monday dedication

Howdy Folks! Hurricane Alex has given us quite a bit of rain this week (along with flooding, leaky roofs & more), so the internet has been sporadically in and out. But, the rain has also brought cloudy days, filled with comfortable 91 degree temps!


We have a full house this week (5 groups and a small medical team) and 5 new houses will be dedicated at the end of the week. But, Monday also brought a special moment. A few weeks ago, a group from San Antonio canceled their trip at the last minute due to safety concerns. Even though they did not make it down to build the house, the house still has to be built as it's been promised to a family and paid for by the group. In situations like this, the staff has to work overtime to build the extra house. Typically, it takes 4-5 days to build. The staff (of 5-10 folks) can build in about 2-2.5 days, which includes time for concrete to harden after the bond beam is poured. So, they worked on the house last week as they had extra time, roof panels were delivered on Wednesday afternoon, and the house was stuccoed on Friday (typically the stucco process begins Monday afternoon & continues all week...they did it all at once, in less than 2 hours!). Last minute details were tended to on Monday and the available staff gathered on Monday afternoon to hand over the keys to this new, wonderful house. Dedications are always special, but this one was neat because it was so small. Even though I was not there to build all week, I still couldn't help but feel overjoyed that this family now has two doors that lock, a roof over their head, and a safe, dry place to seek shelter during the rain we've had this week. That part never gets old!

 {several family members (new homeowner is in blue) attended the dedication along with CPC staff (front to back)- Alex, Michael, Efrain, Armando, Emily, John, Greg, Phillip, Jose}

 Today is our free afternoon. A few of the girls are crossing (my second time of the day) to see a movie and dinner in Texas. I hope to post more soon...my pictures are piling up on me! Adios for now.