#joyfullyflexible Day 3

Our last day of service has us in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood - midway between Minneapolis and St. Paul. There's another "mix up" on the schedule and our host is delayed in arriving. It’s all good – we take a fun #joyfullyflexible photo and the team leaves to explore the neighborhood.

John Hutton is great when we finally get to meet him and hear his story. The building (formerly Knox Presbyterian Church, now Knox International Center) is a blessing from God – literally because someone paid for it in cash for him to steward for God's purposes. The vision is tremendous – international student dorms, Christian Montessori school, international student piano lessons, another church renter, New City of Nations Church (5 countries elder board, 12 country congregation including some Somalis). 

Then another change of plans. Painting/landscaping turns into demolition. Everyone is excited cause demo is cool! But wait, demo is hard. Demo is dirty. Demo is labor intensive. Demo is a disaster to clean up when you are done. And we are starting 1 1/2 hours later than expected. 

The dust is FLYING and before long, the room is a disaster. Looking around at the debris it is difficult to consider how we can complete this job by the time we are supposed to leave. Admittedly - I had a panic moment and started considering who I could call to come back tomorrow to help me finish. 

In the middle of the mess we have to stop for a lunch break. John shares more and answers questions. By now it is 1:15 and we have 1 hour to clean up all the mess the kids have made and there appears to be NO way to complete this task! Absolutely no way. Plus, the work outside needs completed in the same timeframe.

Somehow in the tired, post-lunch lethargy, the team dug deep and God provided them the ability to keep at it with the goal in sight. Check back in - the debris is about half cleaned up and we have 15 minutes left. Not the best, but at least we are not a total loss for John. Back outside to help and encourage the girls to keep at it.

Check back in at 2:20 and WHAT!? The place is immaculate! No debris anywhere! We give them a standing O. How in the world did they do that? It had to be divine intervention.

We closed our first Speed BUMP at the High Street Bridge, praying over the city of St. Paul with Pastor Bryan, hopefully returning home with new "eyes to see and ears to hear."

Speed BUMP 2014 is in the books.