga's House Blessed

The past 2 days have been packed with things going on and I only hope I can relay part of it to you and that it makes some sort of sense!

Thursday once again brought perfect weather and all teams took full advantage!

Brian and Carol's flooring is now in with only the carpeting remaining. Today we learned we will be able to put on a new roof, something really needed and funds were approved today so the kids took advantage of some free weight lifting and carried them to the top of the roof to be ready for next weeks team.

Carol now has her drainage ditches complete, her house painted and guttering on the corner to lead the water directly to the ditch. Her House Blessing will be next week and we are thrilled to have her complete.

Mel and Billie are dealing with the sudden illness of Billie's sister and we would ask for prayers as Billie will be traveling to spend time with her sister and with everything going on in their kitchen she will be missing seeing it all come together. They have the walls in and are taping and mudding and will be ready to continue with them and the flooring and then cabinets next week. Transforming right before our eyes.

The plumber was determined to make it back to Martha and Steven's to work on their problem and was leaving to get started very late this afternoon. He realized just how valuable plumbers are for us and if only we could keep him longer!

Thresa is also getting final painting and flooring in her home. She was cooking up quite the feast of home made gumbo and the works for all of their lunches today! Spoiling them for sure!

Jocelyn was beside herself with joy at seeing her kitchen walls getting painted and tile finished on her floor trim.

Rosaland's has 2 of the 3 coats of tape and mud on the entire house and they were working on the exterior painting of her porch late this afternoon. Again and "structure" looking more and more like a house.

Joyce also has her tub/shower installed and working and all walls now in. The kitchen ones are even primed and will be textured and painted next week. Her kitchen flooring was also delivered today in preparation for next week.

Allan and Rosemary also have a working shower and bath walls along with lower level trim.

And yesterday at the end of the work day we all gathered in Robert and Olga's house for their House Blessing! Every single volunteer came and to say the house was packed is an understatement! It was awesome and such an honor for the teams to come and represent all those teams who left their hearts inside and outside of their home.

Dinner was a very special occasion also as we were all invited to the PDA camp for their weekly Family Night dinner feast! They do this each week -- their volunteers invite the homeowners to come to dinner and share their thanks to everyone. Last night was exceptional! The most profound was Jocelyn -- she could barely get the words out but finally the tears cleared long enough to tell everyone how she was on the verge of suicide when we first found her and how she is now filled with hope and a new lease on life! THAT is why we do what we do and THAT is God!

There was a sad note to the evening -- the PDA camp manager, Ben will be leaving us all next week and heading back home. He's been with us for the past 3 months and the gift of hospitality unlike I've seen before! He has become dear family to both Monty and I and it was tough to think that in one week he will be gone. Jane is the new manager for a few months and it will be a joy to get to know her.

As we all filled the building last night, nearly 75 of us in all -- it was so awesome to once again be in a room filled with people who took time from their own lives, from their own families and from everything comfortable to them to come and do whatever God had for them! The love in the room was enough to blow up the building! The joy was combined with tears -- tears of joy -- and lives were being touched all over the place. Volunteers who don't want to go home and homeowners who don't want them to go home! Strangers who became family -- in only 4 short days! That has to be God -- and Monty and I are blessed and humbled to be able to see it happen over and over again week by week! Thank YOU for making that possible!

Until next time we thank all those who came and made a difference this week! God will bless you in return so get ready!!!

Blessings and love to all, Susan and Monty

Iowa students add their blessings

They came 42 in total, all the way from Iowa! A week of blessing others, each day in a different city -- today was in Baytown which is about 45 minutes north of us here in San Leon. They came in the biggest and brightest red bus I think I've ever seen and I thought they would never stop coming out the door!

Stephanie was thrilled and nearly overwhelmed when she saw all of them. They started in immediately, spreading throughout her entire house helping sort through everything -- and I mean everything! They even positioned a couple of themselves inside the dumpster just to continually compact things as much as possible!

Sorting through a familys personal lives isn't easy and making the decisions as to what goes and what stays is even more difficult but these students rose to the challenge and handled every detail with grace and integrity! If only they could have stayed longer than just today!

Stephanie called later to thank me but the thanks goes to the students who will be traveling to Dallas later today to meet up with around 7 more bus loads of students to do one final project before heading back north to end their spring break. What hearts! Taking their entire week of spring break just to bless others! We all could learn a valuable lesson and I know each one of these students did just that today and will be going home with a new perspective on wants verses needs!

Until next time . . . Go Iowa!!!!!! Susan and Monty

Put to the test

The rains came, and they continued all day long! In doing what we are doing we would be fine if it never rained! I know, I grew up on a farm and this statement would not bring a smile to either of my parents faces but . . .

All of our teams were hard at it and the main ones fighting the weather were those trying to get through the pavement to dig the drainage ditch for Carol. They even rented equipment to make it a bit easier but then the equipment had a breakdown and once again they found a water line -- the hard way! A couple of repairs and they ended their day at noon -- a much needed break and hopefully the weatherman is correct with his forecast of sunshine tomorrow and through the end of the week.

Thresa's team was continuing their trim work and painting and preparing for flooring in the next couple of days.

Rosaland's team of nearly all women have mastered the art of taping and floating and were thankful for Matt's expertise and teaching.

Joyce was getting her new tub installed and the ceiling and walls in her kitchen are nearly ready for texture and then priming and painting. She's getting more excited by the day.

Jocelyn now has a brand new garage door to replace the broken one and both doors have new trim around them to make them safe. This team also braved the weather to complete their task but also found work inside to keep them a bit drier.

Mel and Billie now have new subflooring underneath where their new kitchen cabinets will be installed and the plumber made his way to their bath vanity so they are exchanging their kitchen sink for a vanity sink -- in the meantime. Mel had built the cabinets by hand, board by board and the team said it was quite the job removing them.

Brian and Carol's crown molding is complete and beautiful. Their bathroom is also coming together and will be ready for the plumber with his finishing touches tomorrow. Their flooring is also being installed and we are getting so very close!

Allan and Rosemary were also getting their new 60 inch shower installed. It wasn't without its challenges since the shower was made with a center drain and their old tub had a right side drain but the team rose to the challenge and mastered it! The rest of the team is doing a great job with trim downstairs.

Tomorrow morning I will be greeting our team of 42 college students from Iowa. They will be a great blessing to Stephanie and her family and will hopefully have their entire household of this and that organized and turned into something workable.

On a personal note -- we are facing some major work on our camper trailer. A few weeks ago we had a windwarning issued during the dead of the night -- so we missed the warning -- and realized our antenna was still raised high in the air on our roof. Come morning we cranked it back down and knew it had sustained damage. Not until the last rains did we realize the extent of the damage and the leaks. We did turn it in to our insurance and with the most recent estimate we might be faced with the damage being more than 80% of the value of the camper and we would have to total it out! We are praying this will not be the case. This is our home and although it must be repaired we hope the repair company will understand our circumstances and give us a break and the insurance will agree to have it repaired and we will be good as new. Please join us in this prayer!

Until next time . . . thank you for all your prayers, love and support! Susan and Monty

They are 50 strong

Monday morning orientation back at the park -- even if it was a bit foggy. By the afternoon the sun was out and all 50 of our volunteers were enjoying every minute.

This week they came from Connecticut, Kansas and Pennsylvania along with a couple from Canada who stayed for another week.

We have them divided into 10 different homes so both Monty and I are running around like crazy but considering everything it's been a great day.

They are painting and installing crown molding at Brian and Carol's, digging more drainage ditches at Carol's, installling bath flooring and gutting Mel and Billie's kitchen, putting together a plan to unclog Martha and Steven's washer, painting at Thresa's, installing garage doors at Jocelyn's, taping and mudding sheetrock at Rosaland's, installing a tub and hanging more sheetrock at Joyce's and also installing a shower at Allan and Rosemary's. Try keeping up with all that! But they are and it's awesome!

Can't wait to see what Tuesday brings as they are planning on starting to paint the exterior of some of those homes! That's when the color comes alive and so does the homeowner!

Until next time . . . Oh yea --- we found out "our" cat who has truly been enjoying her house both day and night -- actually belongs to the neighbors 2 trailers down! We did the right thing and took the cat house, complete with all her food to them this evening and hope they will take much better care of her than they have been doing! Breaks our hearts but you gotta do what you gotta do -- still stinks!!!!!!!!!!!! Atleast she has a great home to have her babies in!

Until next time . . . be a blessing to someone you know (or don't know) Susan and Monty

Whatever it takes!

Youth -- they never cease to amaze me!

Carol's french drainage system got underway yesterday -- no matter what the weather or how wet the ground was! They dug and dug and laughed and laughed and managed to make sense of it all. A couple of them put the finishing touches on the inside and so today was spent entirely outside - the entire group! And then the phone call came -- they "found something" that had a lid on it but the lid wasn't on it -- and it really did stink! Yep -- they found the old septic tank so Monty was off and running with our pump to get it cleared out and into the local drain before we take the next step of filling it up with either dirt or rock! Good thing today had wonderful sunshine with low humidity and quite the breeze! Like it made any difference to the kids!

The group at Thresa's were also putting some finishing touches with interior painting and making preparations for the incoming team to return next week. She has actual furniture in the family room complete with pictures on the walls and it really looks like home -- finally!

More of that same group was also finishing texturing and painting in Mel and Billie's. We are down to the flooring in the bathroom and then we will start tearing out their kitchen and putting in a brand new one -- it all arrives on the delivery truck Monday morning! When I left the team they were also busy outside -- crawling underneath the house cleaning out debris while they literally were waiting for paint to dry!

And the last portion of their group was transforming Brian and Carol's home with paint inside and outside! The two toned walls really stand out with the chair railing going around the room! I can't wait to see the final thing and do one whale of a house blessing!

Our PDA teams kept pushing forward in Rosaland's and Joyce's house. Both now have real walls as the sheetrock is up and the taping and floating underway at Joyce's. Sounds like a couple of the men are staying an extra week so guess who will be the team leaders in both those homes next week! Rosaland even made it back from a long week of work to meet and thank the team for all they have done! If only we could keep the whole team!!!

And then there was the miracle that God pulled off yesterday -- another example of His perfect timing. I had to drive way up north, nearly into Houston, to Baytown to do an assessment of Stephanie's home. Poor thing -- she lost everything -- and I mean everything in their rather large and beautiful home! She and her husband starting putting back walls and such only to find out they needed to have all the electric, plumbing and heating system redone -- and they all must be done by licensed contractors! Their funding is gone and their house stands -- falling apart more and more each week. All of their belongings and who knows what is still stacked all over the house, in every room. It's one of those cases where they don't know where to begin so they don't begin. After my assessment and hearing her pleas for help and seeing her tears as we went from room to room all I could do was let her know I would pass on my assessment and see where it goes from there. She was thrilled just to have me come -- that single ray of hope.

And then less than a couple of hours later the phone rings. A college team of 42 students would like to come to the area for a one day project. They are taking their spring break and doing a service project a day -- each day in a different city. They plan on being in the area next Wednesday and only work that one day. Did I have a project they could do? I almost had to pull off the road as I talked to my supervisor, Alan as I realized just how God had put the plan together. A phone call to Stephanie to let her know a dumpster would be arriving Monday and to tell her the news that all 42 students would be at her home Wednesday morning to spend the day helping her sort through her entire house! She was nearly speechless and I could hear the tears stream down her face as she tried to find the words to say thank you! Isn't God amazing! Next Wednesday is going to do way more than get her house cleaned out -- lives will be changed and God will be present in a big way! Be sure and stay tuned.

And now we are at the end of yet another week that has been truly awesome. As I have said many times before -- Monty and I are living the dream as we see houses transform back into homes and lives changed right before our eyes -- the homeowners and the volunteers!

Next week we get to do it all over again and it will be just as brand new then as it was this week and all those weeks past that now add up to nearly 5 years! Thanks to all of YOU who make it possible for us to live this dream of showing God's love to those who are in desperate need!

Until next time . . . be a blessing -- change a life -- yours! Susan and Monty

Through the roof -- no -- ceiling!

Yep, insulating in one's attic can be tricky. The team asked for (and received) a light for Mel and Billie's attic at the beginning of the week but it seems a certain "someone" missed stepping on one of the rafters and put "his" foot through the bedroom ceiling! Oops! No matter, he was the one who was "chosen" to make the repairs. Still smiling and not hurt = a good day!

I didn't even begin to make it around to all the jobs today. Our morning UMCOR meeting along with a couple of material deliveries and then a couple of trips to pick up additional materials and it was into the afternoon. They are making great progress at both Rosaland's and Joyce's with insulation and were even hanging sheetrock! Getting all of that unloaded and inside the homes was quite the job! What a way to start the morning!

Each day is bringing each homeowner closer and closer. Some will be just around the corner and others will be a bit longer but each will reach that day of "done" and with a house blessing to follow.

In fact, Robert and Olga will be receiving their house blessing next Thursday and they are really excited. It's always a great way to officially welcome the family home.

I can't wait to see what surprises tomorrow brings! Some of the teams are only working part of the day so they can take some time and head to the beaches in Galveston. Others will be hard at it with barely a break for lunch.

It will be another awesome day!

Until then . . . bless someone tomorrow. Susan and Monty

Here we go again!

Once again I don't have a single picture -- no excuses but hopefully tomorrow I will have my wits about me a bit more and will have some for you.

Monday started off with a bang -- and plenty of rain drops to stop 2 deliveries of materials. So we were already at "plan B" before even getting out the door!

Our orientation brought in teams from both New York and Ohio. The Ohio team is full of college students and boy oh boy are they learning new things already! They are working at Mel and Billie's with finishing sheetrock, installing attic insulation and repairing flooring and hanging sheetrock. They are also at Thersa's (finally spelled right) where she has them all over the place with sheetrock and detail work. She is great at leading and teaching and they all enjoy being there. Another group is at Carol's where they are learning about sheetrock and priming and painting and will be learning about ditch digging before the end of the week when we put in the drainage system. Monty brought the dump trailer filled with gravel just for them this morning and so far they are smiling at the thought! It's 18 yards of gravel so let's see how long they keep smiling! And the last part of them is with Sam and Ethel at Brian and Carol's where they are cleaning and painting and trimming and also learning.

Our New York crew was all over the place yesterday. One group built the back steps to Hsilda's home, our final touch. Another put the skirting back on Logan and Janey's mobile home and showed us how much the storm took and we need to replace. And yet another group went to Martha and Steven's to try and figure out why her washer is draining into her bathtub? Even more of them installed the back entry door on Robert's -- also our final touch.

Today that New York team divided themselves between Joyce's and Rosaland's. Sam and Ethel took the box truck and picked up the insulation that could not be delivered due to continued rain. They are completing the removal of walls and ceilings in Joyce's kitchen and then installing insulation and will start on sheetrock tomorrow when Sam and Ethel will once again make a delivery with the box truck.

The team at Rosaland's have the green flag -- literally -- as we passed the plumbing inspection and they put a green approval sign in the window. They were doing a bit of framing on her closets and then were ready to foam insulate the windows and insulate the walls and ceilings as they also wait for sheetrock to come on the truck. Waiting a day or so will be fine as they have the entire house to prepare. Our professional engineer also paid us a visit first thing in the morning to make sure we were all on the same page. He has been wonderful to work with and is happy with all of our work.

As I move from job to job it amazes me to see how well the college students learn and yet have fun in all they are doing. I found Carol's team outside in the rain cleaning paint brushes with a hose that had so many leaks that more water came through the leaks than the end -- and hearing their laughter and joy was inspiring. They did say they are purchasing a new hose for her tonight -- their gift to her! :)

We all should take a lesson from them -- enjoy all we are doing! Not be happy but have true, deep down, God given joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time . . . where's your joy? Susan and Monty

The forgotten disaster survivor!

It just had to be built! After all, we are rebuilding homes all over the place, why not hers?

Yes, she showed up in our RV park many, many months ago. And guess what -- I fed her and you know the rest of the story . . . Good thing both Monty and I have a heart for animals as well as people!

She's never caused a problem, she just wants fed a couple of times each day and she stays outside -- well -- except for the day she slipped past Monty and he found her inside our trailer nestled between the dogs right on the couch!

And now it's become quite obvious that she is expecting some babies! Oh my -- we should have had her fixed --- but . . . that changed everything.

She can no longer live out in the elements, homeless!

Monty took it upon himself -- actually -- God woke him up in the middle of the night with this house design and he had to build it or bust!

It's awesome --customized just for her and she loves it! The construction was complete yesterday and I got it primed. Then I had to chose the colors -- yes -- the colors! You don't leave a house just primed!

You can see I selected some rather beautiful coastal colors and she seems very pleased! She went right in and also loved the nice fleece blanket inside. Now she can have those babies and then we will be taking her to the local SPCA just down the road. We've already spoken to them and they are ready whenever we are . . . and yes -- I know I can't keep them!!!!!!!

Anyway, I just had to share our fun with all of you as sometimes we forget that animals also suffer after a disaster. There were hundreds of dogs roaming around when we first arrived here in October of 2008. The dog catchers have taken care of nearly all of them but cats are something else and seem to be able to survive better. And this one knew just exactly which camper trailer to come to and meow outside the door!

God directed her -- I know He did!!!!

Until tomorrow when we welcome in some new teams, some new opportunities, some new challenges and some new miracles . . . bless an animal, they are the perfect example of unconditional love!

Blessings, Susan and Monty

Hank and Cherie's House Blessing

What a powerful past couple of days! Getting it put into words is tough and can't possibly relay all of the emotions, all of the joy and all of the sadness of seeing great teams leaving!

Yesterday all teams were working away, each accomplishing more than they ever thought they could or would. All traveled directly from working to Hank and Cherie's for their House Blessing that has been long in the making. It was awesome to see their home filled with volunteers, no matter if they weren't the ones who had helped with their home, no matter if they had never even met the family -- they stood in for all those who had helped, who had prayed and who had left their mark, their sweat and their love in the home and in Hank, Cherie and Blake!

We packed the house and all were thrilled to see how beautiful it is. Our "Basket of Blessings" always shows each of us how God can take plain, ordinary things (like us) and use them to bless others.

Welcome Home (officially) Hank, Cherie and Blake! You will forever be our family!

Today was the usual Friday where all teams are trying with all they have to finish the projects they are working on. Teresa's team worked miracles in so many rooms in her house! Her kitchen looks new and the family room is new! In transforming rooms they transformed Teresa herself! The tears of joy flowed freely along with smiles that will take awhile to fade. Thanks team -- you are truly Texas Flies (inside joke!)

Joyce's team now have the bathroom completely gutted and all new plumbing installed! What a task they had before them and what a miracle they accomplished. And to top it all off -- the presented her with a brand new toilet -- complete with a big yellow bow on top! It's amazing to see how excited a woman can get at the site of a new toilet -- that's when you know you are working in disaster recovery! :)

Jocelyn's team refused to quit until her entirely new kitchen was installed and working. And you can see the smile on her face as she stands with one of her team members who is now also family. She didn't even care that her hair was full of curlers!

Carol's team had a couple of women who literally mastered the art of texture on walls! And they also found out they loved doing so! Maybe they'll start a side business??!!

Kim and her team have the house closed in and her team of 3 left with all sorts of new skills and a new appreciation for how houses are built.

Brian and Carol have completely beautiful walls and ceilings, complete with crown molding! They can really see that the end is near and the excitement mounts with each passing day. Sam and Ethel have done a wonderful job managing the teams and in doing so have "adopted" Brian and Carol and I believe would move mountains for them if it would cause their house to be more beautiful! Back to that relationship thing again!

Each week at orientation we talk about being flexible and doing whatever God has for us to do each day. This week has been a test of that in so many ways. The team that started in Galveston on Monday and then left that homeowner to come up here, divide themselves into 3 teams and work on challenges that were "out there" in so many ways. They rose to each occasion and in doing so added to their family! The youth that came in with wide eyes and not sure just what they would be doing or how they would do it and they all were fabulous! They also learned things -- one girl even learned electric!!!-- and they left with love in their hearts and a real sense of accomplishment! And all of them got to see the end result at Hank and Cherie's House Blessing! A perfect ending indeed! God's perfect timing!

And then once again we say goodbye, shed some tears and get ready to welcome a new team for tomorrow who will tackle 3 electrical issues we have. They are from the Houston area and are electricians and are giving up a weekend day to come and help others. What a blessing!

We hope you get a blessing from just reading about our time here!

Until next time . . . thank you!!!!! Susan and Monty

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

Tuesday and Monday

Yes, today had a mix of Tuesday with another Monday. We were able to use part of yet another PDA team that had been scheduled to work in Galveston. When my team of 25 cancelled it left us with room for more so we now have 14 additional who are divided into 3 teams.

One team went to Jocelyn's where they started the demo of her kitchen and will be installing new everything starting tomorrow. Boy is she happy!

One team went to Carol's where they are removing her bedroom ceiling, working on a drainage ditch outside and finishing her family room wall.

And one more went to Joyce's where they tackled the ever present plumbing problem! And tackle is what it is taking. They gave it all they had and did make some progress but alas -- the plumber is coming tomorrow -- thanks to my begging! With plumbing located inside of an 18 inch deep slab it's more than tough to see where it goes and then to find the problem. Is it a clog or is it a broken pipe? Hopefully we will have that answer tomorrow.

Our team working at Teresa's continued with trimming and even got her bedroom door hung so she can finally have something called privacy!

And 3 of her team ventured out into a new job at Kim's where they learned how to remove ceiling insulation and install subflooring. They are learning alot and even thanked me for sending them to another "unknown" job. They will stay there for the rest of the week and no doubt learn alot more.

And of course Brian and Carol's team are truly transforming their house into their home. The paint is going on the walls and the light fixtures are being installed. It's amazing to see the transformation and to see the smile on Carol's face as she sees the quick progress. She is anxious to have it done and have us do a House Blessing. It won't be long!

And yet another batch of who knows how many miles and how many smiles filled this day! We always "preach" flexibility in our orientations and all must have listened well as they are doing a fantastic job and tomorrow is "hump" day!

Until next time . . . thanks for keeping up with us! It's not easy! Susan and Monty

Surprise !!! Monday

Mondays can be "Mondays" and today was quite the "Monday"!

We were at orientation with our 2 PDA teams awaiting our UMCOR team. When they were a bit late I gave them a call to find out they were still in Connecticut and had cancelled for this week! And we were planning on 25 of them -- so -- plan B. No big deal, we just made a couple of calls, changed a few team members from working in Galveston to coming and working with us starting tomorrow and we were back on track! Things like this can happen and the team will be here next week and for the following 3 weeks!

Our 2 PDA teams are mostly youth and with the larger team of 12 working with Teresa they are having a blast and learning all sorts of construction abilities. Teresa is great at leading her own teams as she herself built her house. Women in construction -- teach a woman to use a power tool and look out world! The girls are learning to hang sheetrock, the guys are trimming out around and installing air conditioners and some are outside starting a plan for skirting -- Teresa style! Tomorrow 3 of them will be going to another job -- it was rained out for today and they are getting to experience our key word for volunteering --- "flexibility"!!!

Our other PDA team headed out with Sam and Ethel as their leaders and went to work in Brian and Carol's to finish the last coat of mud, do some sanding and prepare for priming and painting. When we stopped by at the end of the day it was evident that they are being led well and are doing a great job. They will all be working there all week.

With the rains pouring down this morning, many youth that we weren't aware of and a large team cancelled it reminded me of how awesome this work is! Never boring, never the same thing and always a blast! We just roll into another plan, pray the rains stop and keep on going. The blessings don't stop because of some rainy skies -- we just tromp through the mud and keep on smiling because the joy outweighs any weather or change of plans!

I also had to share the photos of Vicky's hot pink house and the team who did such an amazing job in turning it into a home for her! Who would have thought that hot pink and charcoal for the trim could make a house into such a happy home!! Vicky did and I am so happy for her and to see that smile on her face after all these months is priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be sure and stay tuned to see what Tuesday has in store for us!! One never knows!!!!

Until next time . . . smile at someone tomorrow! It'll warm your own heart! Susan and Monty