Day 5

8/20/12

Today was the Plungers first workday in St. Paul.  We are working on a families trailer home were both decks were in really bad shape.  The back deck was in awful shape.  There was probably a gap of about 3 feet between the back deck and the back door.  The deck was very unstable.  The family in the trailer home consists of 3 individuals.  They are as sweet as can be.  They are very open to us and happy to tell us anything we want to know.  Heck; they made us sweet tea, REAL sweet tea not that northerner tea!, and Kool-Aid!!

So, to begin our App. Plunge experience we tore down both decks.  Demolition is always the best part because you know something new will be built!!  We focused many on the front porch today because we had to leave a way for the family to get into their house. 

Out here in St. Paul people are so friendly.  Throughout the day we had people stopping by just to see what we are up to.  Talking with the locals is very insightful.  They have so much to say and are so thankful we are here to help out people in this community.  We also meet the father of the family living there.

During the debrief tonight we had the Plungers ask us any questions that they had about college.  Us leaders tried to give them tips on how to be successful at college and alleviate any fears that they had about their upcoming freshman year.

Day 6

8/21/12

We are writing this blog from the hammocks at the Grace House.  One of the most peaceful places on earth except those stupid mosquitoes that keep biting us!!  Today we went back to the house on Flat Top Road, that it isn’t very flat…. Kinda hilly and windy!  We first finished the front porch.  Adding the handrails and extra support.  Then we moved onto the back deck.  There we put the poles in the holes and cemented them into the ground.  Then we continued to put on the deck boards. But, we had to stop on decking because we ran out of nails. This is because the Plungers keep ruining the nails!  They actually have all been stepping out of their “comfort zones” and learning how to hammer, use a table saw, a skill saw, and other equipment that they are now comfortable with.  The Plungers have also been stepping out of their comfort zones in other aspects.  For example, talking with the family members instead of working nonstop.  They are starting to realize that this project is a lot more than just the two porches we are building.  It is more about the family that we are working with and what it means to them.  They are so thankful for the work we are doing.  When the Plungers showed the family their new front porch the could not stop saying how nice it was.  Once the Plungers are completed with the project tomorrow it will be hard to not leave the project, but to leave the family.