Today marks day one of gutting homes. We had a "house gutting 101" class before we went out, then we just went out and got to work. When we got the house, there was stuff everywhere–piles of sheetrock and plaster and board. There was not even one square foot of space on the floor to walk. Our job was to take everything down to the studs so that they could begin the rebuilding process–take out all personal items, appliances, sinks, toilets, walls, carpet, everything!

One of the best parts about the work today was getting to interact with the homeowner, her daughters and her grandson. She came into the house to personally hug us and thank us for all our hard work. I couldn't imagine the mix of joy and sorrow she felt as she walked through her house and relived the many memories yet the place was stripped bare. One person on our team had the chance to pray for her too. We were so blessed to see the joy and hope on their faces–they talked and laughed with us for about a half hour. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds.