We Did The Work

It’s Friday evening and we have completed the construction we came to do.  There are a few pieces of drywall to hang in Maruy’s home, and they were left because of some other repairs that need to be done first.  Otherwise, it is all hung.  This has been a great week.  Next week a group will come and finish the drywall so it can be painted.  We are blessed to be able to come to Mississippi and work with the folks here.  They are all so grateful for the volunteers who come to help.

Now we are working hard to get all our tools and clothes packed.  It is a challenge due to airline restrictions on luggage.  But, we made it down here so we should be able to make it back.  On Sunday morning we plan to chat about our trip and the things we learned.  Come and be inspired.

Thanks for following along with our journey this week.  One of the pictures below is a short wall.  That wall will be turned in to a small eating counter.  It was one of the last things we worked on.  I’m sure some good meals will be consumed around the table that will be put on top.  The other picture is some funny looking guys we met.

We’ll see you on Sunday.

Our Introduction to Po Boys

If you have been following along on the web this week, yesterday we said we were in for a treat at lunch today.  Maury got po boy sandwiches for us.  It is a traditional sandwich down here.  They take French bread and put almost any kind of meat or fish on it.  We had shrimp po boys, and they were excellent.  He said that Bozos makes the best ones around.  We decided we could get in to eating them regularly.

The other night we also had a good quick treat.  Another local treat is deep fried corn on the cob.  Not sure how healthy they are, but they really are good.  That, along with small sweet potato pies, made a tasty treat.

Lest you think that all we do is eat down here, we put in another long day of hanging dry wall.  Some rooms are a challenge.  We spend most of the day restoring the ceiling and walls in the bathroom.  Lots of corners, tight spaces, etc.  We learned more about the history of the house today.  They had 32 inches of water in the house.  They had to strip out the whole house and spray to get rid of the mold that quickly grew.  More and more we are hearing the stories of the trauma they have gone through.

Again, thanks for praying and giving to help us purchase materials.  Your giving will help re-equip their bathroom.

We have one more day of work.  Then we have a really early flight on Saturday.  We'll see you in church on Sunday and give a report.

At the end of the work day we had the privilege of going to the home we worked on last year.   Most of the family was home and they were very excited to see us.  They have completed their renovations and have made it very attractive.  They said over and over, God Bless You.  It was a privilege to see them again.

The pictures today are one of the rooms we have been working on this week, as well as the outside of the home from last year.

Lots and lots of Sheetrock

Wednesday was day two of hanging sheetrock.  We can attest to the fact that it is heavy.  We are working at a house owned by a lady named Rosemary.  She is living in a FEMA trailer next to her home.  Her son, Maury, is working hard to get his mother’s house restored so she can move home.  His picture is below.  We have really enjoyed visiting with him.  He is very friendly.  He is so thankful for all the volunteers that have worked tirelessly for weeks to get it to the place to where it is.  Tomorrow we should be able to complete hanging all the sheetrock, except for a few places that need other work done first.  We are refining our skills and are enjoying working together as a team.

Wednesday evening we had our meal at The Shed.  It is literally not much more than a shed, but is famous for barbeque.  It’s hard to describe, but, the person who designed it flunked out of designer school.   An interesting thing happened there.  We talked with a lady who was the hostess for the place.  She asked where we were from.  Then she asked if we were volunteers.  She said her home was rebuilt by volunteers and she was so grateful.  We hear that expressed often, the people are so grateful for the thousands of people who have come to help.

When we were leaving Maury’s house today, he said that tomorrow we should eat lunch tomorrow at Bozos.  Several people have described it.  Seems to be a local landmark that sells fresh sea food (and another place that flunked interior design).  Looking forward to that.

Again, thanks for remembering us.  Thanks for prayers.  Pray for God to explode His presence all over this place and that thousands will be touched by the love of Jesus.

Tuesday morning woke us up to thunder.  The gulf coast was hit by a powerful storm.  A tornado touched down in New Orleans.  We know that many in New Richmond heard about it, because we got calls from family asking if we were OK.  We were fine. We sat in the church building till the storm passed over.  There were very strong winds and lots of hard rain.  All over there were mini floods, streets, parking lots, etc.  After the storm cleared, the day turned out nice and sunny.

Last night we were treated to some fine southern hospitality as we feasted on gumbo.  It was a new experience for us.  Included with this note is a picture of the gumbo along with our host and chef.  We all enjoyed it.

After the storm this morning we went to a house that needed lots of drywall.  We were drywall installers today.  We did not get back to the work site from Monday, since the rain turned it all in to mud.  The house today is owned by an older lady.  Her son is working hard to get it restored so his mother can have her house back.  Very friendly folks.  We will probably go back there tomorrow.

Thanks for praying for us.  We are fine, though we are finding muscles we didn’t know we have.  It is a privilege to help out down here.

FROM 12 BELOW TO 72

We made it to Mississippi.  On Saturday morning we left for the Minneapolis Airport.  It was 12 degrees below zero.  Our flight was delayed a bit, but we made it to Memphis with five minutes to spare.  We walked across the hall in the airport and got on the next plane.  The flights were smooth. We got a rental car in Gulfport and made it to The Refuge in Gautier. 

On Sunday we enjoyed the fellowship and service at The Refuge.  Pastor Rick Smith and the congregation love the Lord and are doing a great work reaching out to people and leading them to Jesus.  One quick testimony at the end of the service was from a woman who God has delivered her from drugs.  It was a great service. 

On Monday we worked outside at a home in Pascagola, helping clean up a home site.  It was sunny and 72 degrees.  The house was not livable and had to be taken down.  Unfortunately, an unscrupulous contractor took their money and didn’t do the work he promised.  In a month a group of volunteers is coming down to build a new house in a week.  On Tuesday morning we will return there (weather permitting, a storm is coming this way) and complete the clean up. 

On Monday evening we are invited to the house of one of the church families. They are going to treat us to some southern hospitality and feed us homemade gumbo.  We will give an updated report tomorrow. 

Thank you for your generous offering for building materials here.  We will use it somewhere along the line to buy materials for someone in need. 

Keep checking the web site for updates.  Also, go to WWW.MSMISSION.BLOGSPOT.COM to read the daily updates from Susan Scales.  She and her husband, Monty, are the Convoy of Hope coordinators here.

Every Sunday we have Christian Education classes for all ages.

Continued learning about God, the Bible, and daily living of the Christian life is very important.

"Living Life in God's P.O.W.E.R."

Prayer - life strengthened by connecting with God

Outreach - taking truth and compassion to others

Worship - a lifestyle, not an event

Education - Biblical training for every day life

Relationships - devoted to unity