Nikki: We are experiencing multiple technical difficulties. I am posting what we have so you can hear from us and will work to resolve these issues this afternoon. More on work, etc at that time.
Mark: Well today we had our first full work day! We got so much done! It’s so much fun working with so many different people talking to them and getting to know where they come from and how they live. Today I jumped over a kid who is over six feet tall!! ….he was standing in a 2-3 foot ditch. We have so much fun on the worksites its amazing how much we are able to accomplish though when are minds are set to do it! Well that is all for today! So talk to you all tomorrow and I hope everything is going very well back home!
Luke: Have I mentioned yet that the food here is enough reason to go by itself? I wouldn’t mind being locked in an isolation cell for a week as long as they let me eat the food. But we get to dig, which is an added bonus. Speaking of digging… we’re done. I thought I’d set the record last year with three days, but we got this site done in 1 and a half. I have no clue what we are going to do for the rest of the week. Probably even more local service projects, like cleaning up old people’s lawns or something. Whatever happens I’m sure it will be worth it.
Sarah: Today I worked in the houses. We needed to shore up the floor underneath the toilet in the main house on the Rice’s property, so we had to take their toilet out. Therefore, they have no toilet. PK and I worked on that, and Bethany (DE), Lindsay (WI), and Mike (DE) worked on replacing the windows in the trailer. Ironically, the name of the lady that owns the trailer is named Rachael, just like Rachael Asher. After replacing her windows, we worked on her floor. In her kitchen, we are laying tiles, and in her living room, we are laying carpet. We got as far as laying paper and thin plywood in her kitchen, and tomorrow we will finish that and move on to other things- probably her carpet. Later this week, we need to do some hardcore work on her bathroom wall and put a new window of a different size in there. Also, tomorrow we will be putting a handicapped toilet in the main house. I thought it was really neat that the three of us kids who stayed back to work on the house were all on the same site last year. The digging crew continued working on the trenches and started on the pit for the tank, but they had a rough day. They found out that they need to add another foot to the side of every trench, and the third trench is still in rough condition. (Maybe that’s because I was working on that trench.) And the pit crew started digging, but they ran into a giant boulder that needed to be removed; and after they removed that, they discovered that they had been digging right over the old, dead septic trenches. Thus, they could not continue digging and must move somewhere else. Bernard was working on the site, and he is 77 years old. He did just as much work on the pit as the other three boys (who are all huge, I might add). I spent a lot of time talking to the Rices, especially Rachael. She told us a lot about her life; she loves to dance and is a competitive ballroom dancer! She makes all of her own dresses, and she told us about her dance steps and showed us her pictures… Rachael is so nice and sweet, and I can tell that she is super excited to have a nicer home and have people to talk to who aren’t her family. She loves her independence, but she lives on the same property as her parents; on the other side of the main house is her sister Rebecca, and on the other side of Rebecca is her brother Ivan. And down the street is where her sister Sheila lives with her husband. Of course, the parents aren’t in the greatest condition. Mr. Rice had a stroke this past winter and needs help taking care of himself; he is around 80 years old. Mrs. Rice isn’t as bad, I think, but she needs a bedside commode and isn’t well enough to be able to take care of herself and her husband without help. They love having us to talk to and are so grateful that we are there to work on their property and help them, and they have learned to trust us so quickly. It truly is a blessing to work here at the servant event for such incredible people.
Rachael: 12:09am Today….wow I feel like today was four days. When I woke up this morning seems like so long ago. So much has happened. Tonight was really rough though for a friend I met when we got here. It is so hard to know what to say to someone who is going through a rough time. But hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I had a good time at the worksite today. It didn’t rain - all sun!!! hopefully the rest of the days will be like that. Well I have to say that my eyes are heavy while writing this and I cant stand it anymore. It is very late. I hope everyone is having a great month of july, miss you mom and dad.. tell ryan and emily I love them - goodnight
