Friday, Relaxing at Westminster

There is  sign post showing many of the groups who have come to help in Nashville. We added one for our church.  Big Al made it, and Jim lettered it. We all signed it.

Last Day, Worksite, Friday April 8, 2011

Here are some pictures of the last day at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church.

Deb and I hung the doors.  We were all tired. Some showed it more than others. The end product and our team.

 

Friday, The work is done.

We have closed our worksite. So is everyone else. Now it is time to clean at the church. In the evening we will be going to Nashville for a dinner out. Later, I will post a group picture standing on our floor. We have been a good team from across the country. Our only regret is that we really did not have contact with the congregation we were serving. Maybe I will come back someday and attend a service at that church. On to the goal of leaving things better than we found them, . . . Well at least not worse.

Thursday, April 7, 2011 Last full day

Tonight I am whipped.  I got back from the worksite. Got off the worst of my clothes and flopped in bed for a good long nap. After that and dinner, and chores, here I am. Today we laid some tile, but mostly we grouted, and sponged, and sponged . . .  It is really beginning to look like a nice room. Unfortunately, we will not finish the project. The next team will have to continue the project. Tomorrow will be a half day of work. Then we clean house for the next team. Hopefully we will have some free time. Saturday we set off for home. 

Wednesday, Evening Devotions

Tonight a local worship team did devotions. A taste of Nashville for real! The uncle of Alyse, the girl on the same team I've been working on and whose picture has appeared on the blog, and his friend, John Armstrong, played and sang many original Christian songs. Alyse sang some at the mic too. I particularly liked one called "Concrete and Steel".  Then a minister from a church really hurt in the flood spoke. Trying to convey to us how bad the flood was, he said that Nashville nearly washed away. There were news pictures of a house being washed down the highway. That was the house next door to his church! What I took from his message was that although we come here to do good. Do not get so wrapped up in doing, that we miss the blessings God has for us here. That we should return home energized to share the energy and spirit we have experienced here. Following that we shared communion.
 

Wednesday, after lunch

When we crawled out of the basement for lunch, it was glorious! Here we are
enjoying the afterglow of lunch.

"Our church" is just inside the "Buena Vista" historic district. This sign is
just around the corner. We pass it morning and night.

Wednesday, The work of the day

Jack cut tiles. I made him a protective garment so the spray did not soak him today. Still his legs got wet, but he was more comfortable. Late in the day when we did not need more shaped tiles, he got to lay some tile with Tom. Clem was our mud man. He continues to keep the tile layers well supplied with the mud. Alyse and Ryan mixed some too. most of us chiseled out the mud from previous days that rose to high between the tile. We needed to make room for the grout. At least I could get off my knees today! Gwen from Lehigh Presbytery chiseled and then started cleaning to begin the prep for grouting.