A look back...

This Summer my teammates and I have prepared...(these are rough estimates):

640 hot dogs
400 hamburger patties
120 lbs of ground beef
64 lbs of chicken
48 lbs of spaghetti
64 tomatoes (sliced)
16 onions (chopped)
24 heads of lettuce (chopped)
64 pots of coffee

With help from the teams that have come in to serve we have:

Hung sheetrock
Built decks
Repaired leaky roofs
Fixed floors
Repaired wheelchair ramps
Built retaining walls
Painted houses
Built carports
Extended storage sheds
Demolished walls...only to build new ones
Cleaned...and cleaned some more

We have:
Given and received hugs too numerous to count
Walked beside hurting people and heard their stories
Played bingo and learned the excitement of receiving a prize of a quarter at the nursing home
Tickled community kids until they were laughing so hard they couldn't breath
Played basketball and kickball with the community boys until I was so sore I could barely walk

We:
Plunged toilets
Caught the stove on fire
Saw a black bear
Almost hit several deer
Got ran off the road by coal trucks
Ran over a trash can
Laughed until our stomachs hurt
Learned to appreciate air conditioners, garbage disposals, trash men, dishwashers, and our moms

We have been stretched, frustrated, and totally exhausted.

But through it all...the name of the LORD was glorified.
The Lord gave us strength and wisdom.
The Lord provided.
The Lord protected.
The Lord calmed.
The Lord granted peace.
The Lord provided hope for the hopeless.

God loved. So dearly loved.

There is still work to be done, children to feed, houses to fix, the gospel to continue being spread. But I know this: My God....my GOD is a God of redemption and victory. He will never leave his children. I am so passionately in love with my savior and his grace.