Night 4-COLD!!!!!
I will not lie-it was cold! And tonight-even colder. Although after it dips below 40, it’s hard for me to gauge. But, it’s been a long time, even in the shack, when I needed a space heater to knock off the chill. Part of the issue has been the winds gusting around 20mph. Try dodging swirling smoke….maybe an olympic sport or some old school matrix moves. I was impressed by the college guys last night, part of the Bro Band who packed in six into a shack we designed for two. Fairly impressive and they did not have any heating issues…I think I’ll just stop there 🙂
I’m certainly glad people come by to visit, or send me a Facebook message to stay warm. It really means a lot. And here is the important part; many of the families we serve also do not have adequate heat or they only have one heater they move from room to room. Most dread the winter as it seems the older you get the colder you get. Kids will all snuggle together into one bed doing their best maintain the heat. All I can say is that it is hard. This past weekend a team insulated underneath an entire mobile home to help with their heating and air issues.
On a lighter note, two things have touched me since going in. The night of the football game three high school guys came by. One was carrying a case of water, the other a can of Bush’s beans, and the other a can of soup. They were very concerned that I might be hungry and thirsty. Now this is what it means to live out Matthew 25. I was deeply humbled and blessed. Part of this effort is to give a face to the poor. People are thinking about me…but hopefully thinking about others. Imagine, if we knew of more people who were actually living in these conditions and had a connection, relationship, or friendship with them, then we would be more inclined to help. ARM is not only about repairing a house but getting people to build relationships with others. That is even more important, we think.
And finally, this wind….wow…this has been really tough. It’s a constant 5-10mph with 15-20mph gusts. It makes my wood burn incredibly fast, puts a ton of ash and smoke in the air, and makes it nearly impossible to display anything. It blew off some of the felt paper on one of the shacks and is blowing my plastic bags out of the cracks in my shack. Those bags are used as insulation. The wind is winning. Our two shacks have been sitting in such a way that they were creating a tunnel affect and funneling the wind right into our area. You can imagine how thankful I was when Glenn Glover and Keith Foster came over and stretched a large tarp between the shacks to block the wind. Now our area is somewhat cozy and somewhat protected. Almost like having your back to a canyon wall. Again, very thoughtful and very grateful.
All that being said-I am thankful for the several cups of coffee, hot chocolate, cider, Panera bread muffins and bagels and everything in between. I have not been lacking for food or hot drinks. It shows the loving nature of so many people willing to give.
Thank you for the encouragement and hospitality-
So tonight we have Steve Bass, youth director at Trinity UMC and a Wesley Foundation student. Hoping to have a great night hanging out with them!
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