Adam: Today things started pulling together at site #2. We laid the tile pipe in the French drain, added gravel, and even had two runs covered by the time we knocked off for the day. Hopefully, Ms. Cindy’s basement and yard are improved by the work we are doing. We got to know more about Cindy as well. She has a chronic disease that causes her veins and arteries to curl. We looked it up online and apparently many people have their hands/feet amputated as a result of the disease. She is also the survivor of domestic violence. She had a previous boyfriend stab her and break her neck. Cindy definitely needs our help and our prayers.
Last night in spiritual life we discussed why God allows some to suffer. It was a very emotional conversation and many of the kids and adults were moved to tears. The pastor leading the discussion is definitely challenging the kids with the “big questions” of faith.
Hannah and Lisa, I am missing you more and more.
Mark: Well we finished the work at the site today! So we decided to head into a small town called Marshall I don’t think they even have one stoplight in the town!!! While we were there we walked up and down the streets and went into 2 stores. The first being a little store that had a bunch of candy bars and drinks and it was basically a 2 aisle Meijer! The second was a coffee shop where our leaders rewarded us for working so hard with a drink! It was so nice of them! Today is laundry day! So we are at Coin Laundry doing our loads! I think mine is done, and I unfortunately don’t have anything else to write about. So goodnight and bye!!!
Sarah: Today at the work site, I worked a lot in the bathroom of the main house. First, Nancy (Northville, MI) and I had to go in and make sure that there were no nails sticking up, because nail heads that are not flat with the floor will cause the linoleum to be uneven. The floor had terrible dry rot, so the already substantial holes were made even bigger as we got rid of the loose debris in them so that the putty would stick. We swept it multiple times, and then we put putty in the holes to make them flat. After they were dry, Mike put me in charge of sanding the floor to make everything smooth. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he thought the sanding had been done quite well. Then Sarah Mullen (MD) and I started laying the linoleum. Also, Mike picked up a handicapped toilet last night at Lowe’s, so we will install that tomorrow after Sarah and I finish the floor. We started installing the carpet in Rachael’s house too, and tomorrow we will finish that. All of the stuff for the septic system arrived today, so two of the trenches are finished, I think. The Rices are so grateful and happy to have a new septic system and for Rachael’s house to get fixed up. Besides the carpet, we also installed a new door for her trailer. At the moment, we are at Fiesta Laundries as we clean our clothes. Our state group went to the Family Dollar as our clothes washed and bought some stuff for our Secret Servants. Overall, today has been an excellent day, and I cannot wait for tonight’s spiritual life and chapel afterwards.
Luke: We tried tricking all the other groups into thinking we had a lot more work to do still by saying that our septic tank exploded. However, they didn’t buy it and now everyone knows that the group from site three is completely done with their worksite. BTW they didn’t let me help out with site one like I had asked. Instead, we got there late today because we needed gas, and then got finished in the first hour. Then we got to hang out at Marshall. Don’t get me wrong… messing around at Marshall was no picnic (actually we kinda did have a picnic at the park), but I couldn’t sit back and relax because the people in our group were caught up in a giant nerf gun war. The Marshall park was an epic battlefield. After that we wandered around the town and then met up for some coffee at the local coffee place. I was really tired so I got something with a lot of espresso in it, but it only made me more exhausted. When we had gotten back from the Y I passed out on my cot and slept til dinner, and now I’m sitting waiting for my clothes to get out of the dryer. Busy days at ASE. Looking forward to slacking off some more tomorrow.
Seth: Today we woke up, and finished the extra twenty feet of the trenches. Then the truck arrived and we unloaded the whole septic system and put some of it in. At the end of the day we filled in the trenches and went home. We did laundry today; I am excited for tomorrow. Love you mom and dad, good luck with work.
Rachael: It gets harder to do work at the work site every day. But yet we got 95% done with the septic stuff!!!! :D this week has been so amazing. I’m so sad that this is the last year I can go on this trip. There is just so much you learn that you can’t learn any other way than experiencing it. The people we work for are amazing. And to see how thankful they are is such a great feeling. Now one girl named Rachel might come to church Sunday which is soooo awesome!!! I hope she does. But my laundry is now done so I have to go fold! Bye
Nikki: I have very mixed emotions about the work being finished at our site so early. We had some great fellowship time hanging out in Marshal today, but I can’t help feeling that I should still be working on a project. Tomorrow our group will be working here at the church on a few landscaping things, but it doesn’t sound like there is a full days work. There is still Monday and typically a half day of Tuesday for work days too. I hate the thought of frittering them away when we have all come here to serve. On the plus side, I feel like I am connecting a lot more with the kids this year than I have in the past. Maybe it is because James is approaching this age and I have learned to have fun with him and his class. I hope that he will want to come to ASE next year. This event is a great fit for his personality and skills.
