Bricklaying

One of the cool things about these volunteering gigs is getting to know people from all walks of life.  Teachers, accountants, farmers, engineers, missionaries, and a whole lot more, and each one has a story to tell.  We often hear these stories in the form of testimonies during our morning devotional time.  This morning we heard from a former oil field worker whose parents were badly injured in a motorcycle accident.  He vowed revenge but could not find the other driver.  He was deeply moved by his dad’s forgiving attitude,  even while his dad lay in a hospital bed with serious injuries.  He accepted Christ soon after and believes God spared him from harming this other person.

We moved a lot of bricks today. Once from the pile in the back of the camp property onto a skid, then off the skid about 30 feet to the walkway we were working on, then from the piles by the side of the walkway into their final position.  As one person quipped, at least we didn’t have to make the bricks.  Or forage the straw as the Israelites did under Egyptian rule.  Count your blessings, right?

We have about two-thirds of it in place.  Not bad for a bunch of old amateurs.

Others in our group continued to insulate exposed plumbing in some of the cottages.  With the weekend forecast deteriorating into ice storms, snowpocalypse, and similar calamities that Texas is not prepared for, the urgency to protect the plumbing has been rising.

The women continued to paint and do laundry. With a major event every weekend and another event starting next Monday, the ever-present piles of laundry need continual servicing.

We were treated to a nice sunset today, a warm day.  Kind of the calm before the storm.  A couple more days of 70’s, then ​Bam,​ cold and ice.

Several of us got together and played games this evening, kind of a tradition on these types of trips.  What we really come for is the fellowship and the snacks that everyone brings.

I managed to bid farewell to our Chinese pastor friends, who are returning to their homes in various places across the country.  At least they are getting out before the cold and severe weather sets in.