Soaring like Eagl...I mean, Sea Gulls

So here's a little run-down of our days with MDS. In the morning, we get up early enough that Aaron can come into the bunk house and pack his lunch with the rest of the crews at 6:30. We join him and the others for breakfast at 7:00. After a group devotion and job assignments for the day, everyone heads out to work at the job sites by 8:00. They won't return to the bunk house until 4:30-5:00.

The kids and I stay here. They begin on their school work and I work in the office, trying desperately to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing and keep up with the new information that comes in daily. So far I love it. It's been a long time (10+ years?) since I worked in an office, but it's a fun challenge, and I love knowing that I'm able to contribute just as Aaron is, only in a climate-controlled, padded desk chair kind of environment.

In the evenings, we all gather in the bunk house again for supper at 6:00, followed by a debrief of the activities for the day. The short-term volunteers have a recommended lights out at 10:00, and my kids keep pointing out that the schedule says "10:00" right there in black and white. Nevertheless, their bed-time remains at 8:30, and there it will stay for the foreseeable future, all protests aside. (Unless game-time goes too long, that's a Daddy over-ride.)

However, they do get the chance to play games in the evening first. We've played a lot of checkers, Uno, and chess. Aaron even got all the Dominion cards out last night, which lasted a little longer than we had anticipated. In the picture below, Mim takes great delight in ruling over and then skunking the men here at a game of Pass the Pigs.

We (MDS) are currently working on about 6-8 houses here in Crisfield, but some weeks we may concentrate on three or four specifically, depending on the status of the project and the amount of short-term volunteers. They do foundation work, drywall, painting, roofing, you name it. When a job requires a professional, then locals are hired for those tasks. Aaron is a crew leader, meaning he takes a small number of volunteers to a particular site and works with them through the day.

I'll share more about the town itself in the future. There are many people here with interesting stories, and I look forward to introducing you to them in posts to come if I'm able to do so.