By Emily M.
Dan went to Home Depot for some wedge bolts and drill bits that we still needed. Ed Rennells went into town for bloodwork. Anita Rennells, Tricia and Emily D. organized and packed Blessing Bags for the homeless we will meet tomorrow at a park in Fort Collins. Hannah and I attempted unsuccessfully to install a 35" wide door into a 34" door jamb. Dianna got to work pruning and sprucing up the beautiful flowers around the property. Jon hopped on the tractor and moved earth all around the property to make room for future projects. Chris, Josh, and Jim jumped into the work on the foundation.
If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. ...Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
The afternoon was a little tough because the labor became more skilled as the final leveling of the sill was completed. At the end of the day, Josh commented that we got more done than he expected we would given the relative inexperience of people on the team. All in all, it was a great day to work side-by-side with Christian brothers and sisters. We got to know each other better, got a lot accomplished, and grew into deeper connection within the team and with the Soaring Wings mission.
Please be praying for us as we continue construction tomorrow morning - we have to make some choices about construction methods quickly and we need to find the right tools for the job in a cost-effective way (cribbing without a miter saw available versus joist hangers that might not be the right height). Tomorrow is also the first day we will be meeting the homeless. We will pass out the Blessing Bags that Emily D. and Tricia put together today, and truly this is the heart of the Soaring Wings Minsitry. Please pray that God truly gives us a spirit of boldness, not of timidity, to show love to these people. We could also use some rest after the long day toiling under the sun today, so we would appreciate prayers in that regard as well. God continues to answer prayers and show us that He is at work here, so keep those prayers coming!