Day 5

And that’s a wrap folks! The mission team has come to it conclusion. It was a fantastic week with a fantastic team. The team had Devotion each night and was challenged to memorize Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” This team was able to let their light shine as they worked super hard to complete “good deeds” in the name of Jesus.

We were able to:

1) install new working cabinets
2) install new counters top
3) repair plumbing
4) add lighting
5) took down old peeling wallpaper
6) install exhaust fan over oven
7) fix the door jam and replace broken lock
8) hang cabinets in laundry room
9) paint family room
10) paint living room
11) replace light switches and receptacles
12) replace rusted sink with brand new one
13) add new tile backsplash
14) fix dry plug
As you can imagine, not everything went as planned. From cabinets not arriving in time, to different size “standard” sinks, to rain storms delaying work, to electrical wires in the wrong spot and the biggest challenge, a water heater that was stationed under the counter top but next to the stove. With skilled craftsmen (and ladies) and lots of prayer we were able to conquer these issues with grace and a smile. The best part and the only part that mattered was our home owner’s joy for all that had been done. She was very happy and that made us very happy too!!!
After all that work, the team headed to K1 Speed for a well deserved FUN DAY! It was very exhilarating! If you have the need for speed, this is the place for you. Although one of our youngest team member took first place two of the older team members took second and third. All of this will be in our memories forever! Hopefully you’ll be able to experience a mission trip at New Life church one day soon.

Day 4

Day four of the mission trip was certainly jammed pack with a lot of projects to complete today. On top of a looming deadline to finishing everything, all our projects required all seven of us in the small kitchen. Fortunately by this point in the trip we are a well oiled machine .
The team was praying hard that the final cabinets would arrive in time to be installed as all the pieces to the kitchen remodel we’re coming into place. Praise God, the cabinets did arrive before lunchtime! Not only were we able to put in all the cabinets, we also painted the remaining kitchen wall, installed the countertop, fixed the waterline to the refrigerator, and put up a beautiful tile backsplash. Everyone on the team worked extra hard as we tried to beat the clock. Unfortunately a surprise thunderstorm, delayed us for about an hour. The team work till 5:30 pm to ensure the tile backsplash was done. We think it looks beautiful! We will have to go back tomorrow morning to finish a few minor details but we are very happy with the work that was completed today.
With all the joy we felt from completing so many tasks on our punch list, nothing compared to the wonderful surprise we had when our homeowner stopped by to bring us lunch as a thank for all we have been doing. As she walked through the house looking at everything we had done, her eyes were filled with tears of joy. She is very appreciative to have a kitchen that is now well lit and no broken cabinets. We are so very thankful that we could share the gifts and blessings that God has given us with Ms. Bradley. All week long we have been spending time in our Bible and our mission journal. We have been reading about how to be and share the light. Today we discovered exactly how impactful it is when we do that!

Day 3

The project continued today at full throttle! We finished up the formal living room and put everything back in place after a full cleaning. What a great feeling to get one of the rooms completely done. The den area is getting close to being done but is still being used as a staging area for all our tools and supplies, so you can imagine how crowded it is! While we have had to make multiple trips to the hardware store for supplies, between Joe, Mike and Rodney, we have just about every power tool and gadget known to man! Boys and their toys - - it’s been awesome!!! Someone always has what you need to get the job done!

A new light was installed over the kitchen sink area, as well as a sleek new vent hood over the range. Ms. Bradley’s back door that leads out to the side/back yard area got a wonderful face lift with a new, secure jamb so that the dead bolt will lock securely. A brand new lockset was purchased and installed to replace the doorknob that was quite temperamental. This door project definitely wasn’t on our list, but we knew it just needed to be done! God is good!

The kitchen was definitely the biggest area of activity today. The prepping of the wall where the wallpaper was stripped off had to be skim coated and then sanded so we could get a smooth finish for painting. Drywall patching behind the hot water heater and wall cleats/supports were put into place, which allowed us to finally begin cutting the countertops to size. With those loosely in place, we were able to plan out the tile backsplash install that will begin first thing in the morning.

We enjoyed another nice lunch outside in the backyard with a few shenanigans going on. A packet of mini Oreo cookies were disassembled and reassembled as one giant stack of the cream and one giant stack of the cookies! Gage ate the tower of cream filling while Coleman ate the tower of cookies! With that sugar rush, they promptly ran around the back yard with Gage giving Coleman a piggyback ride!

A high point of the day (besides all the work getting done) was when one of Ms. Bradley’s neighbors came to her back fence to make sure she was okay. He had been seeing all the activity going on and wanted to check on her since they hadn’t seen her this week. When we explained that we were connected to her through our church and we were just helping her get some projects done in her house, her neighbor Mr. Graham exclaimed, “oh Lord, what a blessing you all are!” We are humbled and honored that we can be the reflection of God’s light!

The day wrapped up again back at New Life Church with another amazing meal and dessert by our cooking team. They take such wonderful care of us with all that they do each evening (and each morning too)! Words cannot express our feelings of gratitude to this amazing crew! With our full bellies, we wrapped up the evening in our Devotional time together where we reflected on scripture from John 1:1-9. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”.

Day 2

We had another very productive day on the jobsite despite that many of us woke up a little tired (and a bit achy!). However, once we had our morning prayer and the coffee and adrenalin kicked in, we turned into Energizer Bunnies and began to shine our light on Ms. Bradley’s home once again!

Our painting of the den area continued, and we got started on the painting in the living room and foyer. A new kitchen light and switch, amongst other electrical needs, were added by our fearless Rodney. He had to don his “space suit” to head up into the hot attic and work around itchy fiberglass to pull new wiring. Back in the kitchen, the new plumbing for the sink was completed along with some more cabinetry work. Like anything these days, we’ve had to deal with supply issues and delivery delays. Isabelle started her day dealing with the “big box store” and tracking down the cabinets we are patiently waiting for. One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced on this trip is designing the kitchen around a short hot water heater that could not be moved and resides in the corner of Ms. Bradley’s kitchen (between the sink wall and the range wall). The countertop design needs to accommodate access to this hot water heater but also provide much needed countertop work surface space. It has taken a lot of brainstorming to figure out the logistics of the install, but we haven’t been deterred -- we will succeed!!

God graced us with a nice, cloudy cool front during our lunch time under the oak tree! We all relished the gentle, cool breeze and temporary drop in humidity. But even as we sat eating, our minds were all pondering the tasks and challenges that we still had to tackle. The afternoon consisted of a trip to the hardware store to pick up the countertops, finishing the two rooms of painting, and starting to put the rooms back together the way they were. The task of stripping layers of wallpaper from a kitchen wall began and was completed - - talk about a messy job! But once again, our team worked so well together!

Clean up is getting a bit easier as jobs are completed. We finished the day’s work and headed back to the church where the cooking team was waiting for us with another delicious meal! And to top that off, they had all the fixings for ice cream sundaes! What a treat! Our devotional time was filled with scripture, reflections on our day, and more amazing notes and letters from the congregation! What a blessing to receive your thoughts and prayers that continually lift us up! We asked God for a good night’s sleep for all of us so that we are refreshed and renewed for another great day tomorrow!

Day 1

What a great first day we had on our Hybrid Mission Trip with the opportunity to “BE THE LIGHT” for a fellow Richmonder. Today we met the lovely Ms. Bradley at her home to begin the full remodeling of her kitchen, pantry/laundry area and the painting of several rooms, among other projects. As with any home renovation project, we also had to tackle electrical and plumbing issues, which are always more complex with an older home.

The whole team kicked into high gear as we unloaded all of the tools and supplies that we needed for the project. After moving furniture and prepping walls, the painting began. In the kitchen and pantry areas, all of the old cabinets got removed and several of the new ones already got installed. “Many hands made light work” as we proved to be a well-oiled machine for this newly formed team. We had a trip to the hardware store for some last minute items and, of course, made jokes about all the “studs” (our guys) when the stud finder was brought out!

After a peaceful lunch outside in Ms. Bradley’s back yard, under a beautiful oak tree (shade!), the work continued into the afternoon. Plans were made for the next day and we were able to start putting some of the painted areas back in place (furniture, an amazing trophy collection, and wonderful family photos). We all got a good laugh when Coleman attempted to clean the paint roller brush with the outdoor hose (on jet spray!) and became the canvas for his new “spin art”. Gage kept us motivated with his diverse music play list and even did some dancing!

But the best part of the day was when Ms. Bradley came home! Her tears of joy, at the work we had completed, just filled our hearts. Back at the church, our amazing cooking team had a delicious, hot meal and yummy desserts prepared for us. They also made sure that we had everything so that we could prepare our lunches for each day. We shared in our devotional time and enjoyed the camaraderie of our mission team. We’re looking forward to another productive day tomorrow. Keep us in your prayers and for God’s strength to keep us going!