The Big Clean

Today was our last hurrah at Hazard Christian Church, and we gave it everything we had! We started early this morning with a wakeup song from Tim and another hardy breakfast. We packed up all our stuff and gave the Presbyterian church a good cleaning. We did our best to leave to the church just like we found it, if not cleaner. The Presbyterian church was very friendly and hospitable for us, and we appreciate everything they did for us.

The focus today at Hazard Christian Church was cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. A large part of the crew started in the sanctuary, cleaning the pews and the floors. There are literally decades of dust around this church, so it takes more than a little elbow grease to get things clean. Even with a day full of work, we feel like more cleaning could be done.

In addition to cleaning, we finished some electrical work and put tile down in the men’s bathroom. We also had to clean up the messes we made putting up drywall and painting. It was unbelievable how much dust and dirt there was to get rid of.

You would have been so proud of this crew! The work today was far from glamorous, and yet they continued to push hard and not complain. It was obvious that our energy level was wearing down, but every single person worked as hard as they could to make this church sparkle. We are frustrated because we feel like there is more we could have gotten done, and yet when we look around the church the transformation is obvious. We are proud of what we have done, and we can’t wait to see what the congregation thinks about it tomorrow.

We finally knocked off work around 5 p.m. and headed for the hotel. Heaven! Warm showers, a nice pool, and comfy beds. Compared to this past week, this is the Four Seasons. We ordered Papa John’s Pizza and ate dinner while sharing our final reflections. The depth of what people shared was moving, and it is clear that this trip has made an impact on us. We’ve all been touched by the hospitality of the people of Hazard and of the church, and we only hope we’ve made a difference for them.

We’ve spent the night swimming, hanging out, watching TV, and just generally vegging. After a good night’s rest, we’ll worship at Hazard Christian Church tomorrow morning and then hit the road. It will be about a nine-hour drive, so we should be arriving at the church around 10 p.m. We’ll call folks as we get closer.

This has been another amazing mission trip and we are all blessed to have spent this week together. We have seen God in this community, in this church, and in each other. Our relationships and our faith is stronger. This time has truly been a gift, and it’s been an honor to share it with you!

6-21-08