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Begin forwarded message:
From: Jane boyce <janeboyce@live.com>
Date: February 13, 2018 at 11:04:24 PM AST
To: Jane boyce <janeboyce@live.com>
Subject: Update 16
What a fabulous surprise we got on Friday night! Ben arrived!! He has always wanted to join us be of our mission trips and since he had a few days off, he did! He joked that he was just checking up on us to see if we were laying on a beach...or really working! We'd spent the day working with members of another church scrubbing down another older man's home. The man asked Rog to cut down the only healthy looking coconut tree around...fearing it would fall on his house during the next hurricane...so down it came in spite of what he thought. There are SO many trees already down... After church service, Johanna, her girls & us went to a Pizza Hut about 45 min away. It was a treat for all and Johanna & her girls could act as crazy as they liked as no parishioners around. Ben's flight came @ 11pm and it was such a treat to see him. He said Someone must have really wanted him to come cause his flight was the only one not cancelled...and he got bumped to first class!We filled him with stories all the way "home."Saturday morning we were off to what was left to of Nelly & Antonio's house...a bathroom hanging on the side of a mountain. Their family & friends were there mixing cement by hand & building walls. They were in good spirits & seemed to be having a grand time. Ben & Rog joined the cement bucket brigade while I picked up 7 bags of trash. After about 3 hrs, Nelly came with lunch...actually I'd call it a feast: chicken wrapped in bacon & stuffed with cheese, beans & rice with a cheese sauce & salad. All sat around eating and enjoying the comradery ...and beer. Work was officially ending...to let the cement dry and the men said it was now beer time. First work site beer was passed around...first work site Ben was at! Another little blessing from above. Before we left, Nelly pulled her camera came out and many pictures were taken. They were so very appreciative...told us that their brother lived next door (in a nice home) and would not even talk to them let alone help them!It was about 1 when we left home to shower. Since Johanna & her girls was off shopping & couldn't line up another job...we took off to Yabucoa where we stopped at the All Hands base. We went to the office & made sure they had Johanna's info. & let them know her phone service is spotty. As always, they were happy to let us tour the base. It was fun to show Ben around. He said he could definitely see it was well organized & everyone we met was very friendly. Next we went to Punta Santiago, an area we'd heard was "very nice." Well, maybe before Maria. So much damage...like the totaled Total gas station. No pun intended. When we got back, Johanna had a carload of items she'd purchased using money donated by our church & friends. We hopped in her car & delivered them to two homes & some really thankful ladies!! Bedding, kitchen supplies, and a bible. The lady grabbed the Bible and hugged it tightly telling us of all the things she'd loss, she missed her bible the most.Sunday's sermon was based on Prov. 17:17- A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Johanna preached an emotional sermon about the needs to love & connect with others...not just be friends on Facebook. And the importance of being brothers to all especially in these tough times. She used Rog & I as examples pointing out our example had encourage d Bob, Elsi, Ben, Sarah & Julie to come to help also. It was humbling & brought tears to my eyes...& Rog & Ben's too. Since it was our last Sunday, she asked us to speak. Rog read what he'd written earlier: Puerto Rico Proud. I talked about the love we'd felt & the privilege it was to join them for a short time in their work to rebuild. As always , joyful & heartfelt music filled the church throughout the service.Once again, lunch was delivered to us so we were well fed before taking off to put a bedroom set together for a young girl & her widowed mom. Ben cleverly invited the young girl who was playing on her phone to help and soon she was happily using the screw driver & hammer. Ben is the son of two teachers! Next the boys pulled out the chain saw & fallen & broken trees were cut up & hauled away. I again was picking up trash... how many trash bags have I filled??? I didn't mind filling them but I sure hated dragging them past their 8 dogs to get to the curb! We had enough time to stop by a beach to pick up coral pieces before sundown & then stopped for dinner. When we got back, the boys played a game of cribbage & I taught Alice how to play Bananagram. She's hooked...played for two hours. Guess I'll have to leave it here for her.I've been slowly emptying the extra suitcase that I brought full of games, art supplies, toys & books. It's fun to see the smiles these gifts bring!
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