Hardee County FL – RV – 7-13, 2024

Happy New Year from the Hardee County RV site.  The volunteers have all arrived in Zolfo Springs, except for Karen, who is still in Canada in the hospital.  She had another surgery after returning home for Christmas and is now recuperating there.  Fred (PD) and Millie from Alabama, and Ed and Ruth (OM) from Kansas, arrived on Wednesday, January 3.  Thursday morning, we joined the volunteers in Arcadia for breakfast – it was good to reconnect with, as well as meet new, volunteers.  Fred and Ed spent the afternoon getting acquainted with the current jobsites and Ruth worked in the office.  The rest of the group arrived on Friday, Saturday and throughout the week of January 8.  Current volunteers are Jim and Eleanor from Ontario, Ray and Mim from PA, Trish from CO, Dave from Saskatchewan, and Lee and Kath from Manitoba, have returned for two weeks.

We worked all week at Pam’s home – plumbing, insulating, drywalling; installed a fan light and shower base in the bathroom and installed a rear door.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, a crew of 8 volunteers from the Arcadia site worked with us – a lot of progress was made in Pam’s house.  On Thursday, Ray and Lee moved to the new build on Tangerine St. to work on plumbing and prepared for insulation to begin.  It was a good first week!  We ended the work week with a potluck supper of haystacks on Thursday evening.  It was a good time of learning to know each other better!

We worshipped with the Pine Creek Chapel congregation (where the Arcadia traditional site is located) on both Sundays since we arrived.  We joined them for their fellowship dinner on January 7, but this past Sunday, our volunteers ate together at a restaurant in Arcadia.  Another opportunity to become more acquainted with all the members of the team.

To our surprise, and disappointment, it has been cool and rainy – we are beginning to wonder if we are truly in Florida!  And then, we discuss information we have received from family and friends in our home areas, and we are indeed thankful for the 56 degrees we had on Sunday!  We are anticipating a little more warmth in the coming weeks.

Ruth for the Hardee Co RV team

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