Baby, it's cold outside..

Well, it's officially winter here in central Kentucky. As most of you are experiencing, it's cold! We've had a few snows, which is a little more than I usually get. I also am learning to be careful when driving in my big truck. I've done more spinning on the ice and going up these hills than I have since I've been here!

With the ice and cold come people who need assistance with home repair and heating, so I've done several "Emergency Home Improvements" (EHI's) in January. I really enjoy these since I actually get to do home visits and spend time with these participants, and most are very appreciative. Over the last few weeks, CAP has helped several families with roof cement or tar or flashing (so many names which are all foreign to me!), as well as insulation and even buying a heater. We helped another woman purchase materials for a new roof as hers is leaking (another common problem when the ice and snow hits). Other than that, I have continued organizing around the office...and thankfully I've made alot of progress! Although we're very thankful for the many donations, I'm glad I have been able to finally go through all the boxes and actually discover more unopened gifts! Hopefully, I'll be able to provide clothing for many other families throughout the winter!

In other news, my weekends have been busy. We celebrated my birthday along with 2 of my housemates' birthdays--Kim and Jessica--by going line dancing in Lexington. The dancers were very experienced, but we still had a good time trying to keep up. It was nice to see many of the volunteers from other houses, including several from the "east side." This last weekend, a group of us ventured to Mammoth Cave (about 2 hours west from us). We took a historical tour through part of the cave system and had a great time--the cave (which stays around 54 degrees) was actually warmer than it was outside! Then we made a trip to the mall in Bowling Green--a rare treat for our group (although not so much fun when you're not earning a salary)! Overall, we had an enjoyable time caving and hanging out with the other volunteers...I am so blessed by the people I live and work alongside...and am very thankful for each of them.

I apologize for the lapse in blogging but will try much harder to keep it up! Please keep me in your prayers I begin to explore options for my next path when I finish my year in August.