Work Week 29

Saturday was warmer than it has been in a few weeks.  We started with our safety meeting on using ladders. We then were divided into our work groups: 1) plating John, Brandon, Paul, and Dave 2) chalking and marking Patricia, Lupe, Deena, Debbie, and me 3) framing Leticia, Steve, Maria, Jackie, Carlos, Robert, Maria, Evelyn, Delilah, Luisa, Andres, Pat, Jacob, Michael, Alfredo, Naty, and David.  We all got right to work.  

Patricia, Lupe, and I went to lot 13 to mark the studs.

 During the week some of lot 9's walls were framed.  The framing crew started here.

 Lot 12 ready for framing.

Debbie and Deena swept the rain off lots 11, 10, 8, 7.  Deena  playing in the rain water on her house.

 Everyone was called over  to raise the long wall on lot 9.

Then the garage wall went up.

More walls going up. Maria and Delilah working on framing.

 Dave, Brandon, and Paul working on plating lot 15.

 Patricia, Lupe, Debbie, Deena, and I working on chalking on Lupe's house.

 More walls going up on lot 9.

 Deena chalking out her house lot 7.

 Brandon and Paul working on Debbie's lot 16.

 John working on plating lot 16.

 Sunday morning we went back to work on the framing, plating, and marking out the houses for framing.

Deena, Lupe, Patricia, and I marking out Carlos and Jackie's house for framing.

 Jackie, Evelyn, Leticia, Maria, Delilah, Luisa working on framing Evelyn's house lot 12.

 Lot 9 with almost all the walls up.

 Brandon and Patricia standing in their home.

 Debbie's house lot 16 with bottom plate on and marked out for framing.

 Evelyn's house with it's first wall up.

 Lupe marking out her house for framing.

 John, Steve, Paul, and Brandon plating lot 17 (Robert and Maria's house).

Evelyn's house at the end of the day.

 Thank you to all the volunteers that came out this weekend to help us out.  We got a lot accomplished this weekend.  It is amazing how quickly the walls go up.  It was great to be able to see houses going up.

These last few weeks seem to be very hard for me.  I have moments that I feel like I never can get caught up and I am being pulled in all different direction. In these moments I am so grateful that I can trust God to help me through all that is going on in my life. 

Psalm 63

The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
² Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
⁴ So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵ My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

⁶ When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
⁷ For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
⁸ My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

⁹ But those who seek my life to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
¹⁰ They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

Prayer Requests:

 

1) We continue to make progress.

2) Safety for everyone out there.

3) We continue to learn our jobs and do them well.

4) For our children who are at home or with friends on the weekend.  Pray for there safety.

Work Week 28

We have completed the hardest part of building our homes this week (so we have been told).  We got the last four house poured.  We all have slabs. 

Deena's house being poured.

 

Removing sand from our house (lot 10).

Lupe's house (lot 8).

Our garage lot 10.

Some of the frozen sand removed from our lot.

Lupe's lot lot 8.

Our house lot 10.

 

Steve and Maria's house lot 11.

Saturday started with our meeting.  We had our safety meeting on lifting.  Then we discussed our BBQ menu for the next day.  We decided on tri-tip, chicken, sausage, hot dogs, beans, salad, and desserts. We then started to get rid of our trash pile.

Deena, Debbie, Patricia, Lupe, Lynda, and myself started marking out Evelyn's house (lot 12) for framing.

After the group finishing cleaning up the site, they went to framing Alfredo and Naty's house (lot 6).

I am looking at the blue prints. I am standing in the bathroom.

John, Brandon, Dave and Gary (my friend's dad) working on plating Andres and Luisa 's house lot 13.

Facio explaining something to Maria, Evelyn and Delilah.

Brandon adding the top plate.

Inside of the house top plated.

Inside walls going up on Alfredo and Naty's house (6).

Patricia and Lupe marking out a door.

Sunday morning we got to work removing the forms from the last four slabs.

John is removing one from our house.

Angel (Carlos' uncle) came out to help us.  He built his home through this program years ago.

Alfredo and Naty's house at the end of Sunday.

Group 2 came out for a little while today.  They will start building next weekend.  So our neighborhood will be very busy.  I look forward to getting to meet everyone from group 2.  Welcome to the neighborhood.

Now it was BBQ time.  We are celebrating getting to slab.  YEAH!

Pat, Jeffrey, and Alfredo ran the BBQ.  Naty and Leticia set the food out.

Michael, Jacob, and Stephen waiting for the food.

While we waited for the BBQ to be finished we got time to visit and met every one's family.

Carlos and Jackie's family.

Pat and Alfredo running the BBQ.

David and Hailee.

Carlos, Wendy, and Facio

Evelyn, Maria, and Delilah

The kids playing Pit.

Jeffrey playing a game Paul brought.

Luisa and Andres

Natasha (Debbie's daughter) with her dogs.

Time to eat.

Steve and Maria's family

Now time to work off the food.

Naty, Me, Patricia, Debbie, and Deena.

Luisa, Maria, Lupe, Jackie, and her mom playing a game.

It was a great BBQ. Thank you Leticia for planning, preparing, and setting up the BBQ.  Thank you Pat, Jeffrey, Alfredo, and Naty for BBQ and helping out.

This has been a hard weekend for me.  My mom fell and broke her knee on Thursday and Saturday morning I got a call that she was being moved to intensive care unit.  I am so grateful to my friends that prayed for my mom and offered me support. She is doing better now. We have had a lot going on these last few months. It has been difficult at time balancing working on the house and all our family things.  I have felt so overwhelmed at times.  I have to stop and remind  myself of God's sovereignty.

Philippians 4:13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹³ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:4-8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

1 Peter 5:7

⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Psalm 46

46 God is our refuge and strength,
 A very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
³ Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶ The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
⁹ He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰ “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

 God is has been faithful.

Prayer Requests:

1) We learn our new jobs, completed them quickly, and accurately.
2) Our friendships would continue to grow.
3) Health and safety for us and our families.
4) Harmony in the neighborhood.