Hey all! This is Alex and Laura with the update from Santa Fe.
The first thing we realized last night before we went to sleep is that we had practically no food for lunches or breakfast today. So this morning, a very motivated group of us got up early and went to the store. We were also treated to warm biscuits (thanks Lena) and the usual cup of coffee for most. We decided to stop by the ReStore before going to the site. A ReStore is a place where people can drop off things like kitchen cabinets and ovens as well as things like extension cords and tile. The ReStore is like Habitat's versiom of a Goodwill mixed with a Home Depot. All of the profit from the ReStore goes toward building houses and has helped build, on average, three houses per year.
After browsing we headed to our last day of service. :( We were divided into four groups of three to work on drywall on different parts of houses still in progress. The Youth Works kids arrived and showed us what to do. The process of drywalling starts with measuring the wall (like 3 times at least), cutting the boards at the right thickness, caulking, and using the drill gun to screw into the studs. I (Laura) realized I'm kind of a badass with a screw gun, my second favorite tool, next to the impact drill.
Finally, lunchtime arrived and we were treated to a jam session by Pete (#teampete) and Emmitt. Maryanne even played some cords and we got a harmony of E.J. and Erica. Even though Alex was on the trip to go get groceries for everyone, he forgot to pack a lunch. Luckily, everyone had plenty of granola bars they were willing to spare and he ate a lot more fiber than expected. After an extended lunch break and some awkward tan lines from sitting, we got back to work.
We worked a few more hours on drywall before Rob came back and took Alex to the store. As they came back with plenty of sheet rock for us to move, a lumber order arrived at the same time. Through much collaboration, we were able to move all of the plywood and studs back to their respective places in the yard. Emmitt was in charge of organizing the piles while Alex thought carrying 8 studs was a good idea (I didn't drop them, in case anyone is wondering).
We got back to work momentarily before Rob stopped us to give the house a dedication and positive thoughts. Some took the route of Maryanne and provided great quotes while others (like Alex) thought Disney quotes were more suitable for the house. Emmitt took great photos of everyone at the spots they wrote at. Again we got back to work (so many breaks) and finished up our last walls, closets and stairwells before Rob called us out to have a reflection of the week. They were all so thankful of our service and we were glad to have made some truly incredible and memorable friendships along the way. Pete is still a party pooper.
Once we arrived back at the church, Alex and Emmitt went to assess the kitchen. Emmitt thought we should just cook everything we had, until Alex realized that all we had was chicken. This led Alex, Laura and Emmitt to hit up good 'ol Albertson's for the umpteenth time this week. Alex thought to make tacos so we just got some quality ingredients for a traditional meal consisting off chicken tacos, platanos and yellow rice. Although it took a while to make, everyone was happy to finally eat. All of the girls were happy that we could cook and I (Alex) was just happy to not disappoint. We should have bought more plantains but we digress.
Our last adventure in Santa Fe included stargazing. Hannah had been tasked all week with finding a good place to stargaze so she listened to Ellie's advice to just ask Rob. He sent us to a soccer field in the middle of St. John's College in Santa Fe. After a few wrong turns and some slight separation of vans, we made it. It was dark so we weren't really sure, but Ellie assisted in opening the gate with ease and we found our spot under the stars. According to Lena, the field was going to be wet, but Alex's blanket kept everyone off of the grass. After a quick reflection of all of the great times this week, we started to enjoy being our in the dark. Hannah took some amazing photos of us painting with light and Evan taught us a game we would never forget. Everyone felt bittersweet about the idea of leaving Santa Fe but I guess we have to head to Columbia eventually.
Once we got back to the church, we were all exhausted and it was well after midnight, so we went to bed knowing we would be up in under six hours.
Keep it real Santa Fe,
Alex and Laura
No comments:
Post a Comment