Operation “Slow and Steady Wins the Race” and Operation “Restoration in Progress” have collided into a beautiful kaleidoscope of accomplishments.
The hardwoods were in poor shape due to animal stains and took much tender loving care by George and Lorenzo of “G&S The Floor Care People” to bring them to a beautiful refurbished condition. Due to prior harsh treatment of the floors, the floors are not going to be perfect, but are restored with prayers, love and sacrifice.
Many friends also helped paint the entire top floor to bring the ceilings and walls to a beautiful and clean condition. Oh how far and wide our God has brought us through the hundreds of precious volunteers who have been the hands and feet of Jesus to this project.
Another volunteer, Oliver, spent days refurbishing two exterior doors for the front door and kitchen door. Due to a pending decision of the trim color, we have not installed these doors yet, but we are blessed these doors could be donated and restored.
The hardwoods on the main level are complete and the shoe molding is stained and installed. The crown is close to completion and a one more coat of touch up painting will finish the baseboards.
Thanks to rescued kitchen cabinets, the cabinet install is almost complete, as well as an island, creatively created from parts and pieces bought and salvaged to make for a clean look. Join us in praying for a donation of kitchen countertops.
Other volunteers custom built the handrail to ensure safety and aesthetic creativity to the home.
Spira is steady working on sanding and painting all the shutters. She will finish the last few soon.
The Church at Brookhills Collide youth serve team also left their generous mark on the progress. They prayed over the home and property, built a fire pit in the back yard, cleaned the entire yard, broke apart pallets, cleaned the inside of the home, cleaned the entire downstairs, organized the shed, cleaned and brought in heavy furniture to the main level and even planted some donated pansies.
We are nearing the end of a six month investment of the community home #2 renovation, day 186 to be exact. We have experienced buckets of rain, freezing cold temperatures, the grace of waiting on labor, material and financial donations, and the journey of trusting God for His timing and provision. Some days we are tired, exhausted from a full day of our real job, to go and pour into a project that is so much bigger than what we humanly have to give.
But GOD.
He is continuing to stretch and grow our ability to ask for help and to trust what we cannot see. We are in the process of establishing a prayer team, a core leadership team, house routines, discussions with partner churches regarding hosting of worship nights, planning community meals and an open house, organization of household items, and sourcing of all the furnishings for the home. He is in every detail of this home, going before us on how He will use every bit of this home for His glory. We GET to trust the adventure He is setting before us.
As 2019 begins, we anticipate many meals around that beautiful table that the Collide youth brought upstairs. We believe others will gather in the prayer room, begging God for impossible things, that He will do because He is the God of the impossible. We trust God will restore hearts in this home that is taking countless hours to restore. We are giving our all for the mama who will find a listening ear, learn how to preserve veggies and roast marshmallows with her littles. We cannot wait for financial courses, parenting classes and worship nights to fill every crevice of these walls…
… until that home has so many God stories of redemption that it would preach if it could talk.
Please keep your donations coming as we continue to trust for the last $1,000 for the deck lumber, a skilled painter to finish painting the exterior, the labor force to build the deck, the countertops for the kitchen, the funding for insulation for the attic, the plumber to have time to rough-in and install the new bathroom, the HVAC company time to install the new units they have generously donated, provision for fabric for the prayer cushions and labor to install closet organizers. On and on the list still lacks, but we do not lack. We love our Father who can do more than we can hope for or imagine. He has brought us this far and one day soon, He will help all these loose ends tie together into the perfect masterpiece of His restoration.
We are along for the incredible, mind-blowing ride. Join us!! Come be restored.