Training to Serve and Then Serving

We rolled out of bed this morning about 6AM in the girls cabin about 6:50 in the boys cabin. Life is so unfair, but anyway. We spent the morning with our amazing trip leader, Kasii May. Kasii led us in some team building activities and helped us gain perspective for the experiences that lay ahead of us. Kasii is passionate about serving and helping others learn to serve. She did a great job keeping all of us engaged and learning.
After our learning morning, we helped pick up around the camp where we are staying. We challenged the California group, to see which group could pick up more pinecones. We were, of course, the winners and the first to eat lunch.
After a quick lunch we met with Josh our other awesome team leader for some instructions. Then we headed out to serve. We arrived at the home of Ms. Jones. She is a 69 year old woman who survived the devastation of Katrina with her home largely intact. This sweet woman told us about the storm and how she will never stay through another storm as long as she lives. She told us about the water that came through the roof and how the house shook.
Our task is big but the kids are going to make it happen. These are our goals:
∗ Clean the entire outside of the home and prep for painting
∗ Clean out flower beds and till them up by hand
∗ Remove damaged parts of walls and ceiling (haul it outside)
∗ Paint the entire outside of the home
∗ Replant flower beds with shrubs and flowers
∗ Hang new paneling on the walls and thin plywood on the ceiling
∗ Paint all new paneling and ceilings
∗ Clean up brush and yard outside of the home.
We accomplished the first three in three hours this afternoon. The kids worked really hard today. They were motivated and encouraging to each other and those around them. You would have been proud. We are enjoying some free time tonight and then we are turning in early!
Prayer requests:
1. The kids would stay motivated.
2. They would bond even more as a team.
3. We would love each other, with our words and actions, even when we are tired (because we are tired)!
4. We would love those we come into contact with unconditionally.
Thanks for joining us on this journey. We love and miss you all.
Andi

Quotes for the day:
Me: “ Adam, can you get the crow bar and demo this wall?”
Adam: “YES MAM!!”
“I have never been so tried of eatin’ eggs off a grill in all my life.” –Ms. Jones
“Mrs. Andi, the reason my foots hurts is because I have a nail in my shoe.” – Claire
“ I want to go to Walmart, I still have money to spend.”-Joel