Rebuilding Music City

I have now been in Nashville for a week, and it has been quite the experience. During the week us Tabor girls did a lot of work on the house we are working on and I learned a lot. We started small - painting the house. We painted the whole house twice in two days. It was a lot of paints (some of it on me) and by the time we were done we were glad. We then began flooring. We started with laminate wood flooring, which went in three bedrooms, the hallway, and a living room area. It was very difficult at first. It was a snap lock flooring and it takes a lot of strength to put together, which was lacking at some points. But as our site manager says, "It's not a  baby's bottom, you just have to get mean with it". And so we did. I got the hang of it, and soon we were flying through the house. We finished the lower floor and the upstairs in two and a half days. The Tabor girls became known as the "Mennonite Thoroughbreds" because we did everything so quickly and surpassed others expectations of us. It felt good to get a lot done and to be recognized for it. Once the laminate was done, we began the ceramic tile in the kitchen in bathrooms. I was in charge of laying tile with some others, while someone else cut the tile and mudded the floor. We got a lot done and in a day and a half had completed the kitchen and moved onto the bathrooms. That is where we are at today. Tomorrow we will finish the tile. Wednesday we should be grouting it. Thursday we may put up cabinets, and Friday we will be done! What a two weeks!
On Friday we also had the opportunity to watch a dedication ceremony during which six houses were completed and the homeowners given keys to the house. We had a large block party as all the houses were on the same block with some good food and good company. Each homeowner was given a bible, and notebook with notes from everyone who had worked on their house in it, and a picture frame of the total costs spent on their house with a "paid in full" stamp on it. It was very rewarding to see people be given back their houses and to take in their excitement. We also had the opportunity to talk to some homeowners and listen to their stories. The destruction of the flood is clear when you hear their stories, despite the lack of obvious outside damage.
Hearing the stories and seeing the joy of people being returned to their homes is the greatest reward for me. It reminds me why I am here - to serve God and to serve these people who lost everything and to give them a little something back. Now one week has passed and the second is beginning. More work is ahead. But I have no doubt that it will be worth the early mornings and the sore muscles in the end.

P.S. Here is a link to a news clip about the dedication ceremony (the clip is called "Flood Victims Get Keys to Rebuilt Homes"):  http://www.wsmv.com/local-video/index.html