MMAP, Sept. 2013, New Durham, New Hampshire

We are beginning our second month at Maranatha Ministries in NH!  Due to some electrical problems, we moved into a new spot when we returned from Canada.

First, Paul decided we had to get our step in place.  There  was some large granite and cement pieces near our door, so  we just moved them over to create a step.

Can't we just take it with us for the next job?

Then we had to get our sewer fixed!  It was backing up, not only from us, but our neighbor’s sewer was going into the same pipe and backing up as well.  So Paul dug around and found a collapsed pipe, which was also broken at the septic tank input.  Chris, our host, got the big tractor out and it took the “village” to replace the pipe on Sunday afternoon.  I know, MMAPers don’t work on Sundays.... they were just playing ;).  The story of helping a man getting his ox out of a hole on the Sabbath came to mind.

Then, Monday morning we started working on the project.

The ladies painted the exterior of the “Sports Chalet” (part of it anyway, until the rain delayed finishing)

                                                                            and helped get a mailing ready to be sent.

We also sanded and varnished the milled wood for the interior walls and ceilings of the Sports Chalet.  

The guys had various building projects going on.  They were paired up to install a couple of doors.  Paul and Bill installed one between a staircase landing going to the basement from the worship center in the Summit building 

and the annex building where Edmunds (the owner/managers of the camp) live.

Even though a door was in the plans, and framing was done, it was between two buildings and the framed door did not match up on both sides when they removed the sheetrock.  It was just enough off that it required some extra work to reframe.  The hallway door was inset just a little to accommodate the width.  Nathaniel, the Edmunds youngest son who is in his 20’s, said he always knew there was going to be a door there, but never thought he would see it!  This building has been 25 years in the making!!

Paul and Bill then painted the stairway.  Paul asked me if I would paint it, but it was just a tad higher than I was comfortable with!! I offered to do the lower part, but they were able to do it without me!  

The other doors were installed in the basement.  The walls down there have been sheet-rocked and painted as well.  Trim is being sanded and varnished and will be installed this next week.

Anyone see the movie, RV?  If so, you have a vivid picture of this. One day at break, Paul and Bill came with a great story.   They had been working on the septic problem at the kitchen, and when they were testing it, the pump came on and sewage shot up in a geyser and came down on them, Bill getting the most of it!!  No camera was around, and for some reason neither wanted to reenact for a picture!

Paul has also been stumped with an electronic eye for the switching on and off of the light in this stairwell that is not working correctly.  It has been his nemesis, thinking about it at night and on the weekends.  He is even trying it here in the coach to see if it works here!

Of course on any project all is not work.  During the three months of this project, each month Joyce and Bill had a celebration.  They were one of the couples on our buddy trip back in 2009.  Both had birthdays and their 56th year anniversary.  During the first week we celebrated them with a potluck stuffed potato bar, then cake and ice cream.

Another couple (second from right), the Holcombs, joined us for this month and next.  We worked with them before in Maryland and Texas, and they still wanted to come work with us again when we all signed up for Maranatha!  We have actually worked with everyone on this project before, and enjoy every one of them!  This is a great group of people we consider to be close friends.  

This is the end of the second week of the second month.  That means our time here is half over.  In some ways it has gone fast; and in other ways, when we see what has been accomplished, it feels like we have been here for a long time.  In all  ways, it has been a blessing for us to be here.