Back in Maryland

Hi folks! It was so good to get away for a week and a few days--Heather and I got back Monday night. The trip was wonderful. We worked on a house for a Hurricane Charley survivor--his roof had big holes in it and was full of moldy things. He had been living in a trailer since the storm, which was in August of 2004.

Heather, Tara, Kate, Heather's mom Linda, and I worked together with a big group of UCCers from Connecticut. Us young'uns worked on the roof--tearing off ceramic tiles, then tar paper, then rotted wood. Down below, Linda and a couple other very determined workers helped Dave sort through his things to decide what was trash and what could be kept.

We didn't finish the job in a week--it was just too much work to be done that quickly--but we did get a good start. I think what was most enjoyable and encouraging for me was seeing that our being there helped Dave feel a little less alone in his difficulties. And I think that we all encouraged each other too. There's something very nice about being able to do some short-term work that has tangible results. It's funny, but I think I had more fun that week, working on a roof, than I would've lounging around at the beach.

So that's the short version. I'm sure Heather will also have stories up. And probably pictures, too. But if you're in town, on Saturday at 5:30 I'll be preaching, and I'm going to tell some stories from Florida. So come check it out (the link is to the right).