RVing With a Purpose

Friday, June 23, 2017

Every time we woke up during the night it was raining. Fortunately, it stopped about the time we got up today and we were able to get ready to leave without getting wet. We pulled out of Bellefonte RV Park about 8:00 am and headed toward Chattanooga, then Atlanta and on to Randy and Debra’s in Johnston, SC. We will spend the night here and then go on the Lumberton, NC tomorrow. The drive was about 350 miles and took longer than planned, but when ever you go through Atlanta you never know how long it will take. Traffic was heavy. About 30 miles west of Augusta Google Maps and Waze indicated the Interstate had a 35 minute delay so we exited and took surface roads for a while then got back on I-20 in time to cross over into South Carolina. We stopped for fuel at the Pilot station at exit 11 then on to Johnston. It was a nice drive except for the traffic and we had no rain. Debra prepared a great supper for us and Dave and Jennifer also joined us for dinner. It was great to see them again even if it was a short visit.

While we were driving to SC our Constructors team continued to work on Rosalie Baptist Church. They installed most of the remaining trusses and put up and taped most of the sheathing. We understand they had to stop due excessive winds. Sorry we couldn’t be there to help but we need to be in Lumberton tomorrow and get settled in to be ready to start our Disaster Rebuild Project. Hope you all are safe and dry.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Weather-wise today was about the same as it was all over the southeast. Rain, rain and more rain. And then some more. Fortunately we did not have any of the storms/tornadoes that places like Fairfield, AL experienced. The people working on the sanctuary tried to get started this morning but it was just too much rain.

There was one truss put up but then it was decided it really wasn’t safe and all work was halted. After we had breakfast everyone waited a while and then a few tried to get out there again but again it was just too wet and work was called for the rest of the day. We had told them to call us if they decided to return to work this afternoon. About 1:30 pm we received a call from our kitchen team leader saying it was all over for this week and we were not going to cook tonight. We had planned spaghetti. We all came back to the RV’s and took nice long naps. We were all more tired than we realized because we all slept and rested all afternoon – while it continued to rain. Evidently the rain ended at Rosalie and some of the folks went back to work. We are about 30 minutes from the job site at the RV park and it was still raining here. Tonight since we weren’t doing spaghetti David and Cecelia went back to Mud Creek with us. It was just as good tonight as it was Sunday. Some of the best catfish ever! After we returned from dinner we Randy received another call saying some of the team is going to work tomorrow and try to get the rest of the trusses up. Unfortunately, we just can’t stay tomorrow. We need to be in Lumberton, NC Saturday afternoon and will go to Randy and Debra’s house tomorrow and then on to Lumberton Saturday. Maybe next year we won’t schedule anything the week after Constructors so we can stay later. Hope they have good weather tomorrow and accomplish a lot. It will be great to follow the pictures of the next for weeks teams as they work to complete what we began. Once again this year it has been a great Constructor’s project. David and Cecelia have enjoyed it as well and say they plan to return next year. We all are looking forward to the next year’s church where every that may be.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

What another wonderful day this was. It of course started again at 4:30 when all of us had to get up and head up the mountain to Rosalie at 5:30. Debra, Anne and Cecelia had breakfast duty today so we started work at 6:00 just like the folks working on the building. Breakfast is at 7:30. It takes a while to cook 60 biscuits, sausage, bacon, eggs, slice watermelon, tomatoes and cantaloupe, make gravy, grits, and chocolate biscuits. Of course there is also juices, milk, coffee, and dry cereal options as well.

Out on the job site, there was big, big work going on. Right after breakfast the big crane swung the first truss into place. It took to until 4:30 to get all but one of the trusses for the sanctuary into place. There was one short truss missing and it will arrive special order in the morning so the sanctuary will be complete. Then they will start on the trusses for the fellowship hall and Sunday School rooms. The fire blocks were also completed today. Also finished was roughing in all the windows and installation of the top plates.

 

It’s a tradition at Constructors projects that we all sign some of the boards that are going to be covered with drywall. Generally we write a favorite scripture and sign our names. We started that today and even one of the guys hanging the trusses did that way up high above the sanctuary.

 

This construction project is having a big impact on this little community. People from other churches have been coming and asking what they can to do help (not that unusual), but yesterday and today we also had people who not involved with any churches come by to help. We also have people in cars parking across the street and just sitting there watching us work for hours. The preacher talked Sunday about us being examples to the community and being willing to tell them why were are here. We haven’t experienced this in previous years with Constructors but the preacher was right, the community is watching.

Tonight was our annual “talent” show. It’s a time when we have some fun with roasting a few members of the team, enjoy the musical talents of others and have a testimony from one of the team members. We then ended the night with a Rosalie tradition of opening the doors, lifting our hands and shouting “Praise the Lord” loudly three times.

 

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

It was another early morning with Randy, Max and David leaving the RV park at 5:30 heading up the mountain to Rosalie. Debra, Anne and Cecelia followed at 7:00. We all drove in fog. It was clear in the valley but on top of the mountain it was quite foggy but pretty. Out on the slab today they finished framing the interior walls, placed most of the top plates and installed most of the window and door headers. Again today we had great food and too much of it. The cooking team that Anne, Debra and Cecelia are on prepared lunch today and as is customary for lunch there were sandwiches, chips, salads, fruits and various desserts. After lunch the fire stop placement was begun as well as the truing of the walls and bracing in preparation for truss placement tomorrow. When the work day ended at 6:00pm we had a wonderful meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, green beans, salad, rolls, fruit and peach cobbler with homemade ice cream. It was delicious.

 

Channel 48 News came out to Rosalie just before lunch today and there was a nice story on our project on the evening news tonight even though to begin with they had our name incorrect. (Click here to view the segment.) Constructors is a wonderful group of Christians who are being the hands and feet of Christ. It’s also really neat to follow the churches and communities where we have worked in past summers and see what God is doing thru the churches we have helped.

After dinner we drove back down the mountain to the RV park by a different route that took us through Flat Rock, Free Hill, Hog Jowl Gap, Crow Town, Roaches Cove, Mud Creek and back to Hollywood. Interesting and pretty drive. Of course when you are as tired as we are this evening you tend to get a little silly and we had a great and almost continuous laugh as we drove home thanks to all the strange names. Our favorite was probably Roaches Cove – NOT! Back at the rig we were treated to an absolutely gorgeous sunset. One of the prettiest ever! God’s beautiful world – Thank you God!