Today was the last work day, and there were two major projects to finish. First, we needed to get the roof fully decked and covered with tar paper, to ensure it would not leak if it rained. Gilbert and Jose plan to finish the shingling effort by themselves next week, so we needed to leave the roof in as good of shape as possible. Second, the kitchen furbish project still had a ways to go, and needed to be operational before leaving.
A few team members needed to leave today and departed before lunch. The rest of the team stayed with the kids at camp (not sure who had the more difficult job!). They made a lunch trip to Sonic, visited the team working at the church, and stopped at the Mission Tribal Center to get Apache tee-shirts.
The workers at the church were treated to Sonic burgers for lunch, and homemade meat pies for dinner made by Jose's wife.
As the day wore on, it became more and more apparent it was going to be a late night. Although everyone was pretty much exhausted, the evening brought some welcome relief from the heat. When the sun set completely, lights were put up on the roof. Meanwhile work continued in the kitchen.
At about 2 a.m., the last bundle of shingles was brought up on the roof (fortunately using a hoist!). The shingles were spread in locations across the roof to make it easier for Jose and Gilbert to lay the shingles next week. After gathering tools, cleaning up a bit, and taking some pictures, the roof crew headed back to 'tent city' to get some much needed sleep. Richard stayed behind to finish up the kitchen work, and arrived back at the campground sometime before daylight.
It was a hard journey, but the Lord certainly blessed us all along the way, enabling us to forge ahead and complete our work. The Apache Church will now be able to continue serving the community with wonderful meals, fellowship, and the message of God's grace for all. Praise God!
