Teamwork

Lola does a great job scraping

 Our ladies' team of three has finished its first project- painting a set of bleachers in Western Town.

Behind the bleachers, bunk beds hide in the covered wagons

Barbie paints where she can reach

It took us seven mornings.  Sometimes we had to wait for the dew, and even frost, to disappear.  It was the first time I had applied paint with a roller. Fun!  The last morning was so hot, I just couldn't finish the last step, near the ground, where Lola had scraped the dirt away with a hoe.  Terry rescued me after his work, when most of the bleachers were in the shade.
Our next project is sewing an awning for the zip line, high above the platform. The men were working on these uprights, to hold up the modified trusses.

Lola's husband, Roy, on the ladder

Around here, awnings cover many of the playground activities, as the gigantic live oak trees don't extend everywhere to create shade.
Last month, some of the ladies sewed heavy coverings for the gables of cabins, for the space covered by screening, to make them warmer for winter use.

 This job really involves teamwork.  The vinyl is so heavy, two ladies are needed to lift it as another sews.  I had the privilege of sewing one of the gable pieces that went on the back.  The biggest challenge was getting a grip on the vinyl, and sewing in a straight line; it bothered my perfectionism  that my stitching wavered all over the place.
  "No one will see it, they're not going to inspect it," they told me.
 We were nervous about using the heavy-duty industrial sewing machine. The other SOWERs from last month had moved on, and a resident  at Indian Hills who understood the machine was having surgery that morning, and wasn't around to advise us.  Only Lola remained, but she hadn't actually used the machine.
As I was sewing a hem on this new project, the bobbin somehow jammed and the wheel wouldn't turn.  Lifting up the machine to inspect the underside, I saw that it looked familiar, and started to  fiddle with and reposition the bobbin pieces. Just a piece of  stray thread   The bobbin casing was just like the one on my Bernina at home.  God is so good.  Lola later told me it didn't look anything like her sewing machine.
I now have a deeper appreciation of the value of all the experiences in our lives, that prepare us for something else we may have to do later.
What is hard to imagine is how our life experiences, and our reactions to them, are actually preparing us for our "jobs" in eternity.