Sunday, August 7, 2011

Thursday

(Written earlier but not posted until now)

Well the day started off slowly but picked up quickly. We had decided to get to our jobsite around 7:30 and try and beat the heat. After all these years in working on construction missions I should know better that you just can’t beat the heat.

With thoughts and talk about Tangier along with plenty of coffee we headed up the road to Belle Haven. Now I don’t think I have described our jobsite much so far. Where we are working is on Savagetown Road just off Hwy 13 (like everything is over on the Shore). You turn by the Crop Production Services fertilizer plant and head down this windy country road. After two sharp turns and trying hard not to run into a ditch you come around a bend and before you know it you’ve passed the house. Fortunately there is a large electrical substation right next door. And I do mean right next door. How Habitat found this site is beyond me. There aren’t any neighbors for about a quarter of a mile and right across from the house is a large field of some kind of bean. We guess it is soy bean. The lot is very flat (like most of the area is) with no trees on the lot. I guess this makes for easy access to the house but it sure would be good if we had a little more shade. Our main source of shade is a pop-up shelter that I brought along and then the west side of the house at least until about noon. We did quickly learn about the biting flies of the Eastern Shore. We used at least 4 different types of bug spray on ourselves with little effect. Of course they are worse in the shade which is why we have tried to stay out of it. 

We do get to the jobsite at 7:30 and we are very busy with all areas of construction. After the roofing crew finishes up they do a bit of showing off but they deserve it. The rest of us are busy in many areas. Nailing up nailers (boards over top of where the sheetrock will be nailed too), working on the siding on the gabled ends, bending metal for the facia boards, nailing up metal faceplates (this keeps the sheetrock crew from putting a screw into the wires in the studs), putting the vents into the foundation walls along with picking up trash and swatting black flies. We wrap up for the day around 3. Tired, hot, sweaty, thirsty and a little sunburned but feeling good about where we are. Tonight the Eastern Shore Habitat is serving us dinner so we head back to get ready for it.

We are staying at Franktown UMC. This is an extremely accommodating church. They have trusted us with a key that opens every door in the building. They have allowed us full use of a very well stocked and supplied kitchen as well as a very cold air conditioning system. Praise God for this church and the people in it. The church as two showers which we use, one for the guys and one for the girls. It’s kind of interesting in that you would think that when we return from the jobsite we’d be heading for the showers. Actually we usually just go into the fellowship room and plop down in a cushioned chair to relax. Then slowly over the next hour or so we head for the showers. After washing off the bug spray, sweat, dirt and sunscreen I feel almost normal.

As I said tonight’s dinner is being provided by Habitat. Around 6:00 Susie Jones our Habitat contact person comes in and starts on dinner. She is soon joined by Nancy Gonzalez (Executive Director) and her husband Tony and then by Danielle Harmon (the homeowner) and two of her kids and her nephew. Dinner is served and we all sit and talk and eat and talk and eat some more. Nancy then talks about ES Habitat and then Danielle speaks a little while holding back tears. We are then given ES Habitat T-shirts. After some pictures and hugs Tony (Nancy’s husband) tells us a little about the area and this very old Episcopal Church near us that they go to. He asks us if we’d like to see it and being that this is not a shy group nor one that turns down the chance for adventure we say let’s go. Well we head out and the church is Hungars Episcopal Church which was built in 1742. A beautiful church with a very unique balcony. I will include some pictures of this later. After walking around the church and the grounds we head back to get ready for another day.

We have our devotions led by Pat and Becky and then afterwards we get our “mail from home”. Thank you for those that took the time to write a line or two to the team. They are always encouraging and well cherished.

After our team meeting in planning for Friday (another early day) we spend the rest of the time munching on G.O.R.P. and drinking water trying to rehydrate. Various conversations arise along with much laughter. A few of the hardy ones stay up until almost 1 AM talking and sharing stories. This is truly one of the closest teams I have ever been with. We are tired but are well aware of what lies ahead and know that it is God who gives us the strength to do the work. Good night.

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