July 17, 2026

Project Restore

When I first started working at the garden, right on the back of a truck full of mulch on a very hot day, I talked with my fellow garden intern, Desi, about a program that repairs homes for homeowners called Project Restore. It's one week long, hot, and intense compared to the work I usually do at the garden, but also serves as a reprieve from my daily routine. 

Have you ever heard of the Baader Meinhof phenomenon, also known as the “frequency illusion"? It’s this phenomenon where something you recently learned starts appearing everywhere, when it hadn’t before. That’s kind of what I experienced, because suddenly, everyone I ran into knew of or would be a part of Project Restore, and they all had something good to say about it. Which was relieving, since I also signed up for it.

I went in fairly blind. No construction experience besides small at-home projects, a so-so understanding of painting, sanding, and anything else—which I’d later find out needed much improvement. Besides the words of other participants, all I had was an openness to trying new things. If you’re a first timer and thinking about signing up for Project Restore, that’s about the only thing you’ll need to start. That, and maybe a vague understanding of what you’re getting yourself into. Lucky for you, I’ve become your guinea pig and am not one to gatekeep.

First off, the week before: health is most important, especially when entering something that requires more energy than you may be used to. The best way to prepare is to hydrate. Even if you find the actual tasks fairly simple, it’s the heat that creeps up on you. If not the heat, your body has a mind of its own and says it’s tired before you admit it yourself.  One second you’re bending over to lift a paint brush, the next you’re spinning around a merry-go-round at mach 2 while standing completely still. Water is your best friend before, during, and after. I was told this as well before starting, but admittedly, it’s hard to hydrate in advance, and I did visit the merry-go-round at least once or twice throughout the week.

After the prior week of trying and failing to hydrate, orientation came around, and the garden house was fuller than it had ever been. I saw a few familiar faces and eventually had to stand to give a short introduction. My name, and the amount of years working with Project Restore. Being a first year got me some applause. Some people had been a part of the program for 9 years, which was very commendable. We got grouped off into teams through a puzzle matching activity, and once my puzzle piece fit into a picture, I found my team. We introduced ourselves, then discussed the plans for the house we’d be repairing, which involved cleaning, painting, sanding, and putting down flooring.

The first day, I’d say, was one of the hottest. The basement was, well, a basement, and the air quality wasn’t so good outside. It was stuffy and we were all crowded together. Sweat was already cascading down my face, and I felt like a dragon breathing in and exhaling heat. Ideally, it should’ve felt impossible to want to do anything. I think that's the thing about being with a team. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10) A week-long project could feel like a month, but being with people who always show up and help out, it became more than a project. It became a fun experience to look back on. Thankfully, I got to work with kind-hearted and diligent people who set the tone, created a space where everyone desired to learn and was comfortable trying new things. We bonded over playing our favorite songs while working together on different projects, falling into a routine, checking up on each other as the hours pummeled onward.

There was great solidarity in having people to work with, it made the day go by quickly, and we got a whole lot done. So much so that we fully believed we’d be finished before the week was over. Even though that turned out to be a major overestimation, (in reality, we had things to do till the very last second of the last day) every project was both fun and worthwhile. The first day, we learned to put down floors. We got to watch how it was done, then try some ourselves. I assumed floor boards needed glue to stay down, but surprisingly, these floors only needed to be wacked together. But nothing was as big a surprise as break time, when Dave With The Guitar arrived and called us outside. We gathered around and he started to sing—and wanted us to sing along too. No one had warned me about this the first day, (or maybe I wasn’t listening when they did) and I seriously considered how I went from vacuuming up dust and sweating profusely to singing in a circle within a matter of seconds. It became the norm by the end of the week. I still look over my shoulder sometimes, wondering if Dave With The Guitar will pop out of the bushes while I’m exiting a grocery store or watering the tomatoes to do a spontaneous worship session under the glaring sun. 

Maybe I wouldn’t mind. 

I’m learning there’s a lesson in everything, like knowing the importance of being able to worship at any given time, no matter how you feel, or where you are. That’s how you push through the rest of the day, by being grateful and positive. It’s kind of like currency. The kind you invest in your heart and spirit. Premium gas to power a luxury engine.

When lunch comes around, all the groups gather at the garden house. It’s that time of day where you can sit down, eat, and relax. It’s also the time to contemplate the day, slow down and become fully immersed in your experience. An important part of being in this project is understanding your impact, and what impacts you. That’s not entirely easy to do alone, thankfully, we do it together. 1 Corinthians 3:9. That’s the theme for the week. During lunch, we talk about how being a part of the project ties into our everyday lives. How in being of service to others during this project, we prepare ourselves to better represent God in more ways as we go about each day. “For we are God’s partners in service. You are God’s field, you are God’s building.” Through this project, we take ownership of our contribution, acknowledging that we are the body of Christ, we are the home where God resides, and it’s our job as a community to be that home for everyone.

Throughout the week, going home everyday is like taking a small break before heading right back to work. The last day, when it’s truly over, I find myself saying “see you later,” to the people I actually may not see later, and I don’t realize this until I’m already home. It’s a truly enlightening experience, one of which I intend to keep and revisit for a long time. Just as I was able to be of service to others during this project, I pray I always carry with me the desire to help and serve others. Not just because God says so, but because he knew it would bring me and everyone else joy and purpose when he wrote it.

There’s a lot more to gain from being a part of Project Restore; knowledge, experience, friendships, and new perspective. It’s amazing how much can be learned while repairing a home!

by Arriyannah Herring

Lighthouse Ministry Summer Intern 2026