Week 57

This week we started with our usual Saturday morning meeting.  Facio went over what has happened with the inspections this week. Lots 6-14 shear have passed inspections.  The rest of the lots will get inspected this week. Lots 6-8 had their framing and mechanical inspections.  They did not pass.  He will continue to get a couple homes inspected each week. Next, Facio let us know that we were  working on contacting all the neighbors around us, so we can work more hours on the weekend.  Two people from our group would be going to the homes next to us to let them know about our desire to extend our work days and to get their opinion on that possibility.   Debbie was chosen as the lead person on this. She does a great job representing us.  It was scheduled for her to go with one other person (Naty) after last break. We then got to work on the different tasks. We worked on roofing, installing windows, painting fascia, craftsman home porches, and blocking for siding.  

 

Here is this weekend in photos:

 

 

Lupe's house getting roofed.  A friend came out to help and teach.

Deena's house getting roofed.

Windows going in on Deena's house.

Steve and Maria's house with roofing material on top.

John working on Lupe's windows.

Lupe's home with windows

Deena's home with windows

Alfredo and Naty's home with decorations added to columns

Alfredo's home with roof completed

Sunday morning, we came out at 8 am.  We worked on putting sand in the trench line for the gas line.  We did that until 10 am, then we started back on our jobs.

Lupe's house being roofed.

Installing windows on Brandon and Patricia's home.

John and Jacob installing a window.

Brian (Debbie's co-worker) helping with windows.

Debbie working on windows.

Windows going in on my home.

Brandon and Patricia's home with completed windows.

Lupe's home

Deena's home

My home

Debbie's home

Debbie's bathtub.

Evelyn and Delilah painting fascia.

Deena and Linda adding paper for window installation.

Lupe and Patricia working on Lupe's roof.

Debbie and I working on windows

We installed 51 windows this weekend.   We installed window on approximately 3 homes.  We have the fascia painted on 10 of the homes.  We got 12 trenches ready for the gas line. We started roofing  2 more homes and finished 1. We were blessed by many volunteers who came out and helped this weekend without their help we could not be where we are today.  Thank you for all your hard work.

 

 We are looking for anyone who would like to volunteer to help us roof our homes. If you want to help, please let me know.

 

Prayer Request:

 

1) Endurance and energy.  We are putting many hours in each week, plus most of the homeowners work.

2) Wisdom for Facio and Toby on how to teach and job assignments

3)  Volunteers to help us finish our homes.

 

A few of the neighbors walked by the homes telling us how good the homes are looking.  It is very exciting to see the homes with windows and doors.  It is fun to think about what colors we want to paint the different rooms in our new home.  My younger children like to go look at paint samples. I look forward to see what colors our floors and counter tops will be.  The floors and counter tops are the two areas where each family gets to pick the colors for their own homes.  The walls have to be painted a white color, which we will change hopefully before we move in.  We still have a long ways to go before we can get to actual changing the paint colors.

 

 It seems like forever since we have been at church. We joke around that people will not know us when we return. They will think we are new to the church.  It is hard, because we do feel a distance from everyone.  We miss being at church and being apart of every ones life.  Crying out to God is all we can do right now. 

 

Psalms 62: 5-8

⁵ My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
⁷ On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
⁸ Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah.

 

 

Week 56

Wow! What a great week!  Debbie's friend Scott came out to do some work for us.  He is a contractor and was able to set exterior doors in 9 houses this week.  So when we showed up on Saturday most of us have our exterior doors installed.  Facio told us to make sure we take home our Front door paint.  We are responsible for hanging on to our exterior paint that is not used. Facio then let us know where we are with inspections and sub contractors.  The sub contractors are going to continue to come out this next week.  The first four houses have all passed shear inspection. Most of the houses fire sprinkler inspections were passed. He plans on getting the two houses framing and mechanical inspections this week.  I believe he will be getting more shear nail off inspections this week.  Facio then gave out the jobs for the day.  Alfredo, Robert, and Andres were to continue roofing lot 6.  Carlos, Brandon, and Paul were to continue to work on craftsman style front porches.  Naty, Maria, Delilah and Evelyn worked on painting fascia and blocking.  Jackie, Maria, Luisa, and Leticia worked on blocking.  Lupe and Patricia continued to work on corbels. Steve, David, and Michael worked on laying the felt on lot 7 (Deena's house). John, Debbie, Deena, and I were going to start installing the windows on lot 6 (Alfredo and Naty). 

Our first window installation.

Lot 6

Lot 7 Deena's home with felt.

 Lot 16 Debbie's house.  Blocking going in.

Luisa's Dad cleaning up after the roofing crew.

Our friend Dennis came out to help install more doors for us.

 Deena's house with Steve, David, and Michael working on felt.

 Alfredo and Naty's house Alfredo and Robert.

 Window installation begins.

Toby explain to Jacob and Dave about the trimmer around the windows.

Facio giving us a hand.

 Lynda and Deena installing the moisture wrap around the windows.

 Lupe's house lot 8 blocking by Maria and Delilah.

Lot 6 with Robert's brother and Andres and Luisa's family helping roof.

 We ended our day installing one window on Deena's home. 

 Sunday, we spent the morning cleaning up our homes and property.  By lunch time we went back to our work from yesterday.

Installing more windows on Deena's house.

Michael nailing in a block.

On Sunday, Sheryl came out for a visit. Sheryl is from the self-help housing program.  It was great to see her.

We were blessed with many hands this week.  Carlos and Jackie had family come out and help.  Deena's family continues to show up every weekend and help us.  Andres and Luisa's family came out to help (they regularly help us).  Dennis and Cole both came out to help replace Debbie's helper (Pat). Scott helped us during the week. Our friend Ruth brought us some Popsicle and Fudgsicles. We are blessed to have so many friends to support us. Thank you so much for your help.

Window installation was something fun to learn to do.  We got 1 1/2 house done this weekend.  Toby walked us through our first couple rooms of window installations.  Then we were on our own. Facio and Toby both kept checking on us to see if we had questions for the rest of the weekend.  We hope to speed up now and get a few house done each weekend.



Prayer Requests:

1) Wisdom for Facio and Toby on how to lead and teach us.
2) Our homes will pass inspections.
3) Sub contractors will continue to come out.
4) Health and safety for us.

5) We are working on being able to extend our work hours on the weekend.  The way that the noise ordinance is now we can only work 17 hours on the weekend.  So, we are always having to work to make sure we reach our 40 hours a week.  It would benefit us to be able to work more on the weekends.

6) We need help getting our homes roofed.  Please pray that someone will come along to help us.
 

 

It is incredible to see all that God has given us. I am blessed to see the home and neighborhood He has given me.  I got to talk with group 2 a little bit this weekend.  They are excited about our windows and doors.  I look forward to getting to know them better. He has given me an amazing church family to support us through this process.  I look forward to getting back to church on Sundays and seeing everyone a lot more. God is so good and will continue to lead us  through this journey into home ownership.

Proverbs 3

 

The Rewards of Wisdom

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
² For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
³ Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.
⁹ Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
¹¹ My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
¹² For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

¹³ How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
¹⁴ For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
¹⁹ The Lord by wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He established the heavens.
²⁰ By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the skies drip with dew.
²¹ My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
²² So they will be life to your soul
And adornment to your neck.
²³ Then you will walk in your way securely
And your foot will not stumble.
²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;
²⁶ For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
²⁹ Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
³⁰ Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
³¹ Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
³² For the devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But He is intimate with the upright.
³³ The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
³⁴ Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.
³⁵ The wise will inherit honor,
But fools display dishonor.