2024 Mission Trip - David Kentucky - Thursday

Day 6. 

Day 4 of work days. 

Nearing the end.  

BUTTTTT, as I was posting the blog yesterday the boys decided to have a bit of a wrestling match.  : ) 

Lots of noise, but no real injuries : ) 

 

Back to today. 

Up at 6:30 a.m. once again and once again Ryne was there to greet me.  

As were Danik, Rohan, and Malan.  

Several of us start to make lunches before breakfast. 

Claudia seems to love coffee.  Starting early.  Takes it black as well. : ) 

Pastor Craig started us off once again with morning devotions.  

And then it was once again breakfast.  : ) 

And prepare lunch time. 

And once again the "Mature" section. 

Today was finish off day for all three of our sites.  Our group dropped off some sanding blocks to Pastor Craig's group, and then headed off to Wright's Lumber to get some lumber and paint supplies.    

As we drove to our site, these lilac bushes were blooming more and more.  I just had to get a picture of them.  

The train is ready to go, but we wanted to get to our site before it crossed the road because, apparently, they can stand blocking the street crossing for hours on end.  

Again, we will have more pictures of our site, but hey, that's just the way it is. : ) Our goal today was to fix the floor by the door, insulate the floor, fix a wall, finish sanding and do some painting.  

We covered up things with drop sheets this time to save clean-up time.  

I think we have pulled up the floor like 3 times now : ) 

Holden under the trailer assessing what needs to be done.  

Megan and Elyssa sanded.  

I can say that at the beginning their hearts weren't exactly in it.  

We needed to use 2 x 3's for the brace in the floor and walls, but when we got to the lumber store they said they don't sell them.  So we got 2 x 4's and cut them to make them 2 x 3's.   

Holden making progress on the floor 

I sanded for a while as well.  

Cadie and Ryne took a bit more wood out of the floor section and then measured so the drywall would fit once placed on the wall.  

Holden and Lewis cutting the floor.  

Daniel helping out

Once the floor patch was put in place Lewis and Holden put things back together again. 

I used the pole sander for a bit.  

I asked Megan to take a picture of me doing that, but I should have thought better of that. : ) She took some strange ones that's for sure.  

What is happening to my face??? 

The siding going back on. 

Cadie cutting the pieces to fit into the wall. 

This used to be an American Penny.  This is the one Holden put on the tracks for the train to go over.  Very flat now : ) 

Time to prime the wall.  

The siding is almost back up again. 

Cutting in. 

Kim and Janene showed up at all the sites to give us a surprise. 

Who doesn't like chocolate?  

And just before lunch!!! 

Lunch time!!!

Someone really likes spaghetti.  Cold for lunch....hmmmmm

The wall dried during lunch and is ready for another coat of primer. 

We were able to give pictures to each homeowner of their work team. 

Melissa was very touched by hers.  

In an effort to keep us busy, we asked Melissa if there was anything else we could do to help her out.  She was hoping we could dig a trench to the back of her yard in the hope that the water under her trailer would drain.  Holden (and eventually Lewis) took up the challenge.  

Second coat of primer going on. 

Ryne continues to work on the wall. 

Holden and Lewis at work on the trench.  The mud was pretty thick on the shoes. 

Daniel also fixed one of Melissa's hallway doors.  

The insulation is in the floor and wall now. 

Ryne needed his dog time several times during the day : ) 

Lewis is looking very muddy, but happy 

The trench is taking shape

The wall is primed and ready for a coat of paint when the next group comes to carry on the work. 

The hallway wall is repaired and being puttied. 

Finishing touches with Cadie looking on for quality control.  

Melissa's home.  We will miss coming here tomorrow, but Melissa was very happy with what we accomplished.  

On the way home we encountered a traffic jam on the windy road we travelled on.   Parents picking up their kids from school.  Seemed like a bit of a system to get the kids out, but we waited about 15 minutes. 

When we got back, there were T-Shirts for us to have from St. Vincent Missions.  Nice colours.  

And now on to Marika's pictures. 

One car headed to the job site this morning and started a fire to burn all the old wood while the others picked up more materials. 

Claudia and Abby finishing up the floorboards. 

More spindles going on. 

Lunch! Our homeowner graciously ordered us pizza, in addition to the homemade desserts we've been getting every day. 

Malan and Claudia take their turn putting up spindles. 

Taking down the last of the old wire that was put up to prevent a dog from falling off the porch. Thankfully we didn't need to replace it. 

Getting rid of the last really rotten boards. 

And we're done! 

Saying goodbye to our homeowner. We enjoyed working on her house and getting to know her. 

And now on to Mary's Pictures 

Luke and Jason sanding the kitchen ceiling

It was dusty, but the girls had them beat yesterday 

(Megan, Elyssa, Cadie)

Panelling going up

Eli, Sam, and Pastor Craig mudding in the tiny bathroom

Jason and Pastor Craig taking a crack at the toilet

Whoot!!!

Leah was determined to get this stove clean

2nd and 3rd coat of paint

Cutting flooring

Yolandi washing curtains the old-fashioned way

Sam and his dog

Brand new bedroom floor

Lonnie's house on Suzy Q Lane

Treating the group to ice cream cones

Installing new kitchen cupboards

Taking the garbage away

This is Lonnie. He was thrilled with the picture of us that we gave him.

The "mature" group chillin'.  

Oh, a picture of me for a change : ) 

People lounging and sharing before supper. 

Time for some chess with Holden and Sam.  

The boys were marching down the road.  

Here's the proof.  

Supper Time.  

While the dishes are being done Jason and Sam take time in the massage chairs to relax. 

Hey, are you playing 4 on the couch again? 

Some good conversations being had peer to peer.  

The Kitchen crew is hard at work and Marika is making chocolate chip cookies.  

Eventually, we started our reflection and question time, and in that time I read the comments from some of you.  Thanks for doing that.   

Small group time.  

The cookies ready for consumption in our lunches tomorrow. 

Oh, and I got an apple crumble pie cooked juuuusssttt for me.  : ) 

Haha, not really, but I did get the first piece!! 

And we end this blog with a family tree. 

from left to right. 

Leah, Cadie, Harold, Mary, Megan and Abby.  

Nice picture.  : ) 

Sooooo, Day 6 is in the books.  People are socializing and before we know it it will be Friday!  

It was good to work at the three homes this week.  Though we finished early, and we struggle with if we actually made a difference in living conditions, we DO know we made a difference in the lives of Melissa, Lonnie, and Reetha and that's the real reason we do these trips.

We do not know yet what's in store for us tomorrow, but when I post tomorrow's blog both you and I will.  : ) 

Goodnight!!!!