“To love. To be love. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget.”
Arundhati Roy

Today’s big challenge was rain, rain and more rain. Even though there was only a 30% chance of rain today, it pretty much rained on and off (mostly on) all day throughout the county, at all the sites.

Volunteers went back to the site in Pineville and finished up with the stairs and the window. They pretty much to dodge rain all day, but were able to complete the project. The homeowner was very pleased with all the work that had been done.

We also finished the site on top of the mountain that we started last week. The rest of the kitchen tile was laid and the last bit of guttering was finished. The kitchen looks gorgeous and the owner was very pleased with all the work the volunteers did over the days.

Work also continued at the site in Ravencliffe where volunteers were doing flooring and roofing. Because of the rain not much was done on the roof, but the flooring is pretty much completed. Tomorrow we will continue with laying in the rubber roof and start to put up the metal stripping around the outside of the trailer.

A group went back to the Itmann School House to continue work there. A lot of drywall was hung and some framing was done. After the rain slowed a bit volunteers went outside to pull up the knot-weed that was growing back in the front.

The final group of PVs stayed back at the school for camp. The morning sports camp spotlight was on basketball today. The kids learned a lot of new skills and had a lot of fun in the process of learning. After sharing lunch together, the volunteers and the kids had their afternoon day camp. Today the kids made tube people puppets, played kickball and had a puppet show. By all accounts it was a fun, but tiring day.

By the time dinner rolled around everyone was hungry and ready for a good meal. Tonight’s menu was a pasta bake, rolls and a salad. For dessert we had no bake cookies and homemade ice cream. We certainly never go hungry here….

Tonight’s reflection focused on the idea of an earthen vessel and brokenness. How when we are broken and cracked it allows things to flow through us and from us. The reflection tied very nicely into the PV Vision statement and the lie about “embracing our brokenness and the brokenness of others.”

“To love. To be love. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget.”
Arundhati Roy

Today’s big challenge was rain, rain and more rain. Even though there was only a 30% chance of rain today, it pretty much rained on and off (mostly on) all day throughout the county, at all the sites.

Volunteers went back to the site in Pineville and finished up with the stairs and the window. They pretty much to dodge rain all day, but were able to complete the project. The homeowner was very pleased with all the work that had been done.

We also finished the site on top of the mountain that we started last week. The rest of the kitchen tile was laid and the last bit of guttering was finished. The kitchen looks gorgeous and the owner was very pleased with all the work the volunteers did over the days.

Work also continued at the site in Ravencliffe where volunteers were doing flooring and roofing. Because of the rain not much was done on the roof, but the flooring is pretty much completed. Tomorrow we will continue with laying in the rubber roof and start to put up the metal stripping around the outside of the trailer.

A group went back to the Itmann School House to continue work there. A lot of drywall was hung and some framing was done. After the rain slowed a bit volunteers went outside to pull up the knot-weed that was growing back in the front.

The final group of PVs stayed back at the school for camp. The morning sports camp spotlight was on basketball today. The kids learned a lot of new skills and had a lot of fun in the process of learning. After sharing lunch together, the volunteers and the kids had their afternoon day camp. Today the kids made tube people puppets, played kickball and had a puppet show. By all accounts it was a fun, but tiring day.

By the time dinner rolled around everyone was hungry and ready for a good meal. Tonight’s menu was a pasta bake, rolls and a salad. For dessert we had no bake cookies and homemade ice cream. We certainly never go hungry here….

Tonight’s reflection focused on the idea of an earthen vessel and brokenness. How when we are broken and cracked it allows things to flow through us and from us. The reflection tied very nicely into the PV Vision statement and the lie about “embracing our brokenness and the brokenness of others.”

“To love. To be love. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget.”
Arundhati Roy

Today’s big challenge was rain, rain and more rain. Even though there was only a 30% chance of rain today, it pretty much rained on and off (mostly on) all day throughout the county, at all the sites.

Volunteers went back to the site in Pineville and finished up with the stairs and the window. They pretty much to dodge rain all day, but were able to complete the project. The homeowner was very pleased with all the work that had been done.

We also finished the site on top of the mountain that we started last week. The rest of the kitchen tile was laid and the last bit of guttering was finished. The kitchen looks gorgeous and the owner was very pleased with all the work the volunteers did over the days.

Work also continued at the site in Ravencliffe where volunteers were doing flooring and roofing. Because of the rain not much was done on the roof, but the flooring is pretty much completed. Tomorrow we will continue with laying in the rubber roof and start to put up the metal stripping around the outside of the trailer.

A group went back to the Itmann School House to continue work there. A lot of drywall was hung and some framing was done. After the rain slowed a bit volunteers went outside to pull up the knot-weed that was growing back in the front.

The final group of PVs stayed back at the school for camp. The morning sports camp spotlight was on basketball today. The kids learned a lot of new skills and had a lot of fun in the process of learning. After sharing lunch together, the volunteers and the kids had their afternoon day camp. Today the kids made tube people puppets, played kickball and had a puppet show. By all accounts it was a fun, but tiring day.

By the time dinner rolled around everyone was hungry and ready for a good meal. Tonight’s menu was a pasta bake, rolls and a salad. For dessert we had no bake cookies and homemade ice cream. We certainly never go hungry here….

Tonight’s reflection focused on the idea of an earthen vessel and brokenness. How when we are broken and cracked it allows things to flow through us and from us. The reflection tied very nicely into the PV Vision statement and the lie about “embracing our brokenness and the brokenness of others.”

“I do not understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
Anne Lamott

Driving away from the school this morning was absolutely breathtaking. Mist and clouds were settled into the valleys between the mountains, but the sun was shining down through the clouds. It was gorgeous.

Volunteers set out to three different home repair sites, as well as our camps. This week we have two camps going on, a sports camp in the morning and a day camp in the afternoon. For the sports camp today, the kids learned different skills in volleyball. They learned the difference between a set, a serve and a hit. In the afternoon the kids enjoyed playing games and doing a craft. We were pleased with the turnout for the first day and hope that the camp grows as the week goes on.

We returned to the site on top of the mountain that we started last Thursday. Volunteers continued working on the floors and begun tiling the kitchen. With the storms approaching they were not able to finish the guttering.

We also started two new sites. The first was a roofing site up in Ravencliffe that also included flooring. The volunteers got a great start on both projects, but we will be retuning there tomorrow to finish up.

The final site of the day was a site in Pineville that included repairing a set of steps and replacing a window. The steps were pretty much cut and will just need nailed down tomorrow. The window was taken down and closed off. Tomorrow it will be insulated and drywalled.

For dinner we were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing and the works. What a nice warm and comforting meal.

The focus of reflection was obstacles and how they are overcome. We were asked to share when we overcame an obstacle or when we witnessed someone overcoming an obstacle.

“I do not understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
Anne Lamott

Driving away from the school this morning was absolutely breathtaking. Mist and clouds were settled into the valleys between the mountains, but the sun was shining down through the clouds. It was gorgeous.

Volunteers set out to three different home repair sites, as well as our camps. This week we have two camps going on, a sports camp in the morning and a day camp in the afternoon. For the sports camp today, the kids learned different skills in volleyball. They learned the difference between a set, a serve and a hit. In the afternoon the kids enjoyed playing games and doing a craft. We were pleased with the turnout for the first day and hope that the camp grows as the week goes on.

We returned to the site on top of the mountain that we started last Thursday. Volunteers continued working on the floors and begun tiling the kitchen. With the storms approaching they were not able to finish the guttering.

We also started two new sites. The first was a roofing site up in Ravencliffe that also included flooring. The volunteers got a great start on both projects, but we will be retuning there tomorrow to finish up.

The final site of the day was a site in Pineville that included repairing a set of steps and replacing a window. The steps were pretty much cut and will just need nailed down tomorrow. The window was taken down and closed off. Tomorrow it will be insulated and drywalled.

For dinner we were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing and the works. What a nice warm and comforting meal.

The focus of reflection was obstacles and how they are overcome. We were asked to share when we overcame an obstacle or when we witnessed someone overcoming an obstacle.

“I do not understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
Anne Lamott

Driving away from the school this morning was absolutely breathtaking. Mist and clouds were settled into the valleys between the mountains, but the sun was shining down through the clouds. It was gorgeous.

Volunteers set out to three different home repair sites, as well as our camps. This week we have two camps going on, a sports camp in the morning and a day camp in the afternoon. For the sports camp today, the kids learned different skills in volleyball. They learned the difference between a set, a serve and a hit. In the afternoon the kids enjoyed playing games and doing a craft. We were pleased with the turnout for the first day and hope that the camp grows as the week goes on.

We returned to the site on top of the mountain that we started last Thursday. Volunteers continued working on the floors and begun tiling the kitchen. With the storms approaching they were not able to finish the guttering.

We also started two new sites. The first was a roofing site up in Ravencliffe that also included flooring. The volunteers got a great start on both projects, but we will be retuning there tomorrow to finish up.

The final site of the day was a site in Pineville that included repairing a set of steps and replacing a window. The steps were pretty much cut and will just need nailed down tomorrow. The window was taken down and closed off. Tomorrow it will be insulated and drywalled.

For dinner we were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing and the works. What a nice warm and comforting meal.

The focus of reflection was obstacles and how they are overcome. We were asked to share when we overcame an obstacle or when we witnessed someone overcoming an obstacle.

This weekend was a busy one with 17 people leaving and 25 coming in.Everyone arrived safe and sound and ready to tackle the week ahead. For our community day activity we decided to try out a new place close to the school, Panther State Forrest. Our plan was to go hiking but when we arrived we were informed that there weren’t any hiking trails per say anymore, only access roads that were not open to vehicle traffic. We decide to head down one of these that followed a creek and it ended up being quite pretty. The park had just mowed the weeds down, so it was pleasant walking.

After our Sunday cookout we gathered all the newly arrived PVs for a reorientation and reminder of some of our policies and rules. We moved right from the reorientation into the commissioning service. This week we commissioned more people at once than we did all summer.

Right after commissioning and jobsites work began.  We need to roll out, cut and measure roofing materials that we will be using tomorrow as well as the camp people needed to organize for the upcoming week of camps. It was a busy den of activity until well past 10pm. Needless to say, I think everyone will get a good nights sleep tonight!