Please Start!

I get a phone call last week saying that our short bus is having some issues and won't start! So, yesterday I was able to get our mechanic department, also know as Ernie Johns, to the bus to get it in driving shape. We paid a total of $1,300 for it early last year, and it has turned out to be a good investment. However, anytime you pay $1,300 you can't count on it to run forever!

So, a majority of my day went to fixing the bus, or should I say "supervising" Ernie get the bus going. It took a couple of hours to even get the batteries charged to get it started the first time. Than we set off for the local Carquest to make sure the batteries were still good. They were put out a good charge, but when we shut it off it wouldn't start back up. We (Ernie) than decided that there was too much starter drag and changed out the starter in the Carquest parking lot. I have always heard stories of these types of things happening, but never part of it. The bus immediately started right up! I was excited that the bus was back in action!

I drove the bus back to our building, and started to back it in to it's parking spot when all of the sudden it started driving funny! One of the caliper's clips broke and now we had to fix that. After H.O.P.E at the 302 we went back out to the bus, and Ernie was able to get a new caliper on! If you look closely at the picture on the right you will see two people. One is Ernie and the other is his son, Keegan, who is 3. He was right there beside his dad saying "What is that?" or "How does that work?" It was awesome! I can see 20 years in the future, and it will be Keegan as our new mechanic department at The Lot Project.

So, that was my day, and I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our volunteers just like Ernie and Keegan, who God has given gifts to use. With out you willing to give your time and talents things would never be where they are today!

Keeping going!

There are times when doing the things that we are doing really take a toll on you. However, when you receive emails like this one from someone who comes to HOPE at the 302 it makes everything worth it, and gives you the drive to keep going! Here is what she had to say:

"OH! How I love Jesus!!! I had no plans yest to go to the Lot. My friend that volunteers there came by and reminded me I could go yest to get some clothes for my son. My husband and I are divorcing after 25 yrs of marriage. He has wanted a divorce since he began dating a woman. He moved in with her in July. Our 12 year old son was devastated and it's been the most painful time we have ever experienced. I had been thinking that I needed to get my son involved in a service organization. I decided to stop by The Lot and look for 2 shirts for my son. Well, Praise the Lord Kat told me I could help serve. My son and I signed up. Some boys came in that looked my son's age. My son said, "Mom, I'm not getting anything for me until they get what they want". OH!!!!! Praise Jesus Christ for that experience last night for both of us. We've had our minds so fixed on our pain and helping those people find clothes made us FEEL GREAT! If it's the Lord's will, we will come next Mon and Tues. I attend the Sanctuary of Praise Pentecostal church here in Anderson. I'm going to ask my church for donations. I will pray for you, the volunteers, and the people that come. It was a pleasure to meet you."