Power Tools

Youth Group Work Camp!

Recap of their presentation on April 11

The work camp in 2009 was centered in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area, where a levee broke and the Iowa River flooded the town. The water reached up to the floor of the second story – about 11 feet. The town was at 33% of normal population. Most of the houses were gutted. The high school had been closed.

Our youth group stayed with a youth group from Michigan. Accommodations for the leaders were interesting: one slept on the altar; another slept in the closet.

The work: installing drywall, removing old siding, putting on new siding, and inside work. Note that they did an excellent job putting up drywall around a circular window. Some overcame their fear of heights, working on scaffolding up above the second story. Yikes!

Audience asked questions –

Q. What makes you go to work camp summer after summer?

- the kids who go to work camp are my friends.

- my parents don’t let me use power tools at home

- the work makes me feel good about working

-cats

Q. What were you surprised at?

- the level of destruction caused by the flooding

Q. What interaction did you have with the homeowners?

- The homeowner worked alongside our crew all week.

- they gave us food all the time. Like brownies.

- Ralph was about 68-70 years old