Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Cassie Oliver from Methodist Theological School in Ohio, representing St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Charleston:

“Today is our last day here on the island. This week has been one of the best times that I have had. We have seen life breathed back into a school that will be used now for mission team housing as well as other ministries that the church can do!

I just finished reading Dorothy Day for school and one of her general themes to live like Christ is Radical Hospitality. I have seen this displayed over and over again this last week. The welcoming congregation of Primera Iglesia Presbyterian in Aguada, with the food and the help in all the work we did. These people on the island are just so lovely and amazing people. We had a common saying that kept coming up all week, ‘it is normal’ but nothing about this week has been normal. We had 8 people representing 6 Churches throught the presbytery.

Just wanted to thank the churches in the presbytery that have prayed and supported this team and the work we have done. Now to head back to the 20° in Ohio.”

Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Holly Horsman from Palmetto Presbyterian Church:

“Today was our last work day and the improvements are startling. Even so. with all the painting, scraping, pressure washing, sweeping, bulldozing, I wish there was another team ready to come in on Monday and push the project forward. The neighborhood has noticed that something positive is happening and we have been stopped and thanked repeatedly. This property has such potential.

After lunch we headed off to Crash Beach for a much needed break…palm trees and blue water

We have been so well taken care of by the faithful members of the Presbyterian Church of Aguada who have worked beside us, fed us, thanked us. Many have visited and/or lived in the States but choose to live in Puerto Rico happily, but maybe with less of the things I take for granted. They are people of faith.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to return to Aguada and stay on this property while working on another project?

Tomorrow we start the journey home. God is so good!”

Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Allison Hubbard from James Island Presbyterian Church:

“As Jeff said, it was Groundhog Day. Today was more of the same – painting, scraping, and pressure washing. It is incredible to see what a difference we have made in just three days! The dirty beige walls of the school are the whitest white you’ve ever seen, where there were layers of peeling pain hanging there is… less, and the gazillion miles of railing is about halfway done. While there is still so much to do, the school already has made a huge transformation. Danielle from PDA visited and was very excited to see the progress. Catherine and Cassie went to a prayer breakfast this morning where they sang songs and prayed with locals from the congregation. The congregation thanked them numerous times for coming to help them! We also have survived our first waterless day, and we did it without whining. However, we are looking to a good night’s rest and having water in the morning!”

Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Catherine Byrd, First (Scots) and CAP Stated Clerk:

“Yesterday we heard from “Pastor Danille” the disaster coordinator for the Presbyterio del Noroeste, and Raisa, the administrator of the Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana en Aguada where we are working. Tom reported in yesterday’s blog how the school on the church property was damaged by Maria and is no longer viable as a school in the current economic climate anyhow. Clearly there is much interest in the neighborhood about activity on the long unused site. Bobby and I were asked about it several times as we painted portions of the outside wall.

It’s a big wall! Wall part II on Wednesday.
While we painted the wall, Allison, Holly, Antonio, Cassie and Tom painted a gazillion yards of iron railing. Only another gazillion yards to go! Allison also stood on a scaffold and scraped paint off a damaged ceiling.

Our fearless leader, Jeff, ran the power washer, constantly. I suspect he is having a blast.

We have water for Jeff to blast because the church is allowing us to use their reserve tanks. On days where there is not municpal water, this means no water to flush toilets in el bano. At the end of the day today they filled up trash cans with water and placed them in the bathroom. Wednesday will be a waterless day.

Why no water? The hurricane damaged a dam which only now is under repair. More than a year and a half later recovery continues.”

Today’s CAP Mission Team blogger is Tom Thornton from Summerville Presbyterian Church:

“Monday, we went to the church outside of Aguada and started our project. A lady from the NW Puerto Rico Presbytery explained that we would be helping with repairs to the adjacent school that the church used to run. It was an elementary school that once had an enrollment of 400. About seven years ago there was an economic depression when the territory was unable to pay its bills because it was too deep in debt. This led to the emigration of many skilled people who had lost their jobs. Over several years the enrollment of the school shrank to 80, and they had to close the school. After Hurricane Maria the emigration has continued. The school building was severely damaged by the hurricane so has not been in use. They have decided to use the facility as a center for community services after repairs are made. They are remodeling several of the first flight rooms as offices for these agencies. The PDA has approved the project, this is what we are helping with. This morning we removed acoustic tiles from the ceilings of the second floor rooms and moved furniture from the first floor rooms to the second floor. This afternoon we pressure washed walkways and walls and scraped and painted metal handrails.”

Elders from the church volunteer their time to work with the CAP team

The CAP Mission Team arrived safely in Puerto Rico on Saturday.  They spent Sunday meeting the pastor and members of Iglesia Presbiteriana en Levittown.

They also visited the Iglesia Presbiteriana in Old San Juan following a boat ride with a lovely view.