“A volunteer walked up to me after digging holes all morning for donated plants. He was dripping with sweat, leaning heavily against his shovel and his hands were caked with dirt. ‘What can I do now?’ he asked me.” Volunteer Coordinator Janna Roberts paused to reflect and rejoice in such moments, which have punctuated volunteer efforts every weekend. “They just seem to want to do more!”
On the morning of Saturday, June 19, 62 volunteers arrived to dedicate their time and efforts to working at Rancho Capistrano. “They came with smiles on their faces, and joy in their hearts, serving the Lord,” Janna recounted. Laboring from 8:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., they worked in teams to plant shrubs at the entrance, jackhammer a concrete pad needing removal, and climb ladders to clean dirt from lampposts throughout the Ranch.
“So many people have stepped up to be a part of this project, wanting to get their hands dirty,” Janna said. “To date, the tasks have involved landscaping removal and re-planting, curb painting, plumbing, shower caulking and other maintenance jobs — and that’s just the beginning.”
“Sometimes we wonder if we will be able to keep up with the enthusiasm and numbers of volunteers. We plan a project and then sometimes the supplies don’t arrive on time and we have to quickly come up with something else. But God is in control, he provides. We just need to be flexible and surrendered to him. It’s all worked out.” Janna said.
“Volunteers who work here seem to notice things that are needed.” Janna explained, her gratitude evident. “For example, someone noticed that we needed shower hardware in the 50 lakeside rooms, and donated it. Last weekend, someone noticed that it would be nice to have a fountain at the entrance and asked, ‘how about a fountain? I can get that for you.’ The commitment of the volunteers has been amazing. There is even a ‘watering team’ who comes here to water every day, by hand!”
Thrilled with their experiences at the Ranch, one volunteer family with two teenaged sons worked all morning with shovels and picks to loosen the hard ground. “We were tired; it was hard work … it was GREAT!” They plan to return often, as a “father and son project, serving the Lord.”
More weekend teams are planned in the near future, “We are thinking about offering weekday opportunities for people who have to work on the weekends and haven’t been able to be involved,” Janna concluded.
To learn more or volunteer, please contact Maudi Kolster at maudik@saddleback.com.