Maybe that's why it's a good thing I don't own one. Ha..
But yes, I am currently helping dad remodel our house here in the U.S. so that it is suitable for renters again. The last renters just left and they absolutely trashed the place... It is infested with cockroaches, there are several leaks in the ceiling, so there is roofing to be done and we're also having to tear out all of the carpet and lots of the flooring, the windows are coming apart, the doors had to be replaced, the appliances were all trashed (refrigerators, oven, dishwasher), almost all the gutters had to be replaced, we had to re-do all the plumbing and most of the electrical wiring, and the place needs re-painting... And we thought it might only need 2 weeks of touch-up work before we saw the place... I included a few pictures.
The living room....as we found it when we walked in the front door for the first time after the renters left...
The basement....as we found it.. And you can't see it in the picture, but the rug was damp and there was definitely hard dog poop on it in various places that had never been cleaned up...
The reason the plumbing had to all be replaced....the pipes were completely clogged...
This is the master bedroom. The white spot on the floor is where their bed was - that was the *original* color of the carpet throughout the house when they moved in. How does that even happen?? And notice the mold on the walls in the corner....yeah...
And best of all, they left us a nice present on the back porch... And yes, those garbage bags were definitely FULL of maggots. And these people had 5 kids??? It breaks my heart....So anyway, needless to say, we have quite the task ahead of us. I've been working 11 hour days with dad and another friend of his for the last 2 weeks trying to get things done before dad heads back to Spain in July... It could all use some prayer.. And especially for the renters who just moved out...they probably need it more than us.. But God is good - He has always been faithful.
On top of all this, I'm trying to take a class, send newsletters and thank you cards out for my China trip in 3 weeks, keep up with soccer workouts, and get through my summer reading list... One thing at a time.
I was just inspired recently when I remembered the quote from Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings: "All that we have to do is to decide what to do with the time that is given to us." I am striving, moment by moment, to make the most out of the time I have been given, and I will let God take care of the rest. Praise God - He certainly is able! :-)
