By Emily M.
The construction team put in long hours today and were rewarded with significant progress on the addition to the Soaring Wings Ministries ranch. All exterior and all but one interior wall are framed in, so the addition is starting to look like a home! The "inside" team also made lots of progress today, buying more supplies for Blessing Bags and assembling the Blessing Bags and blankets for the families who will move into the addition.
Today started at 5:30am for the construction crew, which is Josh, Chris and Hannah, Jon, Dianna, Jim, and Dan. They drove out before the sun rose to get cracking early on the rest of the wall framing. It was a worthwhile decision to trade sleep for work hours. The team not only got every wall done (less one interior wall that they didn't have enough 2" x 4"s for) but they got to witness both sunrise and sunset at the Soaring Wings Ministries ranch.
The team has been on a roll over the last three days. On Wednesday we organically split into an "outside"/construction team and an "inside"/blessings team. We experienced what the early Christians did in 1 Corinthians 12: 4 - 6:
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
This has allowed us to be incredibly effective, praise God! The construction team experienced work flow like no other, learning techniques and seamlessly putting them to use. The subfloor, first wall, and all these walls were installed in a fantastic example of teamwork and Christian cooperation.
We are also truly and deeply experiencing God's grace and the power of prayer. I remarked this evening how ...remarkable it is that no one has been seriously injured or fallen ill this trip. With pre-trip warnings of food sensitivities, motion sickness, joint issues, and the like, this is particularly noteworthy! It is only by the grace of God that we have come so far on this missions trip in good health. Thank you for your prayers!
The "inside" crew got to sleep in a bit today and we went with Meredith to shop for Blessing Bag items and a special gift for the ministry. Our wonderful financial supporters donated more than was needed to cover trip expenses so we have been able to bless Soaring Wings Ministries with enough material for hundreds more Blessing Bags.
The "inside" crew got to sleep in a bit today and we went with Meredith to shop for Blessing Bag items and a special gift for the ministry. Our wonderful financial supporters donated more than was needed to cover trip expenses so we have been able to bless Soaring Wings Ministries with enough material for hundreds more Blessing Bags.
In addition to Blessing Bags, we also bought school supplies for Project Homeless Connect, a one-day event that brings together resources of all varieties for the homeless (i.e. getting ID's, bus passes, eye exams, getting taxes done). Soaring Wings brings school supplies for homeless children, and we were able to get quite a bit of their school supply inventory today! We also made a pit stop at Home Depot for additional 2" x 6" boards for framing. The Emily's made a good team selecting 32 boards that were each 8' long, transporting them through the checkout, and loading into the truck!
We made a special stop while shopping for blessing bags and Homeless Connect. All morning I pressed Meredith for ways to bless the ministry in a way that Ed and Anita might not choose to do for themselves. We came to the conclusion that we should get a KitchenAid stand mixer for the kitchen. More on how that worked out in a later post! Needless to say, Anita was happy with our choice.
The inside team returned in time for lunch and devotions, where we discussed following God's call. Isaiah 6:8 says:
Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
Ed and Anita encouraged us to listen to God's call, after first ensuring that it is truly God calling us and not just our own thoughts or desires telling us to pursue a path in ministry. We prayed for those of us who are seeking more guidance in determining what God is calling them to do, then we got back to work.
The inside crew made another 30 Blessing Bags for the homeless today, each with a handwritten note by Emily D. and Tricia. Emily and Trish also got busy on the sewing machine, making another three blankets for a homeless child who will stay in the addition.
The inside crew made another 30 Blessing Bags for the homeless today, each with a handwritten note by Emily D. and Tricia. Emily and Trish also got busy on the sewing machine, making another three blankets for a homeless child who will stay in the addition.
The long hours today were so worth it. The team will be able to leave Soaring Wings and Fort Collins having completed a project that has blessed missionaries who in turn bless the homeless. Please pray for our safety on the final day on the job site. Please pray for Ed, Anita, and Meredith for their health and encouragement as missionaries. Thank you for your prayers, we are seeing God at work here!