Our First "Build" Day

"Oye" from South Bend

We all woke up a little sore from the bike ride yesterday.  Me included.  I fell and have a black and blue mark the size of a CD, but I don’t mind.  We are in the city of my Alma Mater, Notre Dame.  There is something so special about the hospitality of South Bend, and did we ever experience it at the Kern Road Mennonite Church.  After we dressed for our first build we were greeted by Joe, Phyllis, Ruth, Paul and Leroy, who served us as fabulous breakfast of baked oatmeal and fresh fruit.  What a treat- real comfort food.  In addition, Leroy donated over $500 of snack food to our entire team.  He has no idea how much that will be appreciated.  

Karen

After breakfast, we headed to Karen and Freddy May Williams’s homes to spread the good news of the Lord by using our labor of love.  With teamwork we scraped, primed and painted windows and walls of both homes and cleared stumps from Freddy May’s yard.   What a great time we had.  How could we not have had a good time? Bear and Grace, the children of  Freddy May’s neighbor, were there to greet us with their huge smiles and charming personalities.  Will and Tim had a fantastic job supervising the project. 

Freddy May Williams

We did have a couple of amazing feats of accomplishment.  Crystal and Kyle pulled out the first fence post, with a 24-inch concrete base attached.  Mike and Ivan pulled out the second post.  It wasn’t an easy task for either team.  At Karen’s home, a crew of five scraped one entire side of her house and primed it.  Back at Freddy May’s house, Ivan and his crew cleared vines that had completely taken over her garage.  What a task.  There was a lot of sweat, but the result changed the appearance of both homes and brought a smile to everyone’s face.  There was no doubt that God was present throughout the day. 

Erika, Thad & Kristina working on Karen's home

The ultimate sign was when Lisa arrived with a new “old” road bike that she just purchased to replace her mountain bike.  My brother, Tom, came by to pick up her packaged mountain bike to ship it via UPS.  Thanks Tom. 

 LeRoy Troyer, the Chairman of the Fuller Center, stopped by to help us

When we arrived back, covered with dirt and paint, we cleaned up and were treated to a fantastic dinner of Haystacks, a Midwest version of a Tostada.   Deanna, Trudy, Cindy, and Dave, all I can say is thanks. 

Nick brushing on the primer

The day ended with ice cream for some and a walk on the Notre Dame campus for others.  But all are tired and prepping for our ride to Rochester tomorrow.  I am looking forward to the ride, but still leave part of my heart in South Bend with the Golden Dome.

written by: Susan Pratt

photos by: Esther Hyejin Chung