Today was the start of my third week of volunteers. I had a group from Ambler, PA that first week, which was nice. They arrived just after the Phillies were eliminated from the playoffs so we commiserated and then gutted a house to feel better. Then, we went on to do some drywall finishing at another house. It’s a process called mudding, meaning after you hang the drywall, you put up this compound that creates a seal and hides the seam. Doing this enables you to paint it without a visible seam. It’s a hard thing and I nearly had a mutiny on my hands. But they learned it quickly and had a good week.
Last week, a group from Chippewa Falls, WI came. We did drywall finishing Monday through Wednesday and then they got to prep and paint on Thursday and Friday. We were working on a house in New Orleans East where an elder at my church lived until the storm. He’s a cute old man and paid the group lots of visits, which they loved. Groups really seem to love hearing storm stories from the homeowners and it’s really beautiful to watch the group connect to the person who survived the storm. Then, they can go back to where they live and be a witness for that person. I just know that in Chippewa Falls, WI right now, someone is telling Feltus’ story. It’s great to watch a story disseminate and know it’s going places.
And this week, I’ve got a group from Presbytery of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington. We did a gut this morning and have another tomorrow. They’re building a playground on Wednesday and the rest of the week is gonna get played by ear.
That first week, I didn’t know the answers to any questions. It was frustrating. Two weeks to the day after that crummy Monday, I’ve got more answers and I’m feeling a lot more confident in my job. I’m not bothering my boss nearly as much over the phone and I have a bigger picture of what’s supposed to be happening. Pray that I continue to learn a lot and communicate that to the groups. These groups have been such a blessing.
