Today was our first day of mission work. Fourteen of us worked for Brothers Redevelopment, Inc., an organization we have worked with on previous mission trips to Denver. From March to September each year, BRI has a goal of painting 100 homes for seniors and those with disabilities. Every home that has been painted must meet a series of needs-related criteria. Our group ended up scraping and painting an entire house, except for trim work, which will be done by another group. The high today reached 102, so we spent a lot of time encouraging each other to drink water and not over do.

We came back, cleaned up, and 6 of us went on to help out at the Salvation Army Lambuth Family Center. The Family Center houses about 20 families. On Monday evenings after dinner, there is a mandatory parent meeting and we helped entertain the children during the parent meeting.

Our other group of 6 started out helping sort and fold clothing and shoes at the ARC Thrift Stores. ARC collects donations and sells donated items to raise money to promote inclusion and self-sufficiency programs for those with developmental disabilities. The group also went to Arch Housing: Irving & Raritan. Archdiocesan Housing runs several affordable housing programs in the Denver Metro Area. During the summer, lunch and dinner are provided for the children in these communities. The meal is followed by educational and recreational programming, which is what our volunteers participated in.

It was really hot here today and doesn't promise to get much cooler for the rest of the week. However, we accomplished a lot and are feeling good about giving of our time and talents.  Thanks again for your prayers and support.