Day one is done!

It's 9:49pm our time and I'm sitting in our group room or as we call it "The Green Room". It's just Yo Momma and I (okay, now it's 11:05pm, we had to go to Wal-Mart). Everyone else has gone to their rooms, to bed. Yep, I said to bed. Each trip before this I have been chasing youth to bed at lights out (typically 11pm) but not this trip. They are tired tonight. I could read it in their faces as we sat together and talked about our day. They've worked hard today, in hot weather.

As we drove into and around Pearlington, I was struck with the sudden realization that things are starting to look better. Homes are going up. There seems to be less debris along the roads. And while these are good signs, I got a little sad. Pearlington has come to mean a great deal to me. I will be sad, although joyful, when the work here is finished.


On to the day's work. We met up with Ben T. who's helping co-ordinate us this week. We split into teams of three today. One group went to Ms. P's house and spent the day putting up siding and beginning to put down ceramic tile floor. After being scammed out of money Ms. P has been waiting for a year for someone to come and help her with her shell of a house. The boys below were all-too willing to climb scaffolding in the hot sun to put up siding! Another group worked at D's house digging trenches, laying floors, fixing pipes. The third group went to Miss E's house to paint. Debbie was our sprayer and she wore the fruits of her labor. Check out her picture below. It feels good to be doing things to help people get into their homes.



Tonight as we shared about our day several things came up that it would be great for you to be praying for. I'll list them and be done for the night. My pillow is calling my name and 6am comes mighty early! Thanks for praying, for commenting and for being our support system. We couldn't do this with out you.


Prayers for Today:

• For confidence as we tackle jobs that we don't necessarily have the skills for and patience for our skilled teachers.


• For rest, hydration and continued camaraderie amongst the team.


• That we will be continually in communion with God as we seek to follow God's plans, not our own.


• For joy in our journey, when the day gets long, bodies get weary and frustration looms.