Why Not...Minot - Monday

We reported to the LDR trailer bright and early, loaded up our tools, and headed to our first assignment, a huge flooded home owned by Don.

T-shirts for the LDR Volunteers.

A massive tool shed, full of the supplies we'd need for the day.
And full of people that would become good friends as the week passed.

Okay, so the first day we didn't plan too well and left the Christmas Decorations in the trunk. Whoops! We ended up transferring the decorations and fit more than the crow bar! (We had collected decorations for those who had lost everything at a partner parish in Minot, and had yet to deliver them to the congregation.)

Here was our first assignment - a home right off the Souris River.
Wow.

Note the water line on the middle of the huge picture window.
I had no idea it would be so high.


Basement corners and shelves.

Mucky, yucky basement corners.

Oh geez...

Disaster scene upstairs.

My first project included clearing out piles of this.
Heart. Break.


We had to be super careful - there was so much glass in the basement.

There's something not right about a door from your
home being covered with leaves in your front yard.

The discard pile begins.

Crawl space.

The homeowners clearly enjoyed a musical life in this home.

Sign across the street: Bethany Lutheran Church!

h.o.p.e.

Joy amongst the ruins.

Sitting down on the job already....
(Darlene, one of our new, incredibly hard-working friends.)

Peace.

You have no idea how much a shovel can actually hold.

Bradley John! Don't flush this boat!

Couldn't believe this kind of beauty could be found in such a mess.

Felt a bit like a chimney sweep from Mary Poppins.
Without the catchy songs.


Bill and Darlene...and my wonderful, hand-made sandwich.
It was touching to receive something so simple and caring for lunch.

Our daily lunch devotionals were a time for rest and renewal,
and carefully written by the LDR leaders.

The lovely, destructive Souris River - right in Don's backyard.

Fine dining - a picnic table....in a TREE.

More garbage in the leaves.

Seriously. BLECH. I've pulled my kids' teeth. I've been puked on in my classroom. I've cleaned up messy spills in my life. But there was NO WAY I was cleaning out the mystery goop in that toilet. Hats off, Sarah. What a way to end the day. Oy.

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