Demolition

Last Saturday, our church turned out to tear down walls in our new house. I wasn't there, but Kevin said almost 20 people came! They got all the sheetrock off and started insulating and re-wiring. Apparently, all the wiring in the walls was still the original knob and tube, so we're glad it's going away. (For all you post-1920-people, that's live, bare wire wrapped around ceramic knobs at connection points and put through ceramic tubes in the studs. Not the safest idea, even if it did work well for many years.) The drywall (All but one room turned out NOT to be lathe and plaster.) was patented in 1912. They found an 1898 American history textbook and a 1912 children's storybook in the walls, as well as a pile of old razorblades. There are some pictures of the date on the drywall and the destruction in general below.






This Saturday, they're coming back to finish the rebuilding. Then we'll have walls again, this time with insulation and up-to-code electrical wiring.

Last week, I and another lady sent crock pots with lunch for the men. This morning, a different woman in the church e-mailed and asked if she could help provide lunch for this Saturday. We expected to provide food for everyone ourselves; it's a small thing in comparison to what is being done. But people continue to share, and I will be the first to admit that preparing food for 20 working appetites is a job for any one person.

I am, quite simply, speechlessly overwhelmed at the generosity and kindness of these people. To give up 2 Saturdays with their families to remodel a home for people they as yet barely know is--well, it's what the Church should be, but often isn't. I could not have imagined a better Body of Christ.

There is so much more that should be said, but words don't convey enough. I am thankful for the abundant blessings we've found here.