July 2020 – RVing With a Purpose

Another Infrequent Update

Monday, July 27, 2020

Well, since our last update the Constructors for Christ project was finished last week.

The upper level framing was completed at the front of the sanctuary.

A good bit of the drywall was installed on the new framing.

This was the 45th year of Constructors for Christ projects. Each of this year’s participants were asked to write our name, what years we first volunteered with CfC and a little about what the experience means to us.

We didn’t include in our last update that not only did Max’s brother Randy have a heart attack on Tuesday, but we received a call from the nursing home Thursday morning (the day of Randy’s second procedure), telling us that they thought Aunt Helen was dying. (It was a really bad week.) The good news is that she has also has improved. And because they thought Helen was dying, we can now get into the nursing home and check on both Helen and Jean. It was so good to get to see them both – finally. Helen seems to have stabilized again at a lower level but she is definitely better than she was the morning we got the call. And Randy is also doing well. Thank you for all the prayers.

Otherwise, we have been continuing to work around the houses and have made the last few steps in getting the truck ready to travel to our next project.

This slide out tray was given by our good friends and fellow NOMADS, Dave and Rita. It will be much easier to get to our tools now. Thanks!

End of Week 4 and Thanks for the Prayers

Friday, July 17, 2020

We ended our Week 4 of this year’s Constructors for Christ project last night but we were too tired to write a blog then. Other than the obvious scary event we enjoyed the work and meeting other Constructors that we don’t normally see on the projects. There is one more week of work scheduled at the church.

The main accomplishment today was installing floor joists for the second level at the front of the sanctuary.

The front of the sanctuary at the end of Week 4

More importantly Randy was discharged from the hospital today and is back on the mountain with us. He has a total of 4 stents placed in the arteries around his heart and is feeling much better. And of course we are thrilled to have him here for a couple of days. Thank you everyone who sent up prayers for him. They were strongly felt by all of us. Please continue to pray for him (and Debra) as he makes a few life adjustments and heals.

Week Four, Day Two – Prayers Answered!

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

We returned again to the Constructors for Christ project Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Rosa Alabama. But we didn’t stay all day. We worked all morning framing more walls. Shortly after lunch Max’s brother Randy had a sudden onset heart attack. Thanks to Anne’s quick recognition of the symptoms and an excellent ambulance crew he was in a cath lab at St. Vincent hospital in downtown Birmingham almost within the hour. He had one stent and is expected to have another later in the week. Thanks to God’s response to all the prayers that went up from the mission volunteers, the church member’s and our extended family he is doing fine this evening. Please still keep him in your prayers.

The front of the sanctuary when we left on Tuesday. Randy and Max framed most of the walls on the left side of the picture this morning.

Back on a Project

Monday, July 13, 2020

Most years we just work Week 1 with Constructors for Christ, but since the project is only 20 minutes away and fewer people had signed up we decided to work Week 4. It started at 6:00 am today.

Weeks 2 and 3 completed the framing in the back of the sanctuary, including the bathrooms, stairs, and risers for the balcony.

The framing started on the front of the sanctuary, beginning with a 28′ high wall that was built in two vertical sections and fastened together in place.

The front of the sanctuary at the end of Monday. None of this framing was here when we started this morning.

The concrete was poured for the front porch today (not part of our project)

Otherwise, not much interesting has been happening. Just working around the property and helping out where we can. And enjoying our blueberry crop.