tonight, I had the opportunity to help build some homes for haiti. The church I've been going to has teamed up with CORE Alliance and Builders Without Borders to build 10,000 homes. They aren't meant to be permanent structures, but next-step, temporary (lasting around 3 years) shelters to replace the tent cities that thousands of earthquake survivors are now living in.
The homes are shipped as walls and floors and the assembled on site. We had this whole assembly line going on. I got to use the circular saw! And my team cut all of these sheets down to size:
While I was working and covered in saw dust, I was thinking about that sweet smell of fresh lumber. I was reminded of the two spring breaks I spent gutting homes in New Orleans. I remember the smell of mold and rot.. I remember that down the street from one of the houses we worked in was a home that was actually starting to be reconstructed. You could smell the fresh lumber all the way down the street.. I remember thinking that that is the sweeeeetest smell... because it means newness, hope and progress.. I hope that these fresh, sweet smelling homes can provide the same kind of relief and hope to those in haiti.
2 comments:
That's so cool!! Yet another reason to love you. As if I didn't have enough!
you make my heart smile! and yes- i have the same reaction to the smell of fresh lumber after gutting in N'awlins! ooh wonderful wood!
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