Happy Monday friends!
Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
I realized last night that I wrote about going to work at our church last weekend, but never posted pics.
It was an absolutely beautiful day in Alberta City despite the fact that nothing looks as it did 2 1/2 weeks ago. In fact, on our way to church last Saturday, University Blvd (the street where our church is located) was closed, so the hubs and I had to wind through the neighborhoods off of University to get to our destination.
Shouldn't have been a big deal, but it was.
We got lost.
Twice.
With no street signs, landmarks, or HOUSES left on some of the streets, even going to a place we've driven to for 23 years,
we got lost.
This was my first time to see our church and the surrounding area in person.
looking across the street
DeeDee and some of the volunteers from Indian Lake Baptist in Tuscaloosa. There was also a large group from Birmingham and a large group from Louisiana. I was overwhelmed at the amount of volunteers that came to help.
this is the fellowship hall that was used to hold boxes and furniture as they were moved from other areas. Just two weeks earlier, it looked like this-
during a spaghetti supper/ dessert auction for our children's ministry. Remember that Alabama/Auburn cake??
so grateful for the hot meals that were delivered
see what I mean about a gorgeous day? Volunteers and church members enjoying a well-deserved lunch break on the lawn...
and in the parking lot.
some of the volunteers went out into the surrounding neighborhoods to cut trees/move debris
The cornerstone of our sanctuary-
Our church actually dates back several decades before this but the current sanctuary was built in 1950.
Two groups cooked all day in the parking lot, serving volunteers and members of the community.
Have you ever seen a bigger tarp? Perhaps only on a ball field...
Amid the piles of rubble, I found a pew envelope welcoming me to Alberta Baptist...
and though it's difficult to see, that's actually a daily bible reading sheet.
Oh how I wish I could hug each and every person who helped cover the windows with plywood, and cleaned our parking lot, and packed boxes, and made 11 round trips to UNLOAD those boxes. Oh how I'd love to thank whomever it was that offered our church a 5,000 sq foot warehouse for free for as long as we need it to store the contents of our church buildings. How grateful I am for those men who went out into the neighborhoods and removed trees from our church members houses, and their neighbors houses, and THEIR neighbors houses. Words can't express the gratitude I have for the staff and members at Open Door Baptist who have been so incredibly true to their name and opened their doors to us from day one. How wonderful it is to still be able to meet as a church family, especially now when it is so desperately needed.
Blessed.
That's the word that keeps coming to mind.
God Bless you friends-
Happy Monday!
