February 27 th, was the start of the Calstar Japanese Church project in San Jose, California.

I, Bob Bridges, had taken on the task of painting the exterior of the church. My journey started 289 miles away, making the trek from Northern Nevada to San Jose. I assessed the project, making sure of any challenges, and got a material list together. The church was in need of painting. The stucco walls, overall, were in good condition. Before the first dot of paint was applied, someone had made a donation to cover the entire project: paint, man-lift, and supplies.

On March 28, three men from Teen Challenge (T.C.) , pressure-washed the exterior of the church. They also did additional prep work on the building.

On the 30 th, I met with seven (T.C.) men at the church. They started with masking and priming the bare wood. The man-lift was delivered and ready to go. We were able to complete painting the fascia, soffits, and the front gable end (wood) by hand and with a paint sprayer.

On the 31 st, there was light rain most of the day, but no wind. The overhangs protected the stucco walls from the rain, so we moved forward. The debris from the large shrub/tree had been cut down by a church member prior to our arrival. The T.C. crew moved to the back of the property. The crew dismantled a sign standard that had been vandalized.

Since the donation was well under budget and we needed to keep working, a junk removal company was called. They quoted a price that seemed high. I explained to them that this was a church and we were all volunteering our time. He dropped his price by well over a third. The church had other things it no longer needed. The T.C. crew helped get it loaded. The truck left full.

The church hosted us with refreshments and encouraging comments.

I was very pleased with the work the T.C. crew put forward. They were a positive team, led by Josh. It was truly a joy to serve the Kingdom of God in this way.

On April 1 st, I started my trek home. I ran into heavy rain, then snow, but the I-80 remained open.

Thank you to Calstar Japanese Church, Teen Challenge, Seed One, and the donor who has a heart for missions.