I'm visiting with you on this fine Saturday evening from BJ and Cassia's house. You see, our internet hasn't worked all week. It's interesting how accustomed we become to technology.
This is Jackson and Malaki at Grandma's house on Monday. They like to sit on the pedal tractors in my office. They both try and keep up with the big kids when they are around.
It's hard to believe this is what Monday looked like after 4 inches of snow. Temps yesterday and today were both in the 60s and the snow is gone.
We continued to work on construction equipment this past week. Mike and Chuck are unloading the outer covering of a final drive on BJ's and my dozer.
Kurt does a good job when it comes to welding. He is finding and fixing cracks under the tracks on Mike's dozer. Mike's dozer has been cleaned, greased, oil changed, leaks fixed, a few bearings changed, and is sitting outside, ready to hit the field.
Mike has taken over the painting responsibilities at our house and is painting BJ's trackhoe. The crew washed, fixed, and sanded, getting it ready for Mike to apply a primer coat.
There is always a sense of accomplishment after the final touches are finished which in this case are the decals. It just seems to make the spring jobs go better when you get to work with a good looking rig.
Friday evening was our local Christian School's bazaar and auction. This evening is a fund raiser when businesses and families donate items and events that are auctioned off. Joel, a local farmer and parent, did an excellent job of doing the auctioneering.
During Sunday School hour last Sunday Joe talked to us about short term mission opportunities. He is taking a group to southern Texas over spring break to build a small house for a needy family. Our church also organized a work day today where we went and tore down a house for lumber for the project.
We started by saving the vinyl siding. Next came out the windows while another group was inside saving studs from the interior walls.
A group of fellows from Pella II also came to help. I think I counted around 30 folks when we stopped for a coffeetime break. There are so many things going on these days, it's hard to get together for a cause. However it's well worth the time, not just for salvaging lumber for the work trip, but also for working together for a purpose.
We had a deassembly line of sorts going with some tearing out, some throwing out the usable lumber, some pulling nails, and some stacking on the trailer.
Not only was this crew working in Newton, we also had a crew tearing down a hog house on Andrew and Jen's farm near Oskaloosa. My boys promised me pictures from that crew but they either forgot or were busy working. The old buildings are losing their current purpose. However they are being saved to be used in a greater purpose.
Sometimes at the end of the day we wonder about the job we have accomplished and whether or not it was even worth it. Many times it's not about the intensions of the job. It's about our intensions. What are our priorities? What makes us tick? What do we value? Sometimes, just like those old buildings we tore down today, God works in us and takes down our earthly purposes, and gives us a direction that builds a heavenly purpose.
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