ramblings/my spring break

I feel like I’ve disappeared again, but I just wanna share a little bit about last week…

I was blessed to spend a few days of my (actual) spring break on a mission trip doing home repair and flood relief work in Louisiana (you may recall the crazy flooding in South Louisiana last August). It was amazing and humbling. It’s crazy to see just how big this flood was and to see how people are still living with the after effects, whether they had eight feet or eight inches of water in their homes.

We worked with three different homeowners over four days. Jana and Steve had 7 and a half feet of water in their house and basically lost everything that wasn’t in the attic. They’ve lived in a rental house since August and had just moved into their FEMA trailer the week before we got there. They needed a lot of yard work done and we got on it. I rebuilt a tin roof on a side shed! They kept blessing us with food for lunch and cookie cake for birthdays and great stories and amazing praises.

Another homeowner was Becky, Jana’s sister. Only part of our team worked part of one day there, but they were able to clear out some of her yard and make the back patio and garden look like her home again.

Sweet Ms. Thelma is another amazing story.  Despite not even being from Denham Springs, she’s decided to stay when lots have decided to walk.  We tore out Sheetrock, put in insulation, knocked down a brick wall (fun stuff), and had the best time with her and her super cute granddaughter.  She (and her antique piano) were such a blessing!

It’s kind of funny that I went expecting to be a blessing, but received so many amazing blessings in return.  It was an amazing trip!

Other updates:

1. Yesterday I ordered my cap and gown for graduation and I cried
2. Yesterday I also ran TWO WHOLE MILES WITHOUT STOPPING and I cried because my body hurts now
3. (I’m training for a 5K and this is kind of a big deal because two weeks ago I couldn’t run a mile)
4. I had fruit for breakfast and I have never been hungrier (hungrier? more hungry?) than I am now