Monday, October 29, 2012

Work Weekend 16

Saturday morning started out as usual with our safety meeting on using tools safely.  Facio set a goal of getting four house ready for inspection, so we could have a professional crew come in and pour the slabs on lot 6, 9, 12, and 13.  We were divided into our work crews.  Pat, David, Jacob, and John (Evelyn's helper) worked on the inside forms on lot 16 (Debbie's) and lot 15 (Carlos and Jackie's).  Debbie, Deena, Patricia, and myself worked on finishing the bolts on lot 14 (Leticia's).  After we finished, we moved to lot 12 and 13 to do rebar.  Maria, Jackie, Luisa, Yasmin, and Luisa's father worked on the rebar for lot 11(Steve and Maria's).  John, Brandon, Steve, Carlos, Paul, Saul, Alfredo, Alfredo's helper, Luisia helper,  Evelyn, Maria, and Wendy worked on sanding lot 12.  After it was done, Evelyn, and Maria, and Wendy helped to work on rebar lot 12 and 13.
 
Jacob, David, Pat and John working on lot 16 inside forms.


Deena and myself working on bolts

Lot 13 getting the ground ready for sand.

Lot 12 with part of the grid done.

lot 13 getting plastic laid down.

David and Jacob cleaning out the footings on lot 16.

Pat and John building a box in lot 15 garage.

Lot 12 with the grid complete and ready for inspection.

lot 16 forms going up.

lot 16

Sunday morning we got back to work where we left off.  Leticia and her family joined Maria, Wendy, and Evelyn to do the grid rebar on lot 9.  Debbie, Deena, Lupe, Patricia, and myself had to go back and add a piece of rebar around the edge of he whole house on lot 12 and 13.  Pat, John, and Jacob continued working on the inside forms.  The rest of the group worked on sanding lot 9 and fixing lot 6 rebar.
Lot 9 getting grid rebar.
 In the last 30 minutes everyone finshed there jobs and came down to lot 6 to rebar the garage.
Lot 6.



lot 6 finished.

lot 9 finsihed

lot 16

lot 11 with rebar

lot 12

Lot 13
We finshed all four lots.  YEAH!!!  We worked hard this weekend.  The four houses will be inspected on Monday.  If we pass, they should be poured this week.  Next weekend, we are going to finish getting lot 17, 16, 15, and 14 ready for inspection. 

Prayer Requests:

1) cooler weather.
2) group unity and that we would be able to show grace to each other.
3) safety, strength, and endurance for everyone in the group.
4) Wisdom for Facio on how to teach us each step.
5) We would be quick learners and do our skills well.


Since I started building the house, The book of Psalms has become my favorite book to read everyday.  I have struggled with wanting to get the house done faster.  I have to remind myself that God is sovereign over this process and is using the house to grow me closer to him.  The book of Psalms helps me keep my eyes on the Lord.

Psalm 34

The Lord, a Provider and Deliverer.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Work Weekend 15

This week a few of us came out during the week to get some things done, so we could accomplish more this weekend.  Saturday started out with our safety meeting on using power tools.  We then were divided into two groups.  1st group working on getting the first four lots (6,9,12,13) ready for slab.  In that group was David, Dave, Jacob, John, Steve, Brandon, Carlos, Alfredo, Naty, and Luisa's helper.  The second group was working on the next four lots (14,15,16,17).  We were getting them ready for having there footings to be poured.  In the second group was Jackie, Yasmin, Luisa, Maria, Leticia, Evelyn, Maia, Wendy, Delilah, Lupe, Patricia, Debbie, Lynda, Deena, Pat, Paul, and myself.  Pat had to leave soon after we started, so John came and worked with group two for a while.  Leticia's sister and brother-in-law came out to help with rebar on her house for a while.  Our friend John came out for a few hours.
 
Here is our weekend in Pictures:
lot 9 when we arrived Saturday


Luisa's helper working on compacting the dirt on lot 6.

lot 6

Debbie and myself adding vertical rebar.

Dave and David spreading out the dirt on lot 13.

Leticia's sister and brother-in-law working on rebar cages on lot 14.

Steve, Brandon, and Luisa's helper working on lot 9.

Ian and Brandon working on lot 9.
Saturday morning Debbie and I set a goal of getting lot 15 done with bolts and vertical rebar in by the end of the day.  Leticia and her group wanted to get her house finished by the end of the day.  Both groups met our goal.

 On Sunday, we continued where we left off. We were joined by Jeffery, Andres, and Robert.  Andres' family came out today. Craig, Kim, and Leticia's nephew and brother came out to help for a few hours. The goals helped us so much that we continued making goals for ourselves. 
Our first goal get the grid rebar in by lunch.  We almost made it, but we had to come back after lunch to finish the wiring of grid.




Working on lot 12.



Facio using the machine.
 Here are pictures of the crew working on getting lot 12 ready for sand and adding sand.






lot 13 waiting for sand.

Our second goal was to get lot 14 rebar raised and vertical rebar put on. 





Delilah using the machine to compact the sand.


We finished working on the rebar and started to add caps on lot 14.



Maria and Jackie working on the vertical rebar on lot 17.

lot 9 at the end of Sunday.

Lot 6 with grid done.

We worked hard this weekend and got a lot completed.  Thank you to all of our friends and family that came out this weekend to help us get our hours in and get work accomplished. God provided abundantly for us this weekend.  It was a beautiful cool fall weekend.  God provided people to help Debbie make her hours this weekend.  We did know if Debbie would make her hours until 4:30 when we added up all the help we had this weekend.

 

Psalm 19

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.


Prayer Requests:

1) Harmony in the group
2) strength and health for the group
3) this upcoming week and weekend's work
4) Our families
5) Our children who are being taken care of by family and friends.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Work Weekend 14

 
A lot changed this week.  We left Sunday night thinking we would not pour cement this weekend.  Thanks to Maria, Facio, and Alfredo, we were able to have inspection on Tuesday. John, Debbie, and I worked Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to fix the rebar, so we could pour Saturday. God is so good.  It was a rainy week and yet we were able to get a lot of work done this week.  Master's College students came out to our job site and worked three days.  They worked hard and accomplished a lot. They back filled over 8 houses plumbing.  Everyone appreciated how hard they worked. 
 
On Saturday, we started with our safety meeting on working with concrete.  We then divided into three different teams:  concrete, rebar, kickers.  The trucks started to arrive and we stayed busy for a long time.  Trucks came one after another.  No breaks until it was all poured.    We poured lot 6, 9, 12, and 13. Here is our weekend in pictures. 

 


















 Alfredo and Naty happy about there house being poured.  Below are pictures of Master's College students working.















 Below are pictures of the guys moving the hose to the next house.  They were called hosers.











 










 Brandon and Patricia in their house.




 On Sunday, we started to workin on the next four and prepare the four we just poured for slab.  So we did rebar, bolts, removed forms, and cleaned up the job site.  Gary, Sal, Dave, and Linda came out to help us.  Leticia's family came out to help rebar her house.











Thank you to everyone that came out this week and weekend to help us.  We appreciate you.  This week was a good reminder of God is in control.    We thought there was no way we would pour this weekend.  Praise God!



Proverbs 16:2-4

2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives.
3 Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.
 

Proverbs 16:9

9 The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
 
 
Prayer Request:
 
1) Strength and health.  Everyone is tired
2) Wisdom on how to balance everything we are doing.
3) Praise we got 4 houses poured.
4) Motivation and energy to get the next 8 houses poured.