Our First Build Day

Suffolk, Va. 5/18/08

Today was our first build day, and it was awesome. We got the chance to meet two great people. Angela and Frank are the founders of a small affordable housing organization here in Suffolk. They have been our surrogate parents of Suffolk. Angela and Frank have either cooked, bought, or obtained donated meals for every b-fast, lunch and dinner we've had in Suffolk. In the morning, Frank had three projects set up for us, so we split into 3 different groups. My group was headed to the "chainsaw site." It was called the chainsaw site, because we would end up clearing about 2 dumptruck loads of brush, stumps, trash, and dirt with primarily chainsaws and manpower. Colin and Nathan joined in my group along with about 6-7 other guys and 1 girl, Anne. Anne would get to know a slightly more vulgar side of all of the guys who considered her "one of the guys." I would end up tweaking my ankle again slightly, so I worked on chainsaw maintenance until lunch. Lunch was great, hotdogs and fixin's @ Angela and Frank's house. A few of us stayed behind at the house after lunch and helped out with chores, took naps, and ICED OUR ANKLES. We are staying at the Suffolk YMCA tonight, which has been gracious enough to open up all of their facilities to us. All of us are getting to know each other very well, this is such an amazing group of people.