Palm Springs continued

We came back to Palm Springs to have our holiday and enjoy some R&R. We were sharing the other condo with friends, so we had to rent a different place for the first week. Kerry did some internet sleuthing and this is what he came up with. It was a very spacious condo in a complex that we have spent time in other years. We really enjoyed our time in this place, but we had to move on after a week , and we are now back in the condo (see previous post) that we originally rented.

Of course, one of the things we enjoy about PS are the fresh grapefruits we can pick and eat, as well as the fresh lemons and the smell of the fruit trees blooming. We have been enjoying the warmth, walking, golfing, friends, SLUFF, hot tubs, suntanning, biking, shopping, reading,and eating outside, without the bugs, and all the things that come with a good holiday.

Palm Springs

When we left Dulzura we headed to Palm Springs. We had a couple of days there to rest and unwind before catching the plane home. The sights that we have come to enjoy in Palm Springs greeted us as we settled into a hotel for one night. It was warm and it was good to just sit and take in the views, and do some debrief just between the two os us and to have NO SCHEDULE and no one depending on us or looking for direction. It almost felt wrong, but we adjusted pretty quickly and enjoyed.

We had rented a condo for the month of March and we got to spend a couple of days there before we headed home for a week, and these are some pictures of the interior. I will have to post some shots of the pool another time. We had a long day of flying home but it was so good to see the kids and grand kids and get caught up with their lives again. We had a week of lots of family time and play time with the girls, and a day of celebrating Shaun and Hailey and Norah's birthdays. We also went to Norah's baby dedication service and got in another of the boys hockey games. Will post some pics later but couldn't download them the other day. After one short week at home we flew back to Palm Springs to start our real holiday.

MDS: THE END

Two months.......they flew by fast, and yet they were long. We made our home here in this little RV for the time we were here. The first day we drove up to the camp site we were not sure how we would be able to call it home, much less enjoy it , it looked pretty bleak. As time went on and we worked at improving the camp, we came to enjoy our surroundings and were able to call it home for a while. Thanks to all of you who helped with all the decks and the little projects that made things so much more liveable. We really came to enjoy the mountains and the scenery around us and the uniqueness of the area.

One of the last things we did, was plant some trees. Kerry and Jon had a lot of fun one Sunday, driving into town, picking out some palm trees and then planting them. We thought it would be quite fitting for an MDS site in California to have palm trees and they did add a certain appeal for us northerners.

The evenings were great to sit out and enjoy the deck and the company of others.

One of the last things we did on our last day of our last week was to end of with a party on the deck. We had some of the people from the CRT that we had worked with for the past months, as well as the crew from the last week, and the new directors , and all our long term crew, and had a pizza party in the warm sunshine. A fitting way to bring an end to our time here. It was a good time and we met lots of great people and again our lives were enriched, as they are every year we spend time serving with MDS. It was hard to say goodbye to these friends that we had made and relationships that we had spent time cultivating, and to the people we had worked so closely with and lived with for the past months, and who were almost like family. At the same time we knew it was time to move on and connect with our kids and grandkids again and pick up that life. We had given it our best and got the project off to a good start, and I think we finished strong. We handed over the reins to another capable director and know that the project will go on and homes will continue to be built and lives restored. We are thankful to have stayed in good health, and for all that we experienced and to see how once again, God provided what we needed as we worked together with others to be His hands and feet, the gospel in overalls. Thankyou to all who prayed, you were an important part of our service as well, and we felt those prayers, and God answered!

MDS: SITE #3 & 4

site #3 had made good progress as well by the time that we left. Here you see the walls going up and soon the trusses would be on and the sheeting on the roof.

The last week that we were there the shingles got done and the windows and doors put in and the house wrap on, as well as a lot of wiring and plumbing and the place was ready for a lot more work by the next team.

This is the site of house #4, the permit we got just a couple of days before we handed the reins over. The house will sit right about where the pile of gravel is and will be a 3 bedroom home. The scenery once again, is spectacular, and the view from the kitchen window as chosen by the client, will be wonderful.

MDS: SITE #2

At site #2, we had also made good progress, having learned a lot at the first site and being able to apply it here and get things right the first time. The house looks almost finished , and it was, on the outside, but there was still much left to be done before the client can move in.

The solar panels to provide the electrical power had to be installed, and the generator to run the water pump and the whole water system needed some more work.

The inside of the house had the walls framed up and when we left, the electrical and plumbing inspection had happened and we needed to fix up a few things before we could move on to insulate and hang drywall.

MDS: SITE#1

We spent 2 months in Dulzura and now it was time to pack up, pass on what we had learned, say good-bye to our clients and friends and move on, leaving things in another director's hands.

This is how the house looked at site #1, quite a change from the bare lot that we looked at when we arrived on January 6th to start work.

Inside the house we were well into the taping, mudding and sanding stage, ready for the paint and finishing touches.

Our clients, Steve and Elsie, in front of their new home, eagerly awaiting the move from a trailer home to this one. A special couple, who were an inspiration and a blessing to us and to the many volunteers who worked here. This couple appreciated each and every one who came to work on their home and provided many pots of coffee and goodies as the work progressed and tried to learn and remember everyone's name, and everyone felt like a special friend by the time they left here.