Our Last Day in Dalton- Construction!

Today was our final work day in Dalton! We were tired but excited to be able to do construction all day. It was nice to have time to work on and even complete some projects we had started this week. All of the team members who had worked at the “Putrid Pond” were especially happy because no one had to return today! There was much rejoicing last night when it was announced that we would only be going to the houses.

At the Cherokee Valley house the team was FINALLY able to start siding! The prep work that was done yesterday made the process go smoothly today. The front and two sides now have siding up to the roof line and the back was done as far as was possible without ladders. The long term volunteer here, Clyde, was ecstatic with the progress that was made. He gave the team a standing ovation at dinner tonight! The homeowner and her parents were at the house and were so excited to see such a major change happen to the house. A neighborhood lady stopped by the house to give the team tea and cake, a service she tries to provide once a week. She even got emotional by the appearance of the house and the work of the team. Emily C. was able to help Bert, the homeowner’s father, frame the garage. She said he was a wonderful teacher and very patient!

The front of the house by the end of the day

The back of the house at the end of the day

Look how straight the siding is!

Framing for the garage

At the Robbie Lane house there was a wide array of projects that the team worked on. Lisa and Mike L. were able to finish the handicap ramp up that they started on Monday. The homeowners will be so pleased to have it done, as the wife was having trouble earlier this week on the skinny boards that led into the house. Mike J., Ron, and Norris (S) led two groups that worked on siding the sides of the house. Mike J. was also able to finish the siding on the back of the house this morning. By the end of the day there were only about fifteen more rows of siding left to put up on the house! Ron estimates that it shouldn’t take a full day to finish the rest of the rows. Daniel and Michael H. worked on insulating the crawl space that had been started yesterday and were able to finish at about 4:00. They also hauled a lot of debris from behind the shed. Michael only lost his shoe once to the mud that caked everyone’s shoes. Ashley started and finished insulating the parts of the main floor that did not have wiring in them. Megan had a great servant heart and jumped in to clean the property and the house. She was willing to do anything that was needed all day, but spent most of the afternoon stapling wiring on the main floor. Lisa and Mike L. also ran wire in the basement that included a lot of drilling holes in the ceiling and getting muddy from whatever was on the floor of the basement. Overall, we were able to make a lot of progress on the house. Next week they should be able to start the dry wall, mudding, and taping. We are happy that we will not be here for that process!

Mike and Lisa with their handiwork, the handicap ramp

Ashley working on insulation

Left, back, and right of the house at the end of the day

Tonight we are cleaning cars, sorting tools, organizing VBS supplies, and visiting with our Sparta family. Tomorrow we will be driving back to North Carolina and hope to be there at a decent hour. Please pray for rest tonight and travel tomorrow for both the Calvary and Sparta teams.

We have seen God work in wonderful ways this week. We have witnessed His power, mercy, and blessings in new ways that we never would have expected and we can’t wait to share them with all of you!