My last blog for this trip!!

I would like to explain first why I speak more about the people than the work. For me construction is second nature. I can design and build in my sleep and often do. I understand how pro athletes feel. When you recieve money for doing what you love it sometimes taints the joy it brings you. For me the best days in construction have been working with Habitat for humanity, Rebuilding together and on mission as a representative for the church through VIM. So for me, the greatest joy is in the relationships and the people I meet. I write about them because it is the part I enjoy the most.

The one thing I noticed first was how clean everything looked as opposed to last year. The great piles of garbage were gone and in their place were front yards that looked played on and houses that looked lived in. The badly damaged homes were gone and many of the slabs that were left behind by the waves were removed. Highway 90 had thousands of butterflies flying around as you drove. The birds had sanctuaries where they could build their nests. Trees were planted where stumps were before. The oak trees had grown new leafs replacing the empty looking trees from before. The beaches were all filled in again except at the very end where you could go and watch the dredger in the bay run sand through a pipeline to be used to fill in the beach that had been left for last.

The people who looked numb, devastated and depressed now looked and acted hopeful. Many of the homes we worked on, the owners jumped in to help. They wanted to finish so they could move in. The stores were stocked with real items. Not storm rejects and damaged products like last year. The town was buzzing about the bridge opening. It was as if they had pride again in the place they lived. The colliseum was in full blossom woth NBA games, concerts and comedy. The Hard Rock which I was originally told would not rebuild was reopen. Every where we went there were help wanted signs so at least those who wanted to work could. The traffic was much lighter on the 110 as the casinos had worked with each other for staggered work shifts alleviating a lot of congestion. It was harder to find the FEMA cities of trailers and the untouched damage. Last year there were boats still in trees and abandoned vehicles in driveways. Those are mostly gone. The region we were in had considered themselves the forgotten county but now they are just hopeful.

We made changes in 10 families lives this year and 20 families lives last year. Many of us had Mountain Top experiences. Mine was meeting life long friends in several of the families. Even if I never see them again I will always remember them. I also saw team members (church members) in different situations than normal and they all rose to the occaison. No complaints about going to work, doing the jobs or helping the families. We joked about the food but it was more common thread than reality. We broke bread with each other and some of our families. We saw families form last year and heard how we had changed their lives for the better. One family had kept their momentum from us. The 26 year old mother of twins went back to school. Grandma got a job and the kids were in daycare all for the good. The family that we built the ramp for had taken so much pride in there home that they continued to fix it up on their own after we left. All mountain top experiences.

We met the San Ramone team and I will always be tied to them. They helped push us through two jobs and we broke bread with them as well. They are moving forward with eforrt (equipment for rebuild teams) and invited me to join them which I will do. Common goals and experiences are a great binder. Hopefully we will continue to build and send teams for more work. I hope the size continues to grow so we can do more work for families in need but if not I will do what I can with what we have to continue what we have started. We must be doing something right as most of us are willing to go again.

The greatest moments in life cannot be planned but we do have to recognize them when they happen.

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