Getting a Grip on Hope ~ Part Four

Week of July 7

And...we're off!  And running! From here until mid-August we'll have teams.  A busy time to be sure!

The youth group from Granger UMC, Medina Ohio arrived safely.  After 21 hours in the vehicles, it was sooooo good to get out of those vehicles!!

 

They're either very excited to be here OR...   

 

 

they are very excited about the game of Ultimate Frisbee... 

 

 

 Coop and Zoey want to play too...

 

 

 Coop and his new best friend.  Not spoiled at all, is he?!!

 

 

This is a fun youth group and the adults are just as fun.  Full of pranksters.  It'll be a fun week.

Mike had hoped to have them do a roof in St. Michael's this week.  The weather is not looking real promising...rain Monday afternoon into Tuesday.  Soooo, they'll be doing some mudding, sanding and cleaning in the two houses in Tokio that the teams from Eureka, SD and Oil City PA had worked on.  As it is a one-story house, the hope is that the roof will be able to be done Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Checking out the first house...



 

A place to begin...

 

 



 

 

 

And now, to the second house...

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A hard working youth group.  We didn't  have quite enough to keep them busy today...but Tokio has lots and lots of children!!! Impromptu games of basketball were held this morning. And we held Sidewalk Sonday School there today as well.

 

Hopefully, the storms that are moving in will not last all day tomorrow and they will be able to strip the roof in St. Michael's.  After tomorrow, the rest of the week looks pretty good with a minimal chance of showers.

 

 

Now my friends, THAT was a gulley-washer! As well an awesome light show last night!!!  We awoke this morning to much cooler temps (mid-60's) and overcast skies.  The rain seems to have moved out, soooo a roof-building we will do.

 

The roof of the house we will do is located in St. Michael's.  We'll do half and half.  That is to say we will strip, felt and shingle the front side before beginning the back side of the house.

 

 

Getting Ready...



 

 

Before

 



 

During

 

I got it!



 

Repairing a vent

 

 

 

 

Felt is on the way.  Shingles should arrive sometime this afternoon.  The hope is that they will be able to get a shingles on part of it today.

 

Rather than going back to Tokio for Sidewalk Sonday School (where upwards of 30+ children will come) Diana is heading to Rolling Hills.  A smaller housing development and less children.  She'll only need six people to help her.  That way, more will be able to help with the roof.

 

Not only was the team able to get the starter row of shingles on but also completed 3/8 of the roof. Timing is everything...shortly after they arrived back at the Center, the rains came again.  Thankfully, it did not last long.

 

After dinner the skies had cleared and the sun came out.  Turned out to be a beautiful evening. 

 

Dr. Russ McDonald stopped by.  Tonight, he spoke of the importance of circles as part of their culture and spirituality. Tobacco may be used (primarily by the Plains Indians and Ojibwa) when praying, especially before drumming.  The tobacco is placed on the drum (circle) beginning in the center, then west (sunset), north (winter or cold), east (sunrise) up (toward the Great Spirit) down (Grandmother Earth).  The seventh direction (center) is us. As you place the tobacco, a prayer is said.  In their culture they believe that we are related to everything -- circle of motion.  At funerals we speak of "from dust to dust...".  They believe that when we are buried we replenish Grandmother Earth.  Because of this relationship that exists between us and everything, they believe that we must have respect for everything.  Russ also discussed the importance of looking for similarities rather than differences, between cultures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                We awoke to cloudless skies.  A beautiful day to do roofing!!

 

 

 

 The Sights of Sidewalk Sonday School ~ Rolling Hills Style!!!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No fear of heights for this young man... 

           

 

 

 Setting up for Capture the Flag









 

The children love piggyback rides!

 



 

 

 

While we were having fun at Sidewalk Sonday School, work continued on the roof...

 

the front of the house is complete and

 

 

 

work is progressing nicely on the back of the house.  It will be completed tomorrow.

 

 

Impromptu Sidewalk Sonday School at the work site...

 

 

 

 

We awoke to cooler temps Thursday morning.  Once again, not a cloud in the sky.  It's heating up quickly and will be a hot one!!

 

The team got an early start on the roof ~ they're anxious to get it done!!

 

 

Getting set up

 

 

















Let's get this done!

 



 

 

 

Busy ground crew

 

 

Why we do what we do...

 

 

 

While the team worked to finish up the roof, Diana built a pallet bookshelf for the Sidewalk Sonday School Trailer...

 

 

 

It turned out so good, she made a second one!!!

 

 

 

 

We've had a great week and much was accomplished.  This team from Granger UMC worked very hard, and played just as hard.  It was fun to be around them.  They truly each other...both adults and youth worked well together and interacted well together.  They were unified!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saying goodbye is always hard, especially with such a fun and enthusiastic team as this