Week 11 - Grateful Hearts

Well, if those 2 weeks in Rapid City weren’t a testament to how the Lord has a plan, is provider, and honestly what the Lost Bus is all about, I don’t know what is.

We are rolling out of South Dakota with grateful hearts and increased faith.

This last week we continued to work at Love Inc. Logan took his DIY skate park experience in pouring concrete to a work site of a new office building.

I continued helping out in administrative land - which I was stoked about. We happened to be in town as Love Inc was getting ready for a data systems transfer - a huge undertaking for a long-standing nonprofit. I spent a lot of this second week organizing spreadsheets and filling in missing data.

Once Logan finished working on the box trucks, we got to place some new signage on them (something I’ve never done before). I’d say we did alright! Logan also got to build a new front porch for our friend, Jack (who had connectd us with his parents for a place to stay).

On our last day at Love Inc., we got to experience what we’d been told is a real highlight for most of the staff. The first being the store front; where they sell furniture that has been donated and refinished by participants working a program or volunteers who just love the art. It’s only open once a week on Saturday mornings, a likely unintentional marketing tactic that serves them well. Every week they have a line at the door and people running in to grab the tag off of furniture they have scouted during the week. The refinishing team obviously does a great job creating pieces the general public can’t wait to get their hands on.

The second was getting to pick out and deliver furniture to a participant of the Life Inc. program (which involves taking classes or volunteering hours to earn credit for household items). We got to deliver 8 pieces to a family who have really been dealt a tough hand in life. In getting to chat with the man who served the hours, he stopped me at one point and asked “why are you interested (in his life)?” After answering, he said something along the lines of “I’ve never had someone talk to me like this”.

This week we got to connect more with some friends we had made at the wedding reception last weekend. They invited us to the cutest, most eclectic little bar that’s only open 1 night a week for live music and tacos. We hung out a few more times, including a night of swing dancing under the pouring rain.

Building these friendships is bittersweet. A big reason we decided to stay in places for a couple of weeks at a time was to give the time and space for them. But it’s kinda brutal then, every time we leave. Saying goodbye to our incredible hosts - the Shankles who have made us feel so at home on their beautiful property. Reminiscing on an epic skate event last weekend with Derick and Shelby over smoked ribs. Getting last-minute coffee shop recs from our friends at Love Inc.

But to have these new friendships forming as we make our way across America is such a unique gift, and maybe one day we’ll be back.

Before heading out of town I convinced Logan to be up at 4:30 for sunrise in The Badlands National Park, which we followed up with a drive by of Mount Rushmore. I’m so glad we made the treck because that sunrise was incredible. Would very much recommend Sheep Mountain Overlook if you’re ever in the area.

And now, we are making our way to Idaho to connect with old friends, hopefully explore the nearby national parks and attend another wedding!!