jakorte's blog

March 19, 2008

The house that our break-out group was assigned to was adorable, and almost finished. It was the closest I have ever been to a completed Hurricane Katrina project. Our mini-crew of three were hopeful that we could make great progress on this project, and move our homeowner father along in the process of getting out of her FEMA trailer and into her home.

Our charges: Install a hot water heater, tile a vanity, connect kitchen plumbing, install trim work & and grout kitchen counters.

The first bit of disappointing news came when it was realized that the wrong type of water heater had been delivered. That item had to be crossed off the list.

Next up: the bathroom vanity. We were to cut the sink hole in the top, cut the tiles, cement, and finish with grouting. Unfortunately, some of the power tools had been fitted with the wrong blades, and were not working properly. After a trip to Lowe’s, we had the correct blades needed to cut wood and tile. We got as far as cementing the tiles, and then had to leave it to cure overnight. Grouting would be done the next day.

Next up: trim work. This time, it was the nail gun that foiled us. The wrong nails had been loaded, and had jammed the machine. Time to redirect….

Next up: kitchen plumbing. All the appropriate pieces were there to complete standard kitchen plumbing connections. But it was soon realized that the incoming plumbing pipe was not standard size. Two out of three of us were off to Lowe’s again looking for some magical adaptor. The other one stayed behind to un-jam the nail gun. That made me nervous.

As we struggled to deal with each item on our to-do list, we struggled with equipment, missing pieces, and devised plans to get around our problems. We were determined, a little annoyed, and brought closer together as we formed a think-tank. It was during a “frustration� break, that we began to share our loves and losses. And it was then that we realized that GOD had put our little team together and given us frustrations because he knew we needed each other.

Eventually, the vanity was finished and installed in the bathroom, and the shower/tub fixtures were in place. The kitchen trim was put on, and the finishing grout work completed. The plumbing looked a little like something from a Dr. Seuss book, but it worked!

Back and forth on the road to Lowe’s, there were many opportunities for conversation. Some were more serious examinations our frustrations in remaining patient with situations that we so badly wanted to fix, correct and repair, but that were also beyond our control or capabilities. Some were nostalgic. Some were about sharing our lives and finding more similarities and a few differences. Some were about moving down south for the weather, for the people, for the cost of living. Some were about certainties and uncertainties, and some were unexpected blossoms of hope to be kept in our hearts forever.

jak