VBS Days 4 and 5

Well I have to say the last two days of VBS were just as fun of an experience however, I may be creating my own games if I do this next year. The book that went with this years theme “Discovery Canyon” was good, however not for our group of kids that we had (games wise). They are in need of something a bit more exciting. I am hoping the kids were able to focus on the point of us being there was, and to the messages we were trying to pass on to them, so I guess we will find out sunday morning. Other than that they had fun at crafts, story telling, music, and of course, snack time.

There are a lot of pics from all 5 days on my facebook page. I will post some here as well once I pick out some good ones.

VBS Days 1, 2, and 3.

Well,  It has been three days now running games at VBS. I have to say, I am glad I am not certified in K-6. I believe I would lose my mind. The kids are great, however they have been way over energetic and the games designed or the VBS theme this year, are not really aimed at any type of fun physical activities. I may have to start making something up that requires them to run a little bit or something that will expel some of their energy.

I am hoping they will be a little more focused and less energetic in days 4 and 5. Here is hoping anyway. It has been a fun new experience however, I think I will tell Aleisha that I will volunteer for this next year.

Wish me luck on the last two days !

Going Green…website project

Chiques United Methodist Church new website is going very well. I am almost finished with most design aspects, and now am currently working on content and navigation. The project is supposed to support the theme “going green” I am not exactly sure why a church would go with that but, hey who am I to question church. please visit the site  http://chiquesumc.net as I move further along with the project until completion.

Fox 43 story on our Habitat project

Fox 43 Story on our Habitat project.

mind you, you will see the ladies of our group that day working on the cement blocks out in the front. We all kinda laughed because the reporter wanted to get shots of the women for mothers day. So we all ran away because it would look funny if all of us guys were just sitting watching the ladies do all the work. However its a great story of what we did and what Habitat does.

Habitat for Humanity project in Columbia

Yesterday (Saturday the 9th)  was one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I have had when it comes to helping others, volunteering, and knowing the work you have accomplished for a wonderful cause.

On 2nd St. in Columbia, PA  Myself, Doug Dandridge, and other members from Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, along with Terry Trego. Spent a day doing drywall, masonry work to get the front porch finished, and painting the side of the house.

Terry and I along with Ed (member of Holy Spirit) were on The front porch masonry work. Terry found it funny to volunteer me to be the guy that mixes all the mortar compound and carry all the blocks from the back of the yard to the front where him and Ed needed them to put in place and mortar. You would be surprised how fast a wheel barrel of compound goes when you are laying cement block….a wheel barrel is pretty much used within 6-7 blocks depending on if you have to make cuts to fit a block into place. So I was a busy guy. (a side note if you plan on building anything with bricks or cement blocks I am now a master of mixing the compound).

Doug and his team, including the paster, were on the scaffolding all day on the side of the house painting the siding. (Terry and I pretty much decided we were sure doug was just standing there and talking all day about the game he watched on tv the night before…ha ha) However, the side of the house was done by the end of the work day so they did do some work.

The rest of the gang was in the house, with the new owners and were finishing drywalling. The living room was the last room that had to be done. (if you haven’t dry walled before it may seem that dry walling a living room wouldn’t take all day…. yea it does) especially when you dry wall a ceiling.

Trego ended up having to “leave early” at 2pm so Doug was nice enough to come and learn how to lay cement blocks for the rest of the afternoon. If you would have been there you will see that there is a huge hole from the front door to the ground. The porch is 7 layers high of cement block (when finished) then a hardwood top.  We started with no layers and by 4pm got two and a half layers complete, but thats because we didnt have enough sand to make another batch of mortar to keep going. The funny part is when its complete 3 of the 4 layers of cement blocks will be covered by the ground that will be the front yard. So you wont “see” our work, but we know its there and its sturdy. (People who do masonry work for a living make it look SO easy.)

After doing another project for a great cause and for being with the people from Holy Spirit and growing together in faith and fellowship is such a wonderful feeling, even when you are sore and burnt to a crisp because you forgot sun screen. I am looking forward to the next project and other day of fellowship with these people.