teaching our kids to WORK!

There are many things I love about my church.  But, one of my absolute favorite things is that when someone asks for help, we help.  Not just help, but show up in droves to HELP!

A man in our church, who is dealing with some health issues, reached out for some help at his home.  Several large trees had fallen on his property, some with the recent ice storms, and he didn't have the physical ability to cut them up and move them out of the way.  

So, what do you get when you ask our Life Connection class to bring some tools and trucks?  You get about 6 or 7 chainsaws (I lost count!), a log splitter, about 10 leaf blowers, 30+ rakes, and LOTS of people who show up ready to work!  

You also get several work trucks ready to haul the wood around.

And, you get LOTS of noise!  

It's pretty funny, because when you get in this kind of environment, you can see the testosterone oozing. Guys throwing on their safety glasses and starting their power tools.  

Did I mention that this was a FAMILY work day?  Women and children were encouraged to come and help.  LOVE this!

We had them raking leaves, carrying branches to the burn pile, picking up sticks...they loved every minute of it! 

This was the burn pile shortly after we started working.  It quickly grew, and grew, and grew...

And, before we knew it, we started to see some real progress. 

We told Levi where we were going and why we were helping and didn't have to tell him twice to get busy working.  He threw on gloves, safety glasses and was ready to pitch in.  I love his helping heart. 

Maggie was a big helper, too.  She enjoyed trying to rake leaves.  ;-)

After the trees were all cut up, the kids found a giant root that became their fort.  They were in heaven.

Maggie found something she liked waaay better than working.  Eating snacks.  Ha!  My child for sure!

And, she also liked playing with one of the dogs that was roaming around.  (I'm honestly not sure what is up with her "Elvis" smile.  Crazy kid!)

Just a little of the progress:

Love these people and their servant hearts.