Friday, July 13, 2007

Team 26 Thursday Update

A note from one of our volunteers and a few pics from today. I have more to post tomorrow!

I have heard that when you go on a mission trip, you get more out of it than the ones receiving whatever you may do or say. Frankly, I really wasn’t sure that actually happened. In my mind, a mission trip is hard work, tiring, lonely (away from loved ones), and way out of my comfort zone. Also, mission trips cost money and currently being a family of 5, we struggle financially. The very thought of being away from my 3 kids for a week is not something that I wanted to do. However, my husband and I both felt that God was knocking on our hearts to maybe consider going to the Gulf Coast when we heard that a group from our church was going. Immediately, I thought how? How God? My husband doesn’t have any vacation days left, so we would lose a weeks paycheck. Where would our kids go that they would feel comfortable and have fun. It seemed too big of a sacrifice for me and our family. We could just go on with our life and let someone else go, I am sure they will have enough people to get the work done.

For some reason when I said no to the trip, something inside of me knew I was making the wrong decision. So, I prayed and argued some more with God, but in the end I knew we had to go. I needed to put my trust in God to take care of us financially and to watch over my kids. When I told God yes, I had peace. Now, I still didn’t know how things would come together, but just by saying yes and telling others of what we were to do it finalized our commitment.

It was funny, all of a sudden, there were several people that asked my husband if he could finish their basement, siding for a house and other carpentry related things for different people. My husband is a carpenter, so this was so unexpected that we would be bombarded with work. It was hard to have him gone so much, but we both knew what we were working towards and so thankful for the extra money. My friend offered to take my oldest daughter and my mom volunteered to take my younger 2. It was really working out!

As good as everything was going, I was all of a sudden fearful to go. What if something happened to me and my husband or what if something happened to my kids and I wasn’t there? What if I wasn’t needed, or maybe I would get stuck on something I really don’t like to do? So I really had to battle with these emotions and again trust God. This week that I have spent in the Gulf Coast has been an experience. There have been ups and downs, but I can truthfully say that I am extremely glad that I came here. I was able to meet and work along side a wonderful family and help try to get their house in better repair. I have made a lasting friendship with a 14 year old girl, who reminds me of myself at her age. That alone has made this week awesome, however there is so many other amazing things happening, it would take too long to type. I can see God working in others lives and my own. I am so thankful to God for allowing me to have this opportunity to draw closer to Him and to others. He is good all the time!

Gina Long




Thursday, July 12, 2007

Team 26 Wednesday work

We all had another VERY productive day. The final tally of Ohio people here is at 115, but there are also three other groups of up to 20 who are working in town this week so we are an obvious presence here with a population of 2700. Many jobs were completed today and people are starting new tasks tomorrow.

Everyone went on fun trips tonight. Some to Harry Potter, some out to restaurants, and the New Life group got a boat ride from the man who docks this boat next to their project house.
Jim Gaul, and the Westerville Schools group spent the day painting and cleaning. Some worked to build up the church building's electrical, plumbing, and drywall.
Gotta make your work fun...
Here's the group picture from the Westerville Schools group from the restaurant they ate at tonight.
Ms. Nancy who's house we are rebuilding turned up with Watermelon for the volunteers this afternoon. The temperatures have really been unbearable, but I have yet to hear anyone really complain or whine. I'm really impressed with the groups we have and feel immensely blessed to get to serve with them.
The King's house is coming along, but there is a lot of work left to do. More volunteers will work there tomorrow and Friday to try to finish as much as possible. We're hoping to raise some more funds to get replacement glass for windows that were broken during the storm.
South Dayton Church of Christ Flat cleared off the storm damaged house next to the park.
Matt Moon and the Minions have nearly completed the awning they've been designing and building all week.

Macey from the Sunbury United Methodist group paints trip with Timi who lives at their project house. 25% of the population is Vietnamese/Lao shin/Cambodian as the boat people after the war were settled here.

With this many people in camp, it's impossible to enumerate all the work we complete in a day each night. I can't reach all the people with cameras and stories are harder to come by, but keep checking back the rest of the week to share in our experience.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Team 26 Tuesday Update

Whew!!! It's Hot!!!

And busy!!! Really you can't understand either statement unless you are here. We have 26 concurrent job sites being worked. We've completed... I don't actually know.... A dozen or more with more coming online.

Some have been large rehabs of kitchens, bathrooms, painting, roofing, windows, walls, electrical, all in one structure and the progress on those after 2 days work has been incredible. Some have been tear downs and cleanup of properties so that rebuilding can even begin... 2 years after Katrina... Many have been small roof repairs, half roofs, some drywall, steps, painting, community cleanup, and other efforts.

Five jobs are helping the local Nazarene mission effort complete the work left over from their relief operation which is no longer receiving volunteers. The cooperation of the Body of Christ is incredible. People participating in these jobs are working through 5 different organizations (church, Servants Unite, Hilltop, Bayou Recovery, and the Nazarene group) to serve seamlessly. Not to mention the impressive cooperation we've gotten from the local government and other disaster relief orgs supporting the efforts here.

What an amazing work He has given us. Below are a few pictures from the last day's work:












Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Team 26 Monday Update

OOPS! The blog didn't happen last night. We did have 26 new sites yesterday and (as predicted) productivity was bad during the morning till we got all the new supplies and tools delivered that we missed in planning Sunday night. It was crazy busy, crazy hot, and crazy crazy for all of us.

I'll post more pics from the last two days this evening.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Team 26 Sunday

Every time I come down the fellowship hall at the newly dubbed, Hemley Road, Church of Christ (old Methodist building) fellowship hall is further along. It was crowded at church there this morning with many of our 130 volunteers in attendance.
Supplemental tents are added to the 100 person capacity Hilltop camp to shelter volunteers from the (2nd night in a row) tropical downpours that come out of nowhere.
Today was a free day for most of the crews to go sight seeing. This morning Sunbury UMC took their group picture at the dock by our camp.
Their T-shirts have a roster of all their group.
The Westerville Schools group spent the day at the beach. Pictures below is the South Wrestling "Bayou Smack Down!!! Sunday, Sunday Sunday!!!"
South Fencing Team...
South Sunscreen Club...
Hey Team 3 and 7 participants! Remember Sharon Oaks and Vicki and Tim Smallwood from South Dayton Church of Christ?
They get the pleasure of tearing down one of the last remaining, half Katrina demolished houses along the waterfront which happens to be right next to our camp. Today was shoveling and hauling debris from the area. Tomorrow is tying on a rope and pulling it the rest of the way down with some.... persuasive horsepower.
I spent the afternoon matching job assignments to the skills of the MANY construction leads we have in this team. It's very unusual to have so many experienced construction people in a group and that will make us very productive. Tomorrow, teams will be working 24 simultaneous sites!

A large group will be starting repairs on this 1800s home on the bayou to get the grandmother and 3 kids out of the camper and back in their home.
This place has a lot of character, charm, and a kewl veiw.
More updates tomorrow and through the week, so check back daily to keep track of us.