It rained tonight! … For about thirty seconds. Long enough to get the newly-lacquered bunk beds wet, but not really enough to cool things down. Most of us have noticed, though, that it’s either getting cooler or we’re getting used to the heat. Probably the latter. Don't be surprised if we're asking to have the Worship Center air conditioning turned down this Sunday!

Harbor House and the Maternity Center

Jo and another nurse spent the day at the Heartline Maternity Center, helping the staff there with the new mothers, weighing the babies, taking pulses and other help. Heartline supports a number of mothers through their pregnancy and maternity. Jen and Kimberly, our other two nurses, will help pregnant mothers on Thursday.

Heartline’s Harbor House is a center for teen mothers with young children. They offer the mothers and children sanctuary as well as training and education. The organization has been trying to push this facility toward self-sufficiency, with the tilapia pond, chicken coops in the back and a rooftop garden.

We have a small group working at this building repairing and repainting cabinets, patching the roof (as we mentioned yesterday), painting interior ceilings and exterior walls and other odd jobs. We got back a bit late today when Tom got a little over-ambitious dealing with the kitchen sink. Yes, they would need to use it tonight.

Chasing the Rat

On Monday, Sammi calmly walked up to a group playing cards in the common room to let them know that she had just seen a rat crossing from under the oven to under the fridge. A few brave souls got up to see what they could do about this new problem. Tim loaded up a trap with peanut butter and set it under the kitchen table.

A few people reported seeing the rat through the evening, and, finally, late at night, we heard a loud SNAP! The next morning, the trap was sprung, the peanut butter gone—but no rat!

Our hosts set a better trap on Tuesday with no better results. So, at what point does a pest become a mascot?

Chicken “Pahts”

Lifetree director John kept telling us Saturday about a great deal they had gotten on chicken parts. Or, as he says it in his thick Boston accent, chicken “pahts.”

They have been getting good use out of that chicken. So far, we've had grilled and butter chicken at John's, chicken and rice with fried akra (a beet-like root), barbecue chicken and, tonight, bean and chicken chili.

Up and Down the River

The big game that we've been playing is called "Up and Down the River", a variation on spades. Tonight’s game involved fourteen people—it got a bit confusing. Confusing enough that our card sharks, Jeannie and Adam, came in last. And Nikolai, who played a very conservative game, ended up winning.

Two Bowls of Chili

Janelle was distressed to learn that her bunk-mate, RoxAnn, had two bowls of tonight's bean and chicken chili.

“Hesed” is a Hebrew word that means “kindness”, “mercy”, “loyalty”, “loving-kindness” or “steadfastness.” It’s the way God intends us to live together—a “love your neighbor as yourself”, active, selfless, sacrificial, caring-for-one-another brand of living contradictory to our fallen natures. The “Heseders” are continually looking to work together to share some small measure of God’s extraordinary love. Won’t you join us?