Day 15 and 16 – Let’s Build

Today we were supposed to start building but they poured the foundation of the house so we got the day off.  We started leisurely for the last time this week, walking to the pier after breakfast and watching the wildlife come alive on the lake. 

Once the Habitat volunteer leader arrived, we all got our orientation and some lunch and got to know each other a bit better.  The Habitat house owners need to put in a total of 400 hours with Habitat, in classes and also actual hands on building.  If they are not able to participate in the building, family members can assist as well.  The house we are working on is going to be owned by a single mother with 5 children.  She applied to the program in 2008 so this has been a long time coming for her and the family.  The children were 2,3,5,7 and 9 when she applied and now the oldest one is in his senior year of high school.  We also learned this home is being sponsored by Publix grocery chain.  Awesome to know big businesses give back!

After the orientation, we were able to take advantage of the lake and kayaks here at Camp Cloverleaf.  After finding our chosen kayaks, I noticed there were holes in the bottom of the kayak at which Paul said, “Oh, water will not come in there”, which I did not believe but got in anyway – and yes, we got soaked.  We kayaked for about 2 hours around the lake…Paul was looking for gators and once again, I was trying to stay far away from them.  At one point he called me over and told me he “heard a gator slithering into the water”…Yeah, I don’t buy it, but I paddled a little faster just in case!  We did catch an eagle hanging around by his enormous nest (picture below).  The lake was full of birds, herons and jumping fish.  A nice late afternoon adventure. 

We hung out and socialized with the other Care-A-Vanners and headed to an early bedtime.  Six thirty AM comes really early.  (Please click on the Care-A-Vanners link above to see the organization we have joined these 2 weeks.)

Tuesday we went to the building site.  We got to meet Tyaka, the homeowner we were working for and felt blessed that we could gather around HER foundation and do devotions this morning.  We spent the morning digging sand 18 inches down and away from the foundation so we could pull the cement forms out AND then we put the sand back where it was in the beginning.

There was a lot of shoveling from 8-11 am but thankful that the skies were overcast and that we were digging in sand and not dirt.   We took a break and were invited to a dedication of a Habitat home that was ready for occupancy.  We participated in the ceremony of a two bedroom home for a woman whose house had burnt down.  Habitat does not usually do ‘disaster relief’ but partnered with a sponsor who was able to make this happen for Miss Audrey who was ill and on oxygen.  It was in a very poor part of town but it was important for Miss Audrey to be close to her siblings and children who lived in this area as well.

Both Paul and I feel truly blessed to be here.

Since we got off easy today, we went back, showered and rested then did some kite flying (or flite kying as the Moore’s say it).  Early to bed tonight because I don’t think we will get a break tomorrow and will be working in the Florida sun till 3.  Love to you all!