what I did for my spring vacation

[Dave]

Last summer God put it on my heart to go over to the Carlton Complex fire area and help with the restoration. I had worked on a ranch over there years ago and hunted over there in the Methow for years. My idea was to go help rebuild some of the 800+ miles of fence that burned down. The fire covered over 250,000 acres. Burnt 800 structures including over 300 homes of which over half weren't insured. Well my little idea got blown way up. Last week there was 56 people in my "little Group". We took three excavators (30,000 pound machines), three dump trucks, three tractors, and a bobcat. We tore out/cleaned up 9 burnt up homes, planted a bunch of trees, and rebuilt a mile and a half of fence.
I guarantee that no matter what you did last week, we had more fun and it was more rewarding. People were amazed that we would drive 5 hours to spend a week helping people who we didn't know.

 

[Caustic Burno]

That is pretty cool.
I spend more time working on my two neighbors places than my own.
My wife says it is like watching the three stooges in slow motion .
Says she is still trying to figure out which one is Crippled, Lame and Dementia.

 

[greybeard]

Good work Dave!!! :tiphat:

 

[melking]

That is beyond cool, Dave. I have been a Habitat for Humanity volunteer for 20 years and I am proud to say that my son is beginning to do the same. You are right, you never know how good you can feel until you help someone else up.

 

[gus2121]

:clap: :clap:
Awesome what you have done. I enjoy helping friends and neighbors. Helped my mother in law build a lot of new fence this weekend. Then someone told me that I didn't need to make an idol out her place and have my 3 year old outside with me with all the pollen. There is always somebody that can come up with a negative. It just makes me feel good to help.

 

[Dave]

That is beyond cool, Dave. I have been a Habitat for Humanity volunteer for 20 years and I am proud to say that my son is beginning to do the same. You are right, you never know how good you can feel until you help someone else up.

Sunday at church the pastor talked about the possibility of building a new house for one of those who lost their home. It is a big enough church that we have every one of the trades covered. It would basically be three day weekends. Foundation one week, frame it the next week, etc. It would be a smallish house but a bunch better than staying in a tent.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

:clap: :clap:
Awesome what you have done. I enjoy helping friends and neighbors. Helped my mother in law build a lot of new fence this weekend. Then someone told me that I didn't need to make an idol out her place and have my 3 year old outside with me with all the pollen. There is always somebody that can come up with a negative. It just makes me feel good to help.

They got to learn sometime. My two year old builds fence with me. He is good at carrying t post clips, but not worth a hoot with a post driver.

 

[MO_cows]

You have a good heart! I'm sure it lifted the spirits of those people more than you knew. We had a tornado in our closest town last year, the volunteers who came in and helped with cleaning up an overwhelming amount of downed trees and debris made such a difference.

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Matthew 25 35-40

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

You are truly Blessed Dave!!

 

[Dave]

The whole process leading up to this trip was absolutely amazing to see. Every time a road block was put in our way it was simply brushed aside. There is a lot of logistics to taking 56 people that far from home. Housing, food, and diesel for the equipment were probably the biggest of them. But the Lord provided. And after a little rest and recovery time everyone is ready to go back and do it again.
I know that I hit a wall when I got back. From 10:00 pm on Saturday when I got back until 5:00 this morning I slept 22.5 of the 37 hours. I don't think I have ever slept that much but we were really running on emotion while over there.

 

[Hook]

That's very cool Dave. We need more people like you in this world.

 

[Deepsouth]

Dave, I tell you what that's a great thing to do. I live about 30 miles east of the eye path of Hurricane Katrina and only about 35 miles off the coast. I have seen unimaginable damage but I've also seen unimaginable help from people like you. I can tell you this as most people in disaster area's can it's not government that provides the most or best help, although they try to take credit for it, its volunteers that help the most. Thanks for what you and your group did to help. I can guarantee you that it was felt. :tiphat:

 

[TexasBred]

Great job....need more to volunteer. Still can't imagine why anyone would live in a house and not insure it though.

 

[Jogeephus]

Good job Dave! You know when people see people do stuff like you did it tends to be contagious. Hope it spreads like the plague.

 

[Dave]

Great job....need more to volunteer. Still can't imagine why anyone would live in a house and not insure it though.

A number of these people and I think the majority of the uninsured live a ways back in the hills. Off the grid and away from other people and certainly away from the government. They weren't a very trusting bunch. They were burnt by the fire and then burnt by the government. When we would first show up on a site they were very withdrawn. If we were there for two days there was certainly a difference in them the second day. There was more than one tearful good bye when we pulled out to go the next site.

 

[Williamsv]

That was a great thing for you to do. More of us need to be helping others and the world would be a better place. God bless you.

 

[cow pollinater]

God bless you, Dave. I feel like I'm being guided. I'm going to be getting out of the dairy side of things in the near future and I've run into four or five people(including you) that I really respect that have given the bulk of their time to using their talents to help others without pay and I'm starting to think that needs to be me here in a year or so.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Good stuff, sounds like alot of fun.

 

[cowmilker]

:clap:

 

[Alan]

Great deeds Dave! :tiphat: