Week 17 - Another Bloody Rock!!
As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. It’s been such an honor to serve the community here in Spokane Valley over the last few weeks. Looking back over the past four months and thinking about how far we’ve come, it’s pretty incredible to see how things have unfolded. It’s becoming more and more evident to me that the mission we set out on is being fulfilled. We came out here hoping to make a difference, serve people, and be a blessing wherever the Lord led us. Getting to see that play out firsthand has been such a gift.
Breaking Ground… Literally
Monday morning, we hit the ground running with our biggest project of the week. The mission? Tear down a half-standing wooden fence and build a new one. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, that’s what we thought, too.
Turns out, Spokane Valley used to be an old riverbed, which means the ground is absolutely loaded with rocks. And when I say loaded, I mean LOADED. We fought every single hole we dug!
We were able to rent a two-man auger that Cassie and I could operate ourselves, thinking we’d knock those holes out in no time. Unfortunately, that little plan didn’t quite go as smoothly as we’d hoped. The auger would get us about 8–12 inches down before hitting enough rocks to call it quits. From there, it was all digging bars, post-hole diggers, and determination.
We had nine holes to dig, each two feet deep. If you’re doing the math, that’s a whole lot of rocks, sweat, and questioning our life choices! Needless to say, we walked away from that first day with sore bodies, blistered hands, and a sense of satisfaction and gratitude for hard work.
It took us a day and a half to tear out the old fence, dig all nine holes, and get the posts set before we could finally start assembling the new fence sections. Thankfully, this part was a whole lot easier. All we had to do was fasten the eight-foot sections into place, and before long, we had ourselves a brand-new fence.
There’s something pretty satisfying about stepping back and seeing a project come together, especially when you know it’s meeting a real need for a family. What started as a rough, half-standing fence was now something sturdy and new. After all the sweat and stubborn rocks, it was a pretty sweet sight to see!
Good Work, Good Food, and Good People
The rest of the week was filled with a little bit of everything. We spent time cleaning out various sheds, making dump runs, and helping take care of a few more things around the community. Nothing too glamorous, but sometimes it’s the behind-the-scenes work that makes the biggest impact.
We also had the opportunity to share a few meals with some awesome people this week. The first couple we got to sit down with was Jerry and Lynda. It’s always a blessing to slow down for a bit, share a meal, and get to know the people behind the community we’ve been serving. There must be something in the water here, because this was just one of the lovely couples we met who seemed to live life with the energy and spirit of people years younger!
Our second dinner outing was with Pastor Dave and Amy. We headed to a Mexican restaurant and spent hours enjoying some seriously good food and plenty of laughter. After a week of swinging, digging bars and hauling junk, a good meal and some great company hit the spot! Cassie and I are both incredibly thankful to have been connected with Pastor Dave. His heart for his friends and community is unmatched!!
We wrapped up our last project on Thursday and spent the day getting everything packed up and ready to roll. Friday morning, we shared one last breakfast with the church staff before saying our goodbyes and hitting the road.
Next Stop: The Coast!
After weeks of projects, hard work, and serving wherever we could, we’re officially trading the work gloves for some much-needed rest and relaxation.
We’re headed to the coast to get our fix of salt air, ocean views, and hopefully a little time to just slow down and recharge. Not a bad way to wrap up our time in Washington before we head to Oregon.
