Monday, March 9, 2015

Day 3
The sun had not yet risen as we dragged ourselves bed for prayer and reflection at the ungodly hour of 7. This was a bit of an ordeal and the general consensus was that waking up was the most difficult part of our day. Breakfast promptly put an end to our misery as we feasted on waffles and glorious bacon. It was yum as.
After gorging ourselves, we crammed into the vans and sped off without incident to Habitat for Humanity. Upon arriving, the proper formalities were carried out, namely we had to sign paperwork and endure an enlightening tour of the Habitat's facilities; the highlight of which was the recycled wood. Once that was all wrapped up, the tour guide led us to the pair of houses that were being worked on. More touring ensued.
Work finally began with a boom of activity. The group broke up to do separate tasks. Some installed blinds, hung doors, built a toilet, glued the counter-top, secured sliding doors and put up the bi-fold doors, etc. The work was enormously satisfying and looked really nice, but time pressed on and we had to depart by noon to get gas.
Following lunch, we went to school... Northridge school of Flint. Jessie, a teacher, gave us a tour of the building and explained the crazy history of the school. The hardships and misery each student faced was appalling but the devotion and love of Jessie and the faculty was truly inspiring. We broke up and sat in on classes to help the teachers and students.
Angela and Kelly gained a new appreciation of pure chaos. The class they entered was a flurry of activity. The biggest blessing they received was a hilarious story to tell their friends. Duval and Grace worked with the kids on their creative writing. Michael and Luis went to a math class that was a struggle for them both. Peter lucked out in choosing Kindergarten and made 8 new friends in no small part due to his hair and his immaturity the 6 year-olds could relate to. Hair was actually a major point of interest to the students who were more used to cornrows than wavy hair. Luis, Renata and Duval were an exotic source of curiosity. So much happened in a short course of time and many memories, both fond and not quite so fond, were made.
We were blessed by the presence of sisters Judy and Carol for dinner. They had started the NEW Life Center in Flint, dedicated to helping those in dire need due to problems like unplanned pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, and physically abusive relationships. Their witness and selflessness invigorated our group and made us eager to aid them later on this week.
We wrapped up the day by reflecting, praying and laughing at the occurrences of the day followed by praise and worship music led by Chris's friend Rafi. Then one by one, exhausted by charity, we headed off to bed.
For all those who read this... God bless you
Peter Lee

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