Building Bridges

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

Yesterday, more than 220 volunteers reached out to our community. We were dispersed to various sites in neighboring towns to spruce up backyards, clear clutters, paint houses, clean gutters, repair roofs, and fix plumbing! Others stayed inside the church to create care packages for troops overseas, paint vases for the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days, take care of young kids, and prepare lunch bags for those people who were working outside. Building Bridges is the name of this annual church event.

Our team was assigned the task of clearing out the back yard of a house. We had no problem finding the right house: people were already cutting and pulling tall weeds in the front. We could hardly open the side gate which was filled with thorny blue berry vines on the other side. Encouraged by each other's enthusiasm and the emerging ground under our feet, we attacked the monumental task a little bit at a time. Once we could walk through the side yard, some of us advanced to the jungle in the back. For hours, we wielded shears, rakes and clippers to help spruce up the yards around the house. We filled two giant dumpsters with weeds, yard clippings and other clutters from the porch.

It was hard labor and very tiring. But Our hearts are still filled with gratitude that we could share God's love in action.

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