One week ago I was very frustrated because I was not able to finish the porch and stairs that we were building. I know the other group was frustrated because they did not get everything that they wanted to get accomplished. But overall it was a fantastic week.
I know that we made a huge difference in Lisa and her families life -- that is what it is all about. Hopefully she has electricity in her trailer now and can get moved in before school starts up again.
We had two "accidents" on the trip. Michael fell off a ladder and landed on his tailbone. His trip to the emergency room was less than pleasant. M2 broke her leg while swimming (not sure how you do that), and her trip to the ER was very positive. Both of them had to miss the whitewater rafting trip on the way home. The three of us sat around, ate breakfast, and twiddled our thumbs until the others returned after about 4 hours -- then we all got the ten hour drive home! The youth who did the rafting had a ball! I hate that I had to miss it.
I would do ASP again, but I would want to be better prepared. We did not have any idea what we should bring, until we were there and realized what we should have brought. The ASP leaders did a terrible job in preparing us in that regard. In their defence, they are just kids themselves --- they are college students who had wonderful ASP experiences as students and now are the leaders of the project -- unfortunately they often are lacking in maturity but that is too be expected. Their hearts are in the right place.
I really enjoyed the chance to spend the week with the youth. I look forward to participating with the youth again on a mission project, but this time Nathan gets to be in charge and I get to come along for the ride.
The youth are putting on a spaghetti dinner on August 17th at 6:00pm at Ridge Church to thank everyone who supported them on this trip and to share their stories. Come and join us!
Showing posts with label ASP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ASP. Show all posts
Friday, August 01, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
ASP part 2
Monday morning began with us gathering up the tools that we might need (since I had not been at the site, I had no idea what we might need), making lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (minus the jelly because they ran out), loading up in the van and heading out to find our site.
We were located up Hinton Mountain Road, about a half hour ride from the school up a very windy and narrow road. I loved driving it every day. When we arrived we found a house that was, maybe in a fire, but regardless was only half there, a trailer right behind it (maybe 10 feet) that had no electricity and was not lived in because of that. This was "smiles". Some say that it was called smiles because the trailer bowed so much it looked like it was smiling. That had been corrected before we arrived.
Our task was to complete the underpinning (skirting) around the trailer. Most of the frame work had been done, but every now and again, we would find a 2x4 that was not nailed in. We quickly came to realize that those boards were in areas where wasps lived. We found out after I was attacked and stung twice in the face. Fortunately, I am not allergic to the beasts!
Over the next couple of days we completed the frame, attached tin skirting, put in 8 vents and w access doors. All of this was competed by early Thursday morning. Our next big task, which we fought to get permission to do, was build a porch and stairs so that the family could get into the trailer. We were dependent upon ASP bringing us lumber and we had virtually nothing to do Thursday morning until they finally brought us some of the materials (not all that we needed, however) around lunch time. That afternoon, we dug the holes for the posts and set them with concrete.
Friday again we had to wait around until they brought material (again at lunch time) so all we were able to compete was getting the joists of the porch attached. We really were disappointed that we could not get the rest of the porch and the stairs built. Hopefully, they are finishing that up as I write.
The other group worked on a house in town that had been burned by arson. The tasks that they had seemed overwhelming and I was glad that we got the trailer to work on that we had.
Most of the pictures are now online.
I will write part 3 later.
We were located up Hinton Mountain Road, about a half hour ride from the school up a very windy and narrow road. I loved driving it every day. When we arrived we found a house that was, maybe in a fire, but regardless was only half there, a trailer right behind it (maybe 10 feet) that had no electricity and was not lived in because of that. This was "smiles". Some say that it was called smiles because the trailer bowed so much it looked like it was smiling. That had been corrected before we arrived.
Our task was to complete the underpinning (skirting) around the trailer. Most of the frame work had been done, but every now and again, we would find a 2x4 that was not nailed in. We quickly came to realize that those boards were in areas where wasps lived. We found out after I was attacked and stung twice in the face. Fortunately, I am not allergic to the beasts!
Over the next couple of days we completed the frame, attached tin skirting, put in 8 vents and w access doors. All of this was competed by early Thursday morning. Our next big task, which we fought to get permission to do, was build a porch and stairs so that the family could get into the trailer. We were dependent upon ASP bringing us lumber and we had virtually nothing to do Thursday morning until they finally brought us some of the materials (not all that we needed, however) around lunch time. That afternoon, we dug the holes for the posts and set them with concrete.
Friday again we had to wait around until they brought material (again at lunch time) so all we were able to compete was getting the joists of the porch attached. We really were disappointed that we could not get the rest of the porch and the stairs built. Hopefully, they are finishing that up as I write.
The other group worked on a house in town that had been burned by arson. The tasks that they had seemed overwhelming and I was glad that we got the trailer to work on that we had.
Most of the pictures are now online.
I will write part 3 later.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
ASP in West Virginia
I am slowly recovering from my week with the youth of Ridge Church on our mission trip to Hinton WV with the Appalachian Service Project. I have not gone on a youth mission trip in a number of years, I think my last one was to Oklahoma. That trip I flew in late and flew out before it was over and just came a paid a visit with the youth for a couple of days. This time I was the team leader even though I flew to join the team on Sunday while they drove on Saturday.
The youth left on Saturday morning and drove to Charleston WV to spend the night at Christ UMC. They went to church the next morning and then drove on to Hinton. The big excitement was the realization that some famous actress was a part of the congregation (as far as I know she wasn't there that morning) and her sister was there. I have no idea who it was (they told me but, as they liked to remind me, I am OLD!
I left Munster right after Church on Sunday, I changed my clothes in my office and Nancy drove me to O'Hare. I thought I was on one airline but it ended up being United because it was a code share although my ticket was not very clear. Once I figured out where I was to be, I settled in for my 3pm flight to Washington DC (Reagan Airport) and then a short hop to Charleston WV. We boarded shortly before 3, only to find that their was a mechanical problem. While fixing that issue, another mechanical problem came up, that was fixed, we taxied out of the gate only to sit because of weather in Washington. We finally took off sometime after 6pm.
By the time we arrived my flight to WV had long since departed. Since it was mechanical issues, United arranged for a taxi to Dulles Airport (on the other side of town) for a flight that left in about an hour. I had to run through the airport, but I made it to the flight, only to find it delayed because of weather in Charleston. I finally arrived in Charleston after midnight, still needing to rent a van and then drive the 1 1/2 hour or so to Hinton. Fortunately my van that I had booked was waiting for me.
I arrived in Hinton sometime between 2am and 2:30, Monday morning -- 13 hours after I left Munster. By the way, the drive time to Hinton from Munster is only 10 hours!
I arrived and eventually find the school where we were staying. After an unbelievable adventure with only the light of a cell phone, I found my cot on the boys side of the gym (fortunately I did not wake any of the girls up when I was looking for my bed on their side of the gym . . .). Unfortunately, while they had set up my cot, they had not gotten my suitcase or my sleeping back out of the trailer. It was close to 100 degrees in the gym at 3am and I slept miserably until 5:30 am.
Enough for now, I will continue this adventure later!
The youth left on Saturday morning and drove to Charleston WV to spend the night at Christ UMC. They went to church the next morning and then drove on to Hinton. The big excitement was the realization that some famous actress was a part of the congregation (as far as I know she wasn't there that morning) and her sister was there. I have no idea who it was (they told me but, as they liked to remind me, I am OLD!
I left Munster right after Church on Sunday, I changed my clothes in my office and Nancy drove me to O'Hare. I thought I was on one airline but it ended up being United because it was a code share although my ticket was not very clear. Once I figured out where I was to be, I settled in for my 3pm flight to Washington DC (Reagan Airport) and then a short hop to Charleston WV. We boarded shortly before 3, only to find that their was a mechanical problem. While fixing that issue, another mechanical problem came up, that was fixed, we taxied out of the gate only to sit because of weather in Washington. We finally took off sometime after 6pm.
By the time we arrived my flight to WV had long since departed. Since it was mechanical issues, United arranged for a taxi to Dulles Airport (on the other side of town) for a flight that left in about an hour. I had to run through the airport, but I made it to the flight, only to find it delayed because of weather in Charleston. I finally arrived in Charleston after midnight, still needing to rent a van and then drive the 1 1/2 hour or so to Hinton. Fortunately my van that I had booked was waiting for me.
I arrived in Hinton sometime between 2am and 2:30, Monday morning -- 13 hours after I left Munster. By the way, the drive time to Hinton from Munster is only 10 hours!
I arrived and eventually find the school where we were staying. After an unbelievable adventure with only the light of a cell phone, I found my cot on the boys side of the gym (fortunately I did not wake any of the girls up when I was looking for my bed on their side of the gym . . .). Unfortunately, while they had set up my cot, they had not gotten my suitcase or my sleeping back out of the trailer. It was close to 100 degrees in the gym at 3am and I slept miserably until 5:30 am.
Enough for now, I will continue this adventure later!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)