4/5ths in May

It was another beautiful day in Western Loudoun County, and the perfect time for a "little" yard work. Last 4/5ths we partnered with a family to help them tackle their property. But at the end of two days, we'd just scratched the surface of the yard work. So this month, we met with our family again and spent some time tackling the fence. It had become overgrown with a little too much wildlife.

Here, Tom and Lesa are consulting. Tom brought the heavy machinery, mowed the lawn, and helped haul away branches and trimmings.

... and some of the crew trimming, cutting, untangling...

And of course, one of our talented worship leaders... he sings AND trims...

The Back Story & the Story Going Forward

The Back Story:
There were a number of reservations about taking on this project. First, was the enormity of the project. Second, is that the property is not owned by the family but leased. It was Sue Derrow who reminded us that we are not only making this location more livable for the family, but we all own the earth and this project is making the planet a better place for all of us.

So the cleanup commenced.

The & Story:
We all met the family on Saturday and got to hear about our young man's plans for technical school in the fall. We also heard about his fears of being homesick. His honesty and conversation reminded us that this work site is home, and we were honored to be invited there.

And over the course of two days so many neighbors cruised by filled with curiosity.

On Sunday, most of us didn't get to see our hostess, but Laura was there when she came home. Our hostess took a stunned step out of her car asking, "What happened here?" Laura responded, "Crossroads happened here." Rumor has it that our hostess has been spotted outside much more often, walking the yard. "I just love being out here now, it's so beautiful. I want to get some grass seed, maybe plant some flowers. I want to stay out here. I just can't believe how good it looks."

The Story Going Forward:
I don't know if we can believe it either, but I'm sure we'll be back to help with those flowers and listen to school plans.

On the way home was a beautiful rainbow stretching across the sky... a reminder of God's promises to us and the perfecting ending to our weekend.

Day 2

Driving up to our 4/5ths project, we were struck with pride over all we were able to accomplish yesterday with the help of the family but ahead of us were new steps forward.

With the help of some new faces, the front yard received a much needed facelift: clearing weeds, cutting back overgrown brush and

raking away leaves.

While our new hero, Adam, directed a hard working team on some house projects.

This project has been so much more than just us, so much more than just doing something good. It's been two days of worshiping with our hands, backs and hearts, and we don't expect it to be the end. We're listening and looking forward to how we might be together and in relationship with our new-found family going forward.

Before and After

Before:

The crew hard at work:

After:

Mission Overview

Hear about the mission from our fearless leader, Laura Redmon...

When Laura said, "rain or shine," she meant it. Spared from an all out rainstorm, a little drizzle couldn't stop the 12 people determined to make a difference in the life of one western Loudoun family.

In the words of one servant, we "put the hurt on" over 2.5 tons of trash helping to improve living conditions for the family. It was a long day of some intense work, but you can see and feel the difference.




It wasn't just a day of work but a day to connect. Everyone on site has met this family personally, heard some of their story and even heard some of their dreams for the future as we picked up, hauled and sorted the day's work.

And to conclude a wonderful day, here are some meaningful (and not so meaningful) words and thoughts from Tony Derrow and the crew.