Work Week 37

We started with our usual Saturday morning meeting.  We voted about whether we would work Easter Sunday.  The vote was divided.  So those that want to work will work, those who want to take it off will have to make up the hours. We then were divided up for work.  John, Brandon, Paul, Jeffery, and Kevin (volunteer) started working on putting the posts on the front porches.  Steve, Pat, Jacob, and Ken (volunteer) continued working on front porch forms.  Patricia, Lupe, Jackie, Maria, Leticia, Luisa, Andy, Tony, Andres, Delilah, Maria, Robert, Alfredo, Naty, and Evelyn worked on framing pick up.  Deena, Debbie, Jessenya, and I worked on the rebar for the porches. Our friend Josh came out to help us for the day.  Steve and Maria's neighbor brought out about 10 men to help us in the morning.  When they came Facio switched Debbie and I over from rebar to hanging sheer wall.  Maria, Evelyn, and Jackie took over the rebar on lot 14, 13, and 12. After lunch Carlos came out and started to work on pluming lot 13.

 

some of Steve and Maria's volunteers working on lot 17 sheer wall. 

more volunteers

Kevin, John, and Jeffery working on lot 6's posts.

Alfredo working in his front door.

Debbie carrying sheer wall on her house (lot 16).  Josh hanging sheer wall.

Alfredo and Naty's house post in.

Lupe's house getting the posts put in.

Debbie's house sheered.

Steve and Pat removing concrete.

 Sunday, we started where we left off.  Jackie and Maria came over to help us sheer.  Our friend Gary came out to help us sheer.  Mauro came out again to help us out. After a while, Leticia and Evelyn started to help us sheer.

Brandon, John, and Paul working on lot 8 Lupe's posts.

Leticia's house (lot 14)  with sheer.

Lupe's lot with posts in.

John, Paul, Michael, Brandon working on Debbie's posts for her front porch.

Leticia's house.

I think having two supervisors out has helped us a lot.  We can get our questions answered quicker and get back to work.  At our end of the weekend meeting, Toby went over things that we need to get done this week, since our first set of trusses are arriving on Friday.  We have a lot of framing pick up to do. Facio and Toby both stressed we need to get lots 6 and 7 ready for the trusses this week. He also discussed that they will be moving us around in the beginning of trusses to figure out where everyone works best. Toby, also, stressed us learning our new jobs and then try to do them faster.  Facio stated that if we know anyone who has knowledge on rolling trusses now was the time to bring these people out.  He then stated that once we get going, we should be able to roll two houses of trusses each weekend.We then discussed when everyone will be coming out this week. After the meeting, Facio took John and I over to show us what he wanted John to do this week when he comes out.

I am so thankful for all the volunteers we had this weekend.  It was such a blessing. Since we have so many volunteers I was curious if we were making up in of the work, so I asked Toby about us catching up those 90 days we are behind.  He was saying it will take a lot of skilled volunteers to catch us up those days.  We are right now just not falling further behind, which is great.  God has been so good to us to supply us with extra help and strength.  I know that as a group we are tired. For me, I continually seek the Lord for strength each weekend and he provides it.

Isaiah 40: 28-31

²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
³⁰ Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
³¹ Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.



Prayer Requests:
1) wisdom for Facio and Toby on what job everyone should have.
2) we will learn are new job and do it accurately and quickly.
3) safety for us. We are going on to the roofs.
4) that volunteers will continue to help us.
5) our porches will get poured this week.

Work Week 36

Saturday morning when began with our morning meeting.  We did our safety meeting, discussed that we invited group 2 down on Sunday morning for a cookies and to meet them.  Facio showed us that we were 90 days behind schedule of finishing in one year.  We then were given our assignments.  John, Brandon, Ken and Kevin (volunteers) were to finish up forming the front porches.  Steve, Alfredo, and Paul were to put sand in the completed porches starting with lot 6.  Debbie, Deena, and I were to start with sheer wall.  He told us that he will calls over to rebar the porches when the first one is ready.  Michael, Andres, Pat, and Jacob were to continue pluming the walls.  Everyone else was to continue framing.  

Pat and Jacob pluming the walls

Paul, Ian, Alfredo, Steve adding sand

Steve compacting the sand

Walls went up on Steve and Maria's house.

Last house to frame.

Kevin putting in the porch

Luisa and Tony framing.

Steve compacting the sand on Deena's porch (lot 7)

Moses (volunteer) helping with the sanding.

Bryan (volunteer), Deena, and I talking about his plans to bring a group of young men out here once a month to help.

Paul adding more sand to Deena's house.

Noah (volunteer) working on getting my front porch level (lot 10).

Eric a friend of Brandon and Patrica volunteering.

A group having a discussion at Carlos and Jackie's house.

Front wall going up on Steve and Maria's house.(lot 11)

Deena's house done.

Alfredo and Naty's house done.

 Sunday morning we meet at 8:30 to meet group 2 and have cookies. We got to chat with  them and walk them through our houses. Sheryl ( Vice President of the Organization running our program) joined us for cookies.

 At 9 it was time to get to work.

Steve getting ready to add sand to John and my lot.(10) 

Framing continued on lot 11. Jackie and Maria framing.

Linda helping with rebar on lot 10.

Brandon and Patricia's porch was finished.

John and my house complete.

Patricia and Toby framing.

John and Paul leveling Evelyn's house (lot 12).

This was a warm weekend.  Debbie, Deena, and I did not work with Toby or Facio much, because we didn't have many questions.  They would come by to check on us, bend some rebar, and tell us we were doing good. We finished framing our last house.  We got all the houses' porches formed.  We sanded and framed 6 homes.  Debbie's house was plumed. Trim was added to doors and windows. After we cleaned up, we had are Sunday night meeting.  Toby and Facio said that we did  good work  and we got a lot done.  Facio told us that our trusses will start arriving March 29th.  We will be finishing up some framing and the porches next weekend. The porches will be poured next week. Toby stated that are volunteers are helping a lot.  Keep bringing them out.  We discussed ideas where we could get additional volunteers.

Here is an idea of how many people volunteer each week on our houses. Sal and Glenn (Lupe's volunteers) came out this week and mowed down our tall weeds. Carlos brought two friends out on Thursday to do some work. On Saturday the following volunteers: Ken, Kevin, Eric, Gustavo, Moses, Nathan, Noah, and Bryan. In addition to them, we had additional family member come out to help: Linda, Michael, David, Dave, Ian, Tony, and Andy. (I hope I did not miss anyone.) Our friend Rhonda came by with Popsicles Sunday afternoon.  Thank you to everyone who volunteered this weekend.

When I think about how long we have been doing this and how much more time we have left it seems hard.  Then I remind myself of what a gift from God this house is.  He has blessed us with a home we never dreamed that we could afford. I know God will give me the strength I need each day to complete my tasks and He will use every hard moment for my good and His glory. 

Psalm 8

 

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
² From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
⁴ What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
⁵ Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
⁶ You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
⁷ All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
⁸ The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

⁹ O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

 

Prayer Requests:

1) skilled volunteers will continue to come help us.

2) safety as we start working on the roof.

3) wisdom to Facio and Toby as they teach us new skills.

4) that we will learn our new skills quickly

Week 35

Saturday morning started out cold.  After our meeting, Facio broke us up into groups.  The Framing group: Leticia, Luisa, Maria, Delilah, Evelyn, Andy, Patricia, Alfredo, Naty, Robert, Lupe, Jackie, Maria, Michael, Jacob, David, and Jessenya. Toby would be supervising them.  Sheer wall was Debbie, Deena, and me. Facio would be supervising us.  Front porches was John, Steve, Brandon, Paul, and Pat. Facio was supervising them.  We were blessed with many volunteers, some new volunteers and some regularly volunteers.  Each volunteer has blessed us with their time and helped us progress in our quest to build our homes.  Thank you so much for helping us.

Us eating our lunches.

Bill (a volunteer) came out to help with sheer wall.

Pat and Paul working on Deena's front porch.

John and Ken (a volunteer) working on Deena's front porch.

Steve, Brandon, and Facio working on Lupe's front porch.

Debbie, Deena, and I working on Lupe's sheer wall.

Jessenya framing on Robert and Maria's house.

Michael

Dave

Jackie

Delilah, Maria, and volunteer

Framing on Leticia's house.

Sheer wall going up on Brandon and Patricia's house.  More volunteers.

Deena and I working on sheer wall.

Our front porch.

Lupe's house

Leticia's house

Leticia's garage

Carlos, Jeffery, and Andres working on Debbie's house.

Andres

Evelyn's porch started.

Steve and Maria's house framing started and porch done.

Jacob and David.

We made progress in a lot of areas this weekend.  We are framing our last house.  We are getting closer to getting our roofs on.  YEAH!  We were blessed with a lot of volunteers skilled and unskilled this week.  I did not even get to see everyone that came out, because I was so focused on getting the sheer wall up.

Life continues to be busy. We were blessed this weekend by two friends that watched my children and made us dinner. One friend made dinner for Debbie and Deena also.  It is so great not to have to come home and cook.  The hardest part in building our house is balancing everything.  So it is wonderful when someone helps build the house or cooks for us.

 In my Bible reading this year, I have been drawn to read Psalms. Psalms 63 really got me thinking about the peace and joy and where it comes from. God is so good to remind me constantly where I need to find this peace and joy I desire. After working all weekend, Sunday night we spent time with our church small group discussing the sermon, which was about have peace through clinging to the LORD.  When I am earnestly seeking the Lord everything is so much easier to balance.

Psalms 63

The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.

 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.

Prayer Requests:

1) skilled and unskilled volunteer will continue to come out and help us.

2) wisdom on how to balance the demands on our time

3)wisdom for Facio and Toby on how best to teach us.

4) safety.  There are many ways to get hurt each weekend.