We were exhausted, hot, sweaty, and covered in dirt. And yet, there were smiles all around.

When we arrived three days earlier, the fun of the "road trip" quickly dissipated as folks faced for the first time the reality of the monumental task before us: branches, brush, and human-sized weeds strewn across the landscape. Dilapidated buildings, many with boarded up windows, and old rusty cars filled the rest of the space. Most of us had never witnessed such a challenging scenario.

Yet, there we were three days later, physically spent, yet feeling an incredible sense of exhilaration. We were empowered and emboldened by the amazing way God had worked through us to come together to accomplish what, at one point, felt impossible. God was made known to us and through us to others as we used the gifts that God had given us.

By Brian Prior from D365