Friday, March 16, 2007

Thursday/Friday Update for Team 21

Sorry I missed last night. Late in the week it gets harder to get everything done.

I'm writing from Hendersonville Church of Christ just north of Nashville tonight where we are staying on our way home.

We had another productive day yesterday and this morning, though not as intensively as earlier in the week. We got park cleanup and building cleanup of the community center done, more fireplugs, and finished the work on the new baby's house. It's a girl! 7lbs 6oz on Wednesday and all are doing fine.

Lewis, the roomate who just got out of the Army asks for prayers for his sick girlfriend and his grandfather who got through open heart surgery yesterday. I've seen a big change in him during the week we worked on the house and feel him seeking God. He came by the building today for his day off. Said he was bored, but was looking for more of what he'd had with us all week I believe. We'll be following up on that.

Really appreciated having the opportunity to give my testimony to one of the team members who is seeking God on our trip home today too. She doesn't know how close she is to faith. Don't want to name names, but if you will pray a quickie for her right now for God to reveal himself to her as she asks him to he'll know who you mean. He is God after all and He is Good!

Another great story about the effects of our work by Lijo Abraham: As we were working on Monday, March 12th at Mrs. Mosely's house, some of the neighbors saw what we were doing and what we were about. They were so happy to see the shining light of Christ through our heart to help out at this wonderful town.

During the devotion on Monday, one of Mrs. Mosley's relative, JC, sat with us and shared his thoughts about the Word of God and the passage we were discussing. It was so awesome because he not only joined us but he also encouraged us with his struggles in life and how he overcame it.

At the end of the day, another one of Mrs. Mosely's relatives saw us and asked whether he can get some help with his house as well. So, we gave Daphne's phone number (the coordinator of BLB, Alabama) to him so that he can call her and set up a date with the helpers. And before we knew it, we were blessed to work on his the next day.

His name was Mr. Banks; a very kind person who appreciated everything that we did. At the end of the day, the coolest thing about both of these people were their happy faces and them glorifying our Father in heaven by saying, "we are blessed from what y'all are doing down here." Isn't our Father happy to hear that? That is just amazing. To sum up, whether we go out and work for someone or whether we go out and talk with someone, at the end if our Father in heaven is glorified, then it's all worth it and that's what this trip was about.

I can't say more than Lijo so I'll end there, but following are some pictures that help tell the story of our week. Complete sets that I have collected from team members will be available online soon.




























Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Wednesday Update for Team 21 (UB)

The work doesn't change, but the stories remain heartwrenching. We showed up to fix the roof and a plumbing leak at a house today for a lady who has been helping to cook for volunteers here. Her health hasn't allowed her to lately and we found she had just returned home from 4 days in the hospital for heart trouble and will probably require surgery. Lots of people in her family rely on her for support and her absence was obvious.

We fixed the several plumbing leaks that forced them to keep their water turned off and tore into a leaky contract roofing job where nails were exposed and poking up through the shingles. Unfortunately we had to leave the tarp through the rain this afternoon as shingles that match may take two weeks to special order.

Several of the crew cleaned up the kitchen and laundry that was backed up and caught up for her lost time away, but please pray for Linda Gilderman and her health. She's keeping several grandkids, one who is autistic. Pray also for her family and for other volunteers to help care for them.

The fire plug crew spent the day painting more hydrants and as cheesy as that job sounds, the results are showing. The firechief was unable to find the hydrants on runs because they were covered in brush and blended into the surroundings. The newly painted ones stand out as you saw in yesteday's photos, but we really noticed them today driving around.

I spent all day driving. Getting plumbing parts and roofing parts and other parts. This organization could use long term help as Daphne is trying to do a lot of this with only a couple helpers. Fortunately there are extra this week with so many students here. We need to be sure to be prepared to spec our jobs and have one person get materials while others in a team work on the project. Lots of rebuilding operations are likely to be like this.

Tonight we had a talent show! It was really kewl and the only pictures I took today.

Marilyn Sloan won for "most artistic" for her interpretive dance to a Christian song.

No joking she's really good and her performance was really moving. Got her a standing ovation!

A couple people from Marquette organized the talent competition when they came in Sunday night. It was really a lot of fun.

Adam, Nate, TJ, and Rich all grossed us out with their skit and won the Nasty Buzzard award.




Some of Daphne's girls sang Amazing Grace and then Heather, the third from left, sang it solo. She has an incredible voice!

A group from Marquette did a kewl cup game REALLY fast

The for nasty buzzards won also for their "le batre boys" parody of the backstreet boys.

These dudes are talented! They sing in different a capella groups at school and do some really good gospel songs.

Tomorrow's weather forecast is for heavy storms that will probably keep us from our work mostly. Pretty much all the work we have left is outside work. We'll have to see how it goes. Rain this afternoon slowed us down and made for a short day for many, but we were able to clean up around the community center where we stay and everyone has more energy.

Basketball was finally broken up just now @ 11:15 central and 20 people moved out to the foyer to play Mafia, a survivor like role playing game where towns people try to eradicate the crime syndicate and the hit men kill off people until they are the only ones left. I love good Christian fellowship! It's a lot of fun though.

More tomorrow!

John McGuire

Shrimp Boil Recipe

I can't get this off my mind so I'm sharing the secret ;-)

First you boil a huge pot of water with old bay, primo local sausage, whole onions, halfed lemons, and large chunks of celery.

When the onions are soft, throw in as much shrimp as will fit. We had 25 pounds of these last night who had been swimming in the ocean the night before.

Watch them boil


and watch them boil some more


and some more

and you end up with food you can't stop eating till they take it away which is what happened to me last night!

Thanks to Mr. Rosevelt, Robert and Billy for cooking us up some real Bayou chow.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Tuesday Update

I've decided the 2nd day in the field is the hardest. We were all looking kind of beat this morning. By afternoon though, I think everyone was in their stride.

More of the same work today. Cleaning up yards, finishing house rebuilds, demolishing house trailers to make way for new houses. I have pictures coming of that process, but they aren't digital so I'll have to wait till I can scan the pics and post them if I can't find an alternative this week. The only injury so far was one nail in the arm and a trip for a tetanus shot.

If you are coming down, please have a booster shot if you haven't in the last 8 years. I said 10 previously and for this one it had been at 10 years...

I have some pictures from Paul of the fort at the Dauphin beach to share with you tonight. Need to get more people's pics, but they don't slow down enough. Most of the team is right now at Sonic getting icecream or at the beach enjoying nighttime there.




There are a log of homes here that weren't in great shape before the storm and were made completely unlivable after Katrina.


Her crew has been working repainting the "fireplugs" in town. This is the before...
...and the After



The best part of the day was Mr. Rosevelt's shrimp boil he calls trash in a can.

We had two of those large white coolers full of shrimp, corn, potatoes, and some awsome local sausage. The best I've ever had!

Well, I'm done for the night. I'll get you more tomorrow on our Bayou vacation getaway!