Here are todays pictures
I'm heading home in the morning, but Corky, Rick, and Chrissy are continuing the remaining camp setup. We've learned a lot about setting up the first response camp. We have the design and parts together after many trips to Lowes and Marshall Marine. Consensus among us is that we need approximately 10 people to set the camp up and I'm looking for good volunteers to be those first responders. This will require a lot of lifting and long days in not so ideal conditions after we roll it all in behind the next storm. Let me know if you are interested.
The water is on tonight! Actually it was on this afternoon, but we had a couple (8) leaks that required a little glue and some clamps. The sewer hookup is running too so we have running water, showers, sink in the kitchen tent, porta potties, a dumpster and tents to sleep in. There are cots to sleep on and tables and chairs for the common tent. There are grills to cook on and we have the ice maker, but not plumbed yet.
Two more tents remain to be erected. Frankly, the 4 of us who were here all week are just flat sick of lacing tent sections together and being out in the sun to do it. Setup really requires more people to make it work. More cots must be retrieved from Slidel tomorrow. The walkins are coming a day or two later than planned. The 35000 KW propane generator will be in tomorrow as well as there is no word back from the electric company. Hopefully that'll still come through. Keep praying!
Also pray for hearts to be touched through the work here this summer, for the staff to come and holdup under the heat and rigor of running the camp, and for safe travels for all, including me driving home 13 hours tomorrow ;-)
Satellite Internet with wireless access will be up and running in the camp for volunteers and staff next Friday.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Tuesday Setting Up the Hilltop Camp
Bayou La Batre is HOT in the summer. I heard back home in Columbus it'll be down to 40 tonight, but it's still in the 80s here at 11:00 central. Made working slow during the afternoon when the predicted rain didn't come. I'll take wet yesterday working to hot today.
We still got a lot more done today. Here's the pictures I took. The kitchen tent is up and mostly stocked with the Hilltop and Bayou Recovery Project stuff. We tapped into the park water supply and ran the line through a short trench and back to the camp. Half the plumbing in the camp (water and sewer) are done and will be completed tomorrow. Another sleeping tent went up and another framed. Walk-in freezer and fridge arrive tomorrow and hopefully large propane generators.
Pray for a link to the power grid for the camp. That'll be a lot cheaper and more convenient than the generators, but is nearly the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place.
The first volunteers arrive tomorrow! A couple groups wanted to come work with Bayou Recovery before the Hilltop camp opened, officially and by the weekend there will be 80 volunteers in camp!
No conversions today, like Sunday and Monday, but I had a great conversation with a seeker last night. Please pray for those to happen too and that they would have ears to hear.
I'll try to put up an update tomorrow before heading for home, but may be pressed for time and put it off a day. Keep checking though, as lots of things are happening fast and this is the easiest way to keep you all up to date.
May God bless you and your families as you consider service with Servants Unite, or any other effort.
John McGuire
We still got a lot more done today. Here's the pictures I took. The kitchen tent is up and mostly stocked with the Hilltop and Bayou Recovery Project stuff. We tapped into the park water supply and ran the line through a short trench and back to the camp. Half the plumbing in the camp (water and sewer) are done and will be completed tomorrow. Another sleeping tent went up and another framed. Walk-in freezer and fridge arrive tomorrow and hopefully large propane generators.
Pray for a link to the power grid for the camp. That'll be a lot cheaper and more convenient than the generators, but is nearly the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place.
The first volunteers arrive tomorrow! A couple groups wanted to come work with Bayou Recovery before the Hilltop camp opened, officially and by the weekend there will be 80 volunteers in camp!
No conversions today, like Sunday and Monday, but I had a great conversation with a seeker last night. Please pray for those to happen too and that they would have ears to hear.
I'll try to put up an update tomorrow before heading for home, but may be pressed for time and put it off a day. Keep checking though, as lots of things are happening fast and this is the easiest way to keep you all up to date.
May God bless you and your families as you consider service with Servants Unite, or any other effort.
John McGuire
Hilltop Camp Setup - Monday
Here are the pictures from today
Mostly this is self explanatory. The tents were finally delivered and they are GREAT! We got to play soldier of God all day setting up camp. We also got final approval for the water line to the camp from the park. Tomorrow Tim Hines is bringing the walk-in refrigerator and freezer from New Orleans and Crossroads is loaning us their large propane generators for power though we are still pursuing a local utility connection.
The first tent took 8 of us 4 hours to set up and it still needs to be "fixed". The second took a little more than 2. The third which is the common tent/dining hall, almost twice as big took 4 of us about an hour and a half. While we are sore, we are getting much better at assembly! This will take quite a while to pack out for an evacuation, but should be doable and something we can put back together at a new site in a couple days depending on the number of people helping.
This site is so great, right on the water with a great breeze blowing all day. If you've been trying to decide whether to come, please do. You will be very blessed to be here working with the people here. There are volunteers scheduled every week, but space is still available for all weeks except July 7-15 when 126 people are scheduled from Servants Unite already. There is also space in Chalmette and New Orleans with IRC and Crossroads throughout the summer to go stay there and work where so much is still needed.
Keep praying for our success and obstacles to be removed from our path.
Mostly this is self explanatory. The tents were finally delivered and they are GREAT! We got to play soldier of God all day setting up camp. We also got final approval for the water line to the camp from the park. Tomorrow Tim Hines is bringing the walk-in refrigerator and freezer from New Orleans and Crossroads is loaning us their large propane generators for power though we are still pursuing a local utility connection.
The first tent took 8 of us 4 hours to set up and it still needs to be "fixed". The second took a little more than 2. The third which is the common tent/dining hall, almost twice as big took 4 of us about an hour and a half. While we are sore, we are getting much better at assembly! This will take quite a while to pack out for an evacuation, but should be doable and something we can put back together at a new site in a couple days depending on the number of people helping.
This site is so great, right on the water with a great breeze blowing all day. If you've been trying to decide whether to come, please do. You will be very blessed to be here working with the people here. There are volunteers scheduled every week, but space is still available for all weeks except July 7-15 when 126 people are scheduled from Servants Unite already. There is also space in Chalmette and New Orleans with IRC and Crossroads throughout the summer to go stay there and work where so much is still needed.
Keep praying for our success and obstacles to be removed from our path.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Hilltop Camp Setup - Sunday Report
Here's the pictures from today.
I am not a plumber... but I'll be putting all the pipe together for drains from the shower trailers and campers in the morning. Had an enormous amount of quality time with Corky at Lowes picking through bins for the PVC parts we needed for drain and water supply lines.
Our tents that were to be delivered between 8:30 and 9:00 via semi this morning weren't. Thought that specific a time for delivery of anything must be too precise to be realistic. Shoot, the cable guy can't say which day of the week he'll actually show up. Anyway, the truck broke down in South Carolina. The part isn't available till tomorrow, but they should still be delivered tomorrow they say.
The pressure is on. We're still awaiting the final approval of the water, cooperation from the satellite Internet service company (I'm getting certified to be an installer so we can have mobile Internet), and working to get a power supply to the camp other than generators... noisy generators. The first team is actually going to be in June 7 now.
Correction (and a reminder on how fast things change). At 9:30pm I got a call from Corky that the truck driver is at our exit and wants to know if we can unload him... He's getting a hotel till 9:00 tomorrow so it looks like we'll be putting up tents all day and I get to drive home Tuesday!
We had church with the Texans and local congregation who for the first time met in the fellowship hall of the new building! Carol and Royce Ogle from Whites Ferry Road were there with their associate minister who gave the lesson (after Royce led singing). One of Daphne's 11 year old protégés, Devon, came forward with her grandma to be baptized at the end of service. We all went out to the park where the camp is with her and she was baptized in the ocean... The Lord is alive and working diligently here and in these people! Prayer's are requested against the opposition who is working hard to the contrary.
Robert Madchen will be here with us tomorrow to set up the tents and get the camp finished and I'll get more pics out then.
Check back tomorrow!
I am not a plumber... but I'll be putting all the pipe together for drains from the shower trailers and campers in the morning. Had an enormous amount of quality time with Corky at Lowes picking through bins for the PVC parts we needed for drain and water supply lines.
Our tents that were to be delivered between 8:30 and 9:00 via semi this morning weren't. Thought that specific a time for delivery of anything must be too precise to be realistic. Shoot, the cable guy can't say which day of the week he'll actually show up. Anyway, the truck broke down in South Carolina. The part isn't available till tomorrow, but they should still be delivered tomorrow they say.
The pressure is on. We're still awaiting the final approval of the water, cooperation from the satellite Internet service company (I'm getting certified to be an installer so we can have mobile Internet), and working to get a power supply to the camp other than generators... noisy generators. The first team is actually going to be in June 7 now.
Correction (and a reminder on how fast things change). At 9:30pm I got a call from Corky that the truck driver is at our exit and wants to know if we can unload him... He's getting a hotel till 9:00 tomorrow so it looks like we'll be putting up tents all day and I get to drive home Tuesday!
We had church with the Texans and local congregation who for the first time met in the fellowship hall of the new building! Carol and Royce Ogle from Whites Ferry Road were there with their associate minister who gave the lesson (after Royce led singing). One of Daphne's 11 year old protégés, Devon, came forward with her grandma to be baptized at the end of service. We all went out to the park where the camp is with her and she was baptized in the ocean... The Lord is alive and working diligently here and in these people! Prayer's are requested against the opposition who is working hard to the contrary.
Robert Madchen will be here with us tomorrow to set up the tents and get the camp finished and I'll get more pics out then.
Check back tomorrow!
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