Project Completed

     This was our third and final week on the project in Chatham.  I helped paint, lay laminate floor and painted the sign.   I even got to use a miter saw and the nail gun again.  (gotta love those power tools)   Of course there's always clean up to be done. 

     In the free time I had decided to try knitting a baby sweater to go into a layette kit.  I struggled with it at first, decided I would never make another, then completed it in 6 days.  It came out pretty well.  Maybe I will make another.  

     The UMC offers the opportunity for people to put together a variety of kits (school, teacher, baby layette, health, flood buckets, etc).   Those kits eventually make their way to the regional distribution centers where they are checked, boxed, and packaged in large shipping crates.  They are then sent to places in need of those certain things.  While I was here, a large trailer filled with 15,000 school kits was taken to Kentucky where there had been devastating floods.

     We went to tour Catholic Sisters Mission Outreach.  It was very informative.  This mission collects used, outdated, or unwanted medical supplies and equipment from hospitals and clinics.  They sort and catalog it all.  Places in developing nations can apply and when accepted can then 'shop' for free equipment.  They are expected to pay the shipping of a cargo box (about the size of a trailer) and can fill it to the brim.  This warehouse was full and they often store at and work with the Midwest Mission Distribution  Center (where I am).  Some of the wallboards that we tore off the building we made into a chapel were used to build a crate to send a dental chair to Ghana.  cool.

     Thursday Aug 6 was our last day of  'work.'  One of our team members is a retired minister so we were able to have service and communion in the new chapel. It was quite emotional.  We then started saying goodbye to members as they left to go their separate ways.   Some were going on to other projects, some vacationing, and others returning home.

     The leaders and I stayed for a couple more days.  They took me to New Salem which is a settlement recreated to show where Lincoln once lived and worked.  People were in period clothing and doing the crafts of that era.

     Sunday I will be doing the Jambo Jive- driving.  I am driving north to Wisconsin where I will be volunteering in a week -long project of KP duty.   After that I will be able to camp near Janelle and visit for about 5 days.