This morning started at 8AM sharp at the build site. The forecast was for rain all day, but we decided to start working and see if we could work in between the raindrops. We had our rain gear on, called ‘Frog Togs’, so we were ready for the rain!
The team is ready to get started!
Every morning, a minister from the church that is sponsoring lunch will lead us in a devotional prayer. This morning, she talked about how the rain is such a blessing and how we as Care-A-Vanners are fulfilling God’s will to provide secure housing for everyone. We then join hands as a group and say our motto: “Habitat is not a hand-out (hands towards center of the circle), but a hand-up (raising hands together)”. It is such a wonderful way to start the day!
Bob, our team lead, has been involved with all 13 Habitat houses in this Sullivan neighborhood. We affectionately call him “Bob the Builder”. He puts in hours and hours of prep time before the build to design the house plans (by hand), calculate all the materials needed, and arranges the daily schedules. Every morning, Bob hands out our ‘to do’ list for the day. It’s very helpful because everyone knows exactly what task they will be doing that day. Today, we worked with Sherry on the Mudsill/Rim Joists Crew 2.
Bob gave the Mudsill/Rim Joists Crews a great tutorial of what needed to be done. Our goal was to place pressure treated wood on the top of the cinder blocks. The steps:
- Cut holes where the foundation bolts came up through the concrete
- Lay down a thin aluminum sheet that is used as a termite barrier
- Staple a moisture barrier to the lumber
- Staple an 18″ wide piece of house wrapping that provides a tighter seal along the foundation
It did rain ‘on’ and ‘off’ today, which made the build site really muddy. Unfortunately, we forgot our work boots! The mud stuck to our shoes, which made them feel like bricks. We are looking forward to our Amazon shipment tomorrow of some boots :-).
At around 11:45, we left for lunch at a local church. This church has a reputation with the Care-A-Vanners for providing some amazing lunches. They did not disappoint. They served salad, fruit, garlic bread and three types of Lasagna (traditional, vegetable, seafood). I tasted a little piece of each – they were amazing! And, of course, we had to sample the many pies, cookies and ice cream that they had for dessert!
It was tough to get back to work after such a large meal, but we persevered. Our Mudsill teams were able to complete the entire perimeter of the house by quitting time at 3PM!
After cleaning up some of the mud from our shoes and a nice shower, the team gathered in the pavilion for happy hour. There was a nice breeze, so we enjoyed sharing stories of family, travel and past Habitat build experiences. We then went into the church meeting room to enjoy some great left overs. Each of the churches send food back with us, so there is certainly plenty of food to have for dinner.
It was a good day. We accomplished alot. As we said at the groundbreaking ceremony: “O God, let us rise up (tomorrow) and build!” 🙂
Oh no! So much for that “No Mud” wish….