We left Celebration, FL on Friday around noon for our next Habitat for Humanity adventure in Sullivan, IL. Just as we did last year, we decided to stay and help for the entire 6 week build so we will be here until October 8th! I’m tired just thinking about it … lol.
After loading up ‘Roadie’ (the name of our motorhome), we left Celebration around noon on Friday. Let the adventure begin!
Our plan was to arrive in Sullivan, IL on Sunday prior to the 3PM groundbreaking ceremony. The travel plan on Friday was to drive about 7 hours to a Cracker Barrel in Kennesaw, GA. On Saturday, we would drive about another 7 hours to a Cracker Barrel in Mount Vernon, IL. We would then only have a 1 hour 40 minute drive to Sullivan.
Yeah, that’s a ton of driving by an amazing driver! With a 5 foot x 8 foot windshield, the views are amazing. The mountains of Tennessee are especially beautiful.
As we got closer to Sullivan, there are miles and miles of farms full of corn and soybeans. Thank God for farmers!
We couldn’t possibly pull Roadie into Sullivan with all those bugs on the front (we think it was the start of love bug season …uugh…), so we stopped off a local campground to dump our tanks and use our portable power washer to clean the front of the coach.
We arrived in Sullivan around 1PM, and were greeted by our Habitat build family. It was wonderful to see everyone again! As we’ve done every year, all the Habitat motorhomes are pulled behind Faith Lutheran Church. The town provides 50 amp electrical service for each unit, and we figure out how to get water hooked up. We were able to fully set up everything before we had to leave for the ground breaking.
At 2:30, we left for the groundbreaking ceremony. It was attended by around 30 people, which was wonderful. We were introduced to the new family – Jennifer and her two children Abby and Maddox.
It was time for the first shovel of the build!
After the ceremony, we attended a dinner hosted by the Habitat affiliate. Just as in the past, there was a ton of food … and plenty of desserts!
After everyone got back to the campground, we gathered under the covered pavilion to relax and catch up with everyone.
Tomorrow morning will be a very early morning for us retired people so I’d better end this very lengthy first post :-). We’re ready to get started!
Glad you are there and all set up!
Thanks for the update. Look forward to hearing from you again.
Hope you get some well deserved sleep.
I will be reading your posts to Uncle Johnnie as well.😉
God be with you through this amazing beautiful journey.
Building and helping others is what Christians do .
Jesus, like his earthly father , Joseph, was a builder too , and what a role model .
Praying for you and everyone involved.
Love and hugs
❤️🙏👍👏🇺🇸
So wonderful to hear and see the beginning of this great project. It’s a blessed event. The new family can thank God for this love built home. We will watch the daily progress and extend our thanks to the volunteers. Know that you are doing God’s work. Karin and John Mahoney
Good luck & God’s Speed on this great endeavor. I wish things were different and we could be a part of this. Hopefully, next year……….
Really enjoyed the blog and photos. The blog reminds me what wonderful people you and Joe are. The caring and hard work you and the team put into the houses are inspirational. I’m sure it fills your hearts and keeps your bodies strong. Love you guys ❣️
God Bless the both of you! Your hard work and determination are inspiring. Keep on moving forward.
What a great thing you are both doing again! So happy to watch as you progress on this great endeavor. Thank you for including us.
Have a blessed building experience