Video from our ASP Center of our week there

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Echo Repeat

We are team Echo, Tomi Lee, Kaylin, Andy, Rob, John A, John O and Katy.  Our homeowner is Sharon, who is a retired school teacher and actually retired from the school we are currently staying in.  The floors of her home were severely damaged by the flood waters coming off the mountains behind her house, and considered by ASP unsafe.  In the kitchen area we installed new floor joists, sub flooring and plan to tile before the end of the week.   The living room sub flooring had been done previously and we are installing a new laminated floor.  There was some leaky plumbing, so we shut off the cold water to the kitchen and will repair that tomorrow.

The whole week with the team has been wonderful and as usual the entire ASP experience has been fantastic.  Thanks.

John A.

Diary From West Virginia.

Day 1

Its Mediocre Joke Monday, July 4^th, and I understand it’s a holiday but it is turning into a bad joke.  What is usually our mosey Monday is becoming very frustrating.  The Moseying is now a full work stoppage and everyone is getting antsy.  WE NEED TO BE WORKING!!  Materials are finally delivered around 2:30 just in time for the monsoon to hit.  We all race back to the van and try to come up with a game plan.  One discussion leads to another and before you know it hours have passed.  I reconnect with Chelsea and Erin and get to know Conner Rachel and Taylor better.  So this gray cloud of a Monday did indeed have a silver lining. 

Day 2.    It’s Tattoo Tuesday and I am hoping that this day will be more productive than yesterday, but really how could it not be?  We arrive at our site at 9:30.  We are waiting for our deck flooring to be delivered.  And waiting, and waiting… and waiting.  If nothing else happens this week God has a lesson plan featuring patience and I guess I am a very slow learner. 

Day 3.  Wide load Wednesday and we do a LOAD of work.  Yippee!  Old porch has been removed (gently), band joists attached and today we get to lay the deck floor.  The heat is BRUTAL as I watch the sweat drip from Mickey’s baseball hat brim onto Rachel’s pants.  But trooper that she is she just quietly moves her leg.  That how it is with all of crew Lima, we have our moments and then we all go about the task at hand. 

Day 4 Tie-dye Thursday – what a wacky unconventional week it has been so far.  We discover that we work so well together that our job here is almost finished.  A few more measurements, a few more cuts, a few more nails to be hammered… and then what.? It is only Thursday.  Well four year old ZKaylee and five year old Joshua Bryant the Second (as he introduces his self) comes to see if they can help us with “hammerin’” .  Before you know it cousin Levi comes over some dogs, a cute kitty, a few bike rides and piggy back rides later, the family that we really hadn’t connected with reverses all of that and we are bonding. The billboard on the church had it right: “God has no problems, only plans”.

Adriana

Team India Bravo

Laura, Andy, Zach M., Kelsey, Arthur, Danika and Kim.

We are working on a home that needs a new roof.  Our family has lived here for generations.  The road is named after them.  We’re working hard on a very hot, now water proof roof to keep them warmer, safer and drier!.

We have some great company!  Sierra is 10, she will be in 5^th grade next year and she has a new bike.  She can ride her bike all over the mountains – AMAZING!  And if you haven’t seen the pics on FB already, well, Sierra has the most adorable puppies!.  We smile and work with God’s love shining down on us – what more could we ask for! 

See you soon,

Team India B.

Hi Church

I know you are just itching to know how all of usare doing on team Zulu.  On Monday we didn’t do to much since the window we got was to big.  We ended up leaving early and having to spend at least 3 hour at Walmart and Dairy Delight (which is an Ice Cream Parlor)  It was still a pretty good day because we got to meet most of the family who are so nice. 

Well yesterday was a much more productive day.  We fixed where the window was supposed to go and installed it.  We also put drywall around the window. It is so much brighter in the kitchen with that window in.  Also we go to really meet the kids of the family.  They are too cute!  Just to give you a picture imagine two little kids a boy and a girl and boy wrapping three teenage girls with measuring tapes.

(Samantha DePiero)

Hello everyone.   This trip has been awesome. I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up for ASP.  The kids are so much fun and joyful. Today, day 3 we finished spackling and taping up the drywall.  Stacy, Jenna, Sam and myself put down a tile floor.  I even got down on the floor and spread compound and placed a few tiles, but Stacy did most of the work – the floor looks beautiful and she is so proud of her work.  Zach B., Paul and Joe replaced electrical boxes.  We are getting to know our family and they are getting to feel comfortable with us.  We are bonding with Thomas and Kelsey who are 5 and 3 respectively.  We are looking forward to painting and completing the floor. 

Love, Kathleen

Roofs and more Roofs

This week, throughout the high heart of the mountains we started to rebuild and reconstruct the roof of a couple’s home. The roof started as what we thought would be simply, gently removing the layers of shingles and roofing material and laying new, better material on top.  When we opened up the roof we found a roof and a family in dire need of help.  Many sections of the roof were rotted away, several sections have multiple layers of roofing on it, 7 in one area and one section of the roof was built using 2x4’s over an old section in an attempt to clear the roof of water.  Instead it caused a place for water to settle.  We are doing our best to fix the home, so the couple, their daughters, and their grandson, along with their many cats and dogs will never have to worry about their roof leaking or falling again.

Becca

Great Day for Lima

Decking started going down on the porch.  Kaylee, the 4 year old girl came out to see the progress.  Dave, the homeowner stayed with us a short while, said how nice it looked and, praised the job we are doing.  Should finish the deck on Thursday, then build a step on Friday.  2 days to go.

Mickey, Adriana, Connor, Chelsea, Erin, Taylor, Rachel

Awesome

First work day of ASP 2011, on Team Awesome (Ben D. Linda O., Colleen C., Maria F., Mike G., and Matt S.) a very heavy job replacing the ceiling of Mr. and Mrs. Delta with sheetrock.

Upon arrival, the friendly face of Mrs. Delta is a great sign.  While inspecting the ceiling to be replaced, the shining face of Mr. Delta popped up.  After a friendly intro we started clearing out the room.  After 45 minutes of walking back and forth, the room was finally ready to begin the actual job. 

Without ladders, none of us were tall enough to reach the ceiling.  Feeling hopeless, we decided to wait for ASP to drop us off some free standing ladders.  After 5 minutes of unsuccessful problem solving, Mr. Delta walks in with a triple pronged hook with the additional 4 feet.  Mike, Matt and I were able to pull the ceiling panels off.  After 10 minutes of fun for the boys, clean-up began.  Still the problem of the ladders dragged on. 

In this time, we spent it getting to know the couple.  As we learned from the sweet and outgoing duo, Mr. Delta is a retired paratrooper as well as a cop while Mrs. Delta is a retired shop worker in town.  We even got to meet the homebound neighbor.  Another very, very sweet lady.  First request from her was to buy a watermelon and eat it all!!  Upon arrival with the watermelon, we broke for lunch. 

Waiting for the ladders still, we got to watch the Pittsburg Pirates win and our ladders arrived!  After the arrival of out ladders, we were able to make easy and fast work of taking out nails in the ceiling and putting up our first drywall sheet.  As we left, we planned to make tomorrow the best we could and get the drywall all up.  As I quote Matt Crawford and Mariel Slater “Best Monday Ever”.

Ben Dettelback

Day Two in Lima Land.

Much progress today.  Chelsea & Erin back to hammering (not their fav. thing)  Taylor, Connor, Rachel on the saw.  We put most of the joists in place.  We should start decking tomorrow.

Mickey, Adriana

Slow Start with Team Lima

Monday is demo day.  We are removing and replacing a side covered porch. 

Demo went so much easier than thought we were done by lunch and with no new wood to start construction.  Slow start, quick finish.  Left a lot of time to get to know: Mickey, Adriana, Connor, Chelsea, Erin, Taylor, and Rachel.

Mickey.

Just a note

Just a note: we arrived at the ASP center safely Sunday afternoon.   Sorry we have not blogged sooner, but we have been busy locally.  Thanks to everyone.

Paul