NEWORLEANSMISSION's Xanga

Monday, March 17, 2008

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:59:41 GMT

The other home where Tom and Penny Trumpy and Jim Tharp and Jim Smith worked also needed kitchen cabinets, a living room floor and paint.

The most used tool that we took with us? As you know we left Findlay in a heavy snow storm so it was natural to pack a snow shovel.

It was used a great deal at one of the homes.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:28:37 GMT

We had good week. We made great progress on the two houses we were working on. We didn’t quite finish either one.

We had warm weather as we walked through the French quarter and enjoyed Benete’s one evening.

We shared our “dining room” with a local kid’s basket ball camp. They were there Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. We were told that they would practice on half the court so we could use our half, but we moved our tables to one end in an entrance way and pretended we were at a dinner theatre.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:36:00 GMT

Wednesday was another good day. Mike and Leona got the bathroom floor in place. The counter tops are cut and the sink is prepared to be installed. We got some of the trim done but we will have to push to accomplish all we want before tomorrow noon.

As you can see Leona is filling one of her many niches

The master installer

Lookin good

Leona Burdock had called Leona Bullock the owner of the house we gutted two years ago in May and we went to see her house. Here's a few pictures of that.

Inside Leona's house May 2006 when we finished gutting it; and now, 2008.

Dave -- Leona--Leona

Leona's house from the outside. She has added 30 feet on to the outside.

Very important location two years ago! There was a porta potty towards the back

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:21:06 GMT

Monday morning!!!

70 degrees!!!! Eat your heart out!!!!

Assignments: Group 1 Walter Brock

Walter needs to move in this week. They are pushing him to go to the other side of the lake in order to get him out of the FEMA trailer. We hung all the kitchen cabinets on Monday. Mike, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO FIND THE STUDS WITH OUT A STUD FINDER? Go around to the other side of the wall that is unfinished and look. Thanks Leona. If we get the counter tops and sink we can finish the kitchen fairly quickly.

We have to dry wall, put in a tub surround, lay the floor tile, set the toilet and lavatory in the bathroom. Then I'm sure we'll have to paint it.

There is also some painting in the bedrooms that needs to be done.

Mister Brocks place

Space for the frig and the access for the bathtub plumbing

Mr. Brock with the forman and the CEO and flunky.

We are on our way

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:25:32 GMT

New Orleans any one?

Tom & Penny in PeeweeValley

Fred beimg a gentleman to Leona

Dave where are you

Is that you Dave

Level 3 Snow emergecy ?

clear roads ahead

Well we made it to Birmingham. We left Findlay about 8 am Saturday. It was slow moving but we pressed on through the snow. There is warmer weather some where. We did not see the LEVEL 3 SNOW EMERGENCY in Cincinnati ... thats our story and we are sticking to it. We had to take a detour somewhere around Louisville. Interstate 71 was closed due to an accident. We turned to our directionally challenged German (gps system) which took as around and back to the exit before the accident and put us back on I 71 and we ended right back at the road closed sign. We made it recalculate and ended up in Peeweevalley :) We picked Mike up in Nashville. It was cold with a little snow but getting better. We found the Host Church for the night with little trouble. Ask Mike about his off road excursion. It has been a long day and we are heading to bed. God is good and has protected us so far.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:00:30 GMT

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Five of us got up and saw a wonderful sunrise over the Gulf - clear but cool today - temp in the high 60's. Each crew spent the day trying to finish up as much as possible - mostly drywall.

Tom, Jim & Jim seem to enjoy plumbing quite a bit. It was reported that they were laughing and having a "good-ole time." What we want to know is what is so funny in a bathroom??

Dave Tharp wanted us to be able to listen to music, but after an hour the car battery went dead - go figure. Luckily we had another old van at the jobsite and he had to go get a charger. Thanks for thinking of us Dave.

They fixed us a wonderful supper tonight with a delicious cake that was made for us. This was the first complete meal with vegetables, meat and potatoes that we've had and haven't felt like supsidizing with a Sonic burger or a McDonalds. Popcorn tonight for snacks.

We are going to go to our jobsites tomorrow morning and try to finish up and will be leaving Waveland around 2:00 and headed for the church we stayed at in Birmingham. We will try to be up and on the road by 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and should be getting home around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m.

Hopefully we have made improvements on these homes and they should be able to be back in them soon.

That's all until we see everyone on Saturday.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:44:54 GMT

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Up early even after our late night watching Ben in that incredible game where he threw for 5 touchdowns in the first half. John, one of the young men from upstate New York who is here with their church, went with us and he was a lot of fun. I'm not sure if he or any of the patrons of this establishent were prepared for Diane and Betty as they hooped and hollered for Ben.

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was that Lila Fagan lost her driver's license down the toilet at the neighbor's house near the job site. Well, today, the neighbors (who own the house we are working on) decided to get a new toilet and found her driver's license. She did wash and bleach her driver's license. Check out the picture attached.

At one house Diane (or Lady Di as she is known) and Walter got the best job of all - painting a metal roof. It actually took three people to do this because one had to be a spotter and move the ladder and keep them supplied with paint. Inside the bathroom was finished and mudded and ready for plumbing to be done for the tub. We also got the job of repairing very old window frames. Infact the Mae & Gene (the owners) told us the house is 100 years old.

Jim Tharp reported that they worked all morning on cutting drywall and never used pieces bigger than 3 inches - never using a full sheet. Things are progressing but slowly.

A group went to Gulfport to visit Pastor Joe and Betty and evaluate what needs he had. Gulfport is just a half hour away. They stopped on the way for supper. Miriam nixed Hooters, then promptly walked into the mens room at Cracker Barrel. "The mens room is the opposite of the one in Findlay." Another group is going back tonight to clean cutters, repair downspouts, trim trees and put a handrail in the tub. Those that didn't go to Pastor Joe's visited the local K-Mart and the men's favorite store Lowe's.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:57:05 GMT

Monday, November 5, 2007

We started off this morning at 5:45 a.m. headed for the beach to see the sunrise but it was extremely foggy. The beach is very nice and we hope to get back there each morning to do some walking before breakfast. After the fog lifted it was a beautiful day - around 80 degrees and clear as a bell. We started off in the morning with assignments on two homes. Strangely both of them included drywall - go figure! After several trips back and forth to the local Lowes progress had been made on both homes.

One of the homes needed toilets set which took all day and one of them is still not set. Diane, Miriam and Dave Vance all worked on the drywall. Dave Tharp, Fred Smith, Lila Fagan and Mary Creech at the other home put up drywall, while Betty, Dave Bunge and Walter did the mudding and sanded and put in a set of front steps. Walter is becoming a very experienced drywaller and helped Dave Bunge with the steps. Question - how many St. Paul's people does it take to figure out how to build new steps? Answer - 4 and two specialists on the phone.

Mary and Betty met and talked with the neighbors next door about their experience during the hurricane and after. They are both very nice and the house we are working on has been donated by them for a parsonage for a new church that the Christian Life Center is helping to get established. They showed us pictures of their neighborhood before the hurricane and it was a very nice neighborhood with a lot of trees that are no longer there.

After supper some of us are headed to a local bar to watch Ben play Monday night football.

More later.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:13:25 GMT

With the time change we were all up, packed and ready for breakfast by 6:30 a.m. and had to find something open - so we invaded the Waffle House. Instead of staying around for an hour waiting on the church service at the Vestavia Hills Methodist we opted to be "ON THE ROAD AGAIN!" Mary called to ask Greg to pray for his congregation. But we are planning on being in Waveland for their church service by 5:30 p.m.

Mississippi has cleared a lot of trees out of the center of the interstate and planted new trees and shrubs. We spotted a dead armadilla along the side of the road and three life turkeys that seem to be headed into the woods because Thanksgiving is around the corner.

Since we had the time and three of the group had not been to New Orleans we made a two hour stop to go to the French Quarter and have benets at Cafe Dumont. The town is coming back to life and we can see that they have done a lot since our last trip down there in May of 2006. But you can still see a lot of homes that need demolished. Jim Tharp was hungry and wanted some "local flavor" so we stopped at "Johnny's Po Boys" and everyone had a delicious but filling meal. Po Boys gave us our drinks for free because we were wearing our Katrina Relief shirts and they thanked us when we left for helping. At least four other people talked with us and thanked us for helping out and some had been down here on their own mission trip. Ask Dave Tharp about the gentleman from Portland, Oregon.

"We'll take one dollar. We'll take 2 dollars. We'll take 5 dollars. If your white, we'll take 20 dollars."

"Give us $1 it's college money. Give us $2 it's college money. Give us $5 it's college money. $10---We don't need college money."

The timing was perfect - just as we arrived in Waveland, Pastor Mark was having their church service - which was great and featured a singing duet by Emmett & Wanda. There are two other groups here right now but one of them will be leaving Monday. Sleeping facilities and showers and baths are okay - nothing special. The ladies shower is for midgets but they do have two shower units outside - like Gulfport.

A group just left to go to Walmart (the only happening store in Waveland) to get some pop for the week. But it is getting time to hit the bunks for a little shut eye. We want to get up around 5:00 a.m. and go down to the beach which is only 5 minutes away to watch the sun come up.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:47:58 GMT

SATURDAY - NOVEMBER 3

Leave the church at 7 a.m.??? Retired people have to be up early enough to be at the church at 6:45 a.m.? AND ON SATURDAY??? Check with Fred

7:03 A.M. -We made it!

7:25 - Anybody hungry? Breakfast at Bluffton McDonalds!!!! How did we manage to get so far!!!!

7:40 a.m. - On the road again - - - -

11:20 - The Kilbourne contingent called from the mall in Louisville. Need a pillow!!! Make that 2!!!! (The brothers Tharp forgot their pillows) Must be in the genes!)

Greg Creech called where are you - what time do you anticipate getting to Franklin, Tennessee? We have to worry about lunch first - Noon!!!!

Greg calls - just making sure he's not holding us up.

Hungry??? Lots of choices - We all ate at different places but managed to get to McDonalds to pick up Mary.

The trees were beautiful all day long. They were yellow, gold, red and rust colored. They lined both sides of Interstate 65 South. We had sun all day long.

Rest stop in Alabama so Mary could see the missle.

Keeping up with Dave Tharp on the road is a challenge but all the cars made it to our destination. Thanks to Tom's Garmin - Give me a Garmin!!!!

Land of the Moon Pies!! - Check with Mary, Diane and Dave Bunge on the best kind - Banana!

Time to eat AGAIN!!!!

We finally made it to Birmingham. The church is unbelievable 4500 attend there and it has a sanctuary, chapel and gyms - but very nice. Couches in every room and so we didn't even have to use our blow up beds except for Diane.