Restoration Ranch is Going up, uP, UP!

Well, the team just left this morning and I know they are tired cause we are tired and they worked more days than we did. They worked so hard and accomplished so much! We were able to join them for several days working right along side experienced carpenters. Besides Brittany being our video and picture taker she and I were able to work together laying block. Britt and I learned a lot of construction lingo during the process. We learned all about "mudding" and "buttering". We learned the difference between "mud" and "soup". We learned the correct way to lay block using the line and a leveler. It was a lot of fun working on the block with Ronnie, Gary, and crew!

Matthew and I had the opportunity to work with Pastor Dale Blair of Cornerstone in Greenville, SC in tying on rebar. I never knew there was so much rebar in a building. It helps to give stability to the wall. Everytime we turned around someone somewhere needed more rebar. =) Pastor Dale is now a pro at rebar. Oops! I don't think that I was supposed to tell everyone. Just kidding! Thank the Lord for gloves right Pastor Dale?! =) Matthew was pretty jolted that he had an opportunity to work the Tamper machine. If you know what that is you will know what I mean when I say "jolted".

Isaiah helped to mix mud, carry rebar, bend the hooks needed for tying rebar and he had a shovel in his hands a large percentage of the time.

Greg, well...if he wasn't encouraging those around him and making them laugh then he was pushing wheel barrows full of cement (mud or soup) up the hill, carrying block, shoveling, translating for those around him, or running an errand for more diesel for the generator. He was always moving around somewhere. It was fun to watch the guys in the "assembly line" swinging the cement blocks from one person to the next from the bottom of the hill up to the top and into the building. There were 23 men in the line. They had it going on!

Oh, don't let me forget the cooks! They did an awesome job of feeding over 80+ people everyday. That's a lot of food! Can you imagine making three meals a day for that many people? I saw it and I still can't believe it. They were organized to say the least. Did I mention that the food was delicious? Well, it was delicious! A round of applause to the cooks. *Clap, clap, clap*

I loved the routine the team had of having a short devotional during the lunch break each day. A few people took turns sharing for the devotion and then they led us in a song or to of worship before heading back out to the site to continue building.

They were really working on two different kinds of buildings...a spiritual building in that they were building the body of Christ in faith and action and also building the physical buildings, future homes for children of Restoration Ranch. Children from all over Bani, who have been abused, neglected or abandoned will soon have a place to call home and the spiritual building will continue as God uses us and others to touch their lives and change their hearts.

You want to hear even more good news? The leader of the Team, Mike, was so touched and God moved on his heart to continue to help Restoration Ranch by going back to the States and working to raise more money to help to finish off the buildings that were started! God is so good!

That's not all...just before they left the team took up a collection for the daughter of a Dominican Pastor here who was blind in both eyes. **Notice I said WAS! She needed to have a cornia transplant but the family did not have the money. God moved on the hearts of men and guess what?! They took up an offering that paid for the entire surgery and the medicine needed after the procedure! As we like to say in our family....Aslan is on the move! (that is, of course, taken from the Chronicles of Narinia)

Thank you to all of those who were on the Carpenters for Christ Team!!! We love you guys! May God pour out His blessings on you to a greater measure than all of the cement that you poured during your trip. =)