Amazing Progress!

It was amazing to be working in Rushford today as we helped get Camp St. Mark ready for LDR laborers who will volunteer for a week at a time to rebuild the community.

A dozen men from Lord of Life Lutheran in Maple Grove arrived to put together 32 bunks they had cut and partially assembled in their church. A small group of us (Mike, Connie and David Sabbann and my daughter Shaina and I) came from Woodbury Lutheran to paint the new shower area. It's now a bright white and ready for use!

Pastor Merlin and couple of members of their church were installing privacy curtains around the bunks in the church lower level, while a half dozen women from St. Mark were cleaning out the cupboards, washing dishes and refrigerators and other appliances.

Two tile installers were working in the bathroom grout and waiting for our paint to dry to finish installing the baseboard strips in the shower.

A truck delivered 30 mattresses for the bunks. Another volunteer group temporarily installed carpet that will be pulled up when the teams are done and replaced by permanent carpet. At times, the noise of screw guns and team members cajoling each other was crazy! A reporter from Rochester ABC Channel 6 news came and did an interview with Pastor Merlin in the middle of all the hub bub. As he said, as far as we know, this is the first such camp in Minnesota. We have learned a lot from Katrina.

Several parishioners stopped by at various times to witness the progress and encourage us all. They are thrilled to be able to provide that kind of service to their community. As Pastor Merlin said, their church building was only being used a few hours a week; now it goes from a building to a ministry!

It was great fun to be part of the team that is putting the camp together. Now, bring on the laborers!

Blessings to all who sleep and labor in the camp. And happy birthday to Connie Sabbann. What a selfless thing to do on your 29th birthday!

Saturday Update -- Winona Team

We had a great time on Saturday. The couple's name is Dale & Clara Newcomb. Their phone should be hooked up soon. They are a nice couple, with quite a bit of damage, and to complicate matters Clara just got out of the hospital after having some extensive surgery to remove a tumor (I'm not sure whether it is cancerous or not...). They were very happy that we were there, and even made us some lunch.

We were able to finish their roof, and I think that the group from Grace Church in Rochester finished hanging the sheetrock. Then they tore apart some wet sheetrock from another room in the home, which will need to be dried and re-hung. They will probably need some more help, but I think that their big concerns are now taken care of.

Lorene Gray, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Circle Pines