EMCRC Missions

Work Day #4

2010-04-08T22:19:00.004-04:00

After today, things are really starting to progress at both remaining worksites~ it is very exciting to see WALLS instead of studs, and to see the shapes of the rooms and the anticipation of what it will look like completed, even if we won't be the ones to fully complete either of these two sites.

Vans took off again this morning around 8:00 am to go to Bob's house (Don's crew) and to Torris' house (Randy's crew). We were fed a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs with ham, biscuits, and bacon. Thank you Sue, Mary, and Sharon for cooking for such a large hungry bunch!

At Bob's house, we needed to finish up with the insulation and already had begun drywalling the day before. The guys set to work on the drywall, and the kids started to finish the insulation... and ran out. There were a few other needed supplies that resulted in a trip to the Bogalusa Lumberyard (only a FEW miles down the road). At Torris' house, the drywalling was progressing well on Wednesday and so they began to tape and mud along with continuing to hang drywall. The peaked ceiling will need to be done tomorrow. More supplies were needed at this site as well, so everything was picked up and distributed throughout the day. Kathy enjoyed a tour of both sites a couple times during the day as she was the gopher and chauffeur for the supplies and some of the kids as they went from one site to the other to help out. Much was accomplished again and we hope to finish up at least the first coat of mudding at Bob's house tomorrow, and maybe some sanding too.

In addition to the work on Bob's house, we were also able to get one of his three vehicles running and drove it around the yard! He was quite enthusiastic about this.

Tomorrow we anticipate sending our crew out to both sites again to get as much done as possible before coming back, packing up, and heading home sometime in the late afternoon. The weather looks great for our return trip and we are looking forward to sharing all of our stories and experiences with you when we get back.

Work Day #3

2010-04-07T22:00:00.005-04:00

Today was a mixed bag of results for our work groups.
We enjoyed the feeling of success upon completing another job site, along with the mixed emotions of small frustrations due to lack of equipment to do some of the work and too many people at times on the job sites. We managed to make it a very successful day in spite of this!

Some of the girls along with Mary and Gerda stayed at home base to clean things up and do laundry for the group. The girls worked hard for a few hours until we were called away to the different job sites when they were ready for us to start drywalling.

Dean Wubben's group (Andrew, Matt, and Dan Wubben) managed to complete their job site for Mr. Lester Peters and he now has a new handicapped accessible shower stall! There was also installation of some flooring done for his home in addition to the shower stall. It was great to know that there was one more job completed for WEROC this week.

The other two job sites have been dealing with electrical wiring, insulating walls and ceilings, and putting up new drywall. Randy's group is a little further ahead of Don's group... maybe there will be some competition tomorrow! At Torris Bascal's home the insulating is completed and they have drywalled some of the walls and will possibly start mudding and taping tomorrow (Thursday). Don's site had a few minor setbacks with the electrical wiring, so this is taking a bit longer than we had anticipated. Hopefully on Thursday things will be smoothed out and our work groups will see some more progress!

We were treated to a nice lasagna dinner at the First Baptist Church of Franklinton~ a very larger, older church in town. They had their fellowship room set up to serve quite a few people! Once again we were able to meet some very friendly people who took the time to talk to us and express their thanks to us for working down here. It continues to amaze us how truly appreciative they are of the work that we do, and we are so happy to be here and to be a blessing to them in this way.

It looks like we might be getting some thunderstorms later on tonight, so we'll be keeping an eye on the radar.... hoping for nothing too severe! Tomorrow should be in the 70's and very comfortable as we continue to work on these last two job sites. Thanks again for your prayers and your support!

Work Day #2

2010-04-06T23:06:00.002-04:00

Another beautiful day in which we accomplished many tasks! The weather was sunny and 81 degrees with a really nice breeze~ those of us who worked outside painting and doing yard cleanup really appreciated that. The group of people who painted Mrs. Parker's house completed that project today at 5:00 pm. We had a very nice time of prayer with her after we finished up for the day, and took some pictures with her standing in front of the house. Several of us enjoyed taking time to talk with her each day, listening to her stories about the hurricane and the damage that was done to her home and the neighboring areas. She was just so thankful for the work that we were able to accomplish at her home.

Some of the group who painted in the morning were redirected to another work site after lunch; they did some insulation and wiring and preparing for drywall tomorrow at Mr. Torris Bascal's home. Another group did about the same thing at Mr. Bob Dillon's home. No, not THE Bob Dylan :) There were no guitars laying around anyway! Dean Wubben's smaller group is working at Mr. Lester Peters' home installing a handicapped shower stall, and this work is progressing very well too. Other than Andrew and Matt attempting to install the shower wall upside down, that is... thankfully they figured it out in time!

Tomorrow we head out for more work on the three sites that are still in progress, and hoping to get them all completed by the end of the week. Those who were painting for Mrs. Parker will be divided up amongst the other work groups to help with the drywalling and mudding and more electrical work. We are all enjoying a great time of fellowship and getting to know one another better as we work together, and listening to the kids go around and tell about the highlight of their day after supper is a real joy. You can see the love they have for people and giving of their time and talents to help someone else; they really grasp this concept well and they are living it this whole week!

Please continue to pray for safety and good progress on the work we have left to do this week. We appreciate the comments on the blog (so we know someone is reading it!) and the many who we know are praying daily for our group. God Bless!

Work Day #1

2010-04-05T22:38:00.003-04:00

After spending an afternoon/evening out on Sunday in New Orleans and on the beach in Waveland, we crawled into bed Sunday night knowing that our wake-up rooster call from Sharon would come early the next morning! And it did, promptly at 6:30 am. Tired and sleepy people quickly jumped out of bed and got dressed, ate breakfast, and made lunches for the day. Job assignments were posted on the white board in the main meeting room and we gathered there to eat and pack coolers and load up the vans.

At 7:30 am we left Trinity Baptist to head out to our job sites. The people we will be helping all week have sought help through the WEROC agency; not all are strictly hurricane-related rehab or repairs. These are simply needy and poor people who have no where else to go for help. There was a large group going out to the home of a single, older woman that needed the exterior primed and painted, along with some yard work. When we arrived at her home, her arm was in a sling and we learned she had suffered a fall in her home a few weeks earlier and her shoulder was dislocated. Smaller groups went out to look at some plumbing work, electrical work, and to scout out a couple other possible work sites. The painting group finished one coat of primer and paint on the entire house in about 7.5 hours and will return on Tuesday to put a second coat on parts of the house, and finish up some raking and yard cleanup. All groups will be returning to the same work sites on Tuesday to continue their efforts and possibly finish up some of these projects.

We were treated to a wonderful potluck meal provided by another church group for our supper at 6:00 pm. After dinner we had a time of devotions led by Hannah Damsteegt, and we took turns sharing experiences about our day. We are also very blessed to be in a place where we are fed good meals, have hot showers, sleep in air-conditioned comfort, do our laundry on-site, and have a nice place to hang out at night to play cards or games or whatever we would like to do. We are so thankful to be here to do the work God has led us here to do, whatever it may be. Keep our group in your prayers as we work this week, and pray especially for safety and good health.

Easter Sunday~ He is Risen!

2010-04-04T14:32:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter... praise the Lord, we serve a risen Savior!

We began the day by waking up to Randy pounding on all of the doors and shouting "Good Morning!!!!!" to all. At 6:45 am. After everyone was up and dressed and helped themselves to breakfast, then headed out to the sanctuary of Trinity Baptist Church for the 8:00 am Easter service. Our group sang the song "Amazing Love (My Chains Are Gone)" and enjoyed listening to Brooke Wolthuis, April Wubben, Angie Tiemeyer, Ashley Tiemeyer, and Ann Smit play their instruments; Pastor Stan delivered a powerful message in the true and typical Baptist manner :)

We departed Trinity Baptist Church and then piled in vans to head for Sunny Hill Baptist Church, which is smaller and more rural and this is where Joe and Sharon are serving. Our group again sang, played instruments, and Brooke Wolthuis provided the entire service music as their pianist was ill. She did great! We got back just a little while ago and will be enjoying a delicious Easter meal together very soon, consisting of ham, potatoes, and vegetables before heading out again to go to either New Orleans or Waveland beach.

April 2 and 3~ Photos

2010-04-03T20:01:00.009-04:00

Arrival In Franklinton, LA

2010-04-01T08:49:00.009-04:00

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!
Our group departed from EMCRC on Friday afternoon at approximately 4:30 pm and drove through the night through some very intense thunder and lightning, wind, and pouring rain to reach our final destination this morning at about 8:30 am local time. We were all very thankful to have arrived safely!

We are staying at Trinity Baptist Church here in Franklinton, and have received a very warm welcome from Pastor Stan. To see where we are staying and learn a bit about the church, click on this link: http://www.trinityfranklinton.com/ This is also the same church that the youth group stayed with two years ago, so for some of us it is great coming back to a familiar place!

We have 32 people in our group traveling with four minivans and one car. Our group includes Randy and Mary Bouman, Hannah and Josh Damsteegt, Stacie Haveman, Mary and Matt Lynema, Chris Paufler, Ann Smit, Ashley, Angie, Bruce, Sue, and Ben Tiemeyer, Andrew, Megan, Jason and Kathy Westendorp, Josh Balkema, Brooke Wolthuis, Alex, April, Leah, Jenna, Don, Dan, Gerda and Dean Wubben, Aneta Peterson and Erin VanDusen. Doug and Mary VanDerMeulen have joined us here too, coming from Arizona. As of this writing, all have arrived safely~ praise the Lord!

The organization we will be working through is called WEROC (Washington Parish Emergency Recovery On going Cadre). The parish (like a county) is located about an hour North of New Orleans. The focus is still on the repair and rebuilding of homes of the most vulnerable members of the parish. Washington Parish is a poor rural parish and, as in most of the cases WEROC has served, the common variable has been lack of income. Now, five years after the hurricane those with the means and knowledge to help themselves have done so and have returned to their normal lives, but to the elderly and/or disabled living on a fixed income and those living at or below the poverty level, the aftermath of the hurricane is not over.

We will be posting pictures later tonight and tomorrow-- thanks again for all your support, whether it has been financial or through prayer. Praying each of you have a blessed and meaninful Easter celebration. To God Be The Glory!

Cedar Rapids Flood

2009-08-22T13:36:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone. I haven't done this in a while but I just wanted to thank everyone of you for your prayer and support. If is wasn't for them we wouldn't be able to do what we are doing. There were over 5,ooo homes flooded in June of last year. Most of them are still in need of being fixed. The 18 of us worked on about 6 of them. They had about 3 foot of water in them. So they had to go down to the studs and start over rebuilding. CRWRC will be working here for 2 or 3 years. The long term recovery group from Cedar Rapids is doing a very good job trying to help as many people as their money will allow. They will have 4000 volunteers working here in June, not including our group. A lot should get done. Thanks again. Love Dan and Gerda

Thursday, April 9

2009-04-09T21:02:00.008-04:00

Day #4 began with a delicious breakfast (sound familiar??) and work groups departing around 8 am for their various job sites. Today was productive for most groups and things are starting to come to a close for our work week; we will be leaving Friday evening so our work day tomorrow will be shorter and end around 2 pm instead of after 4 pm. We have to have some time to pack and eat dinner before hitting the road! We enjoyed a good, hearty dinner and most of us headed out to the bonfire on the beach for our group, the group from Allendale, MI and the East Biloxi association who we are working with in addition to CRWRC.

Devotions this evening focused on the passage where Jesus washes His disciples' feet. The analogy was made that although Jesus did many miracles and was sent here to accomplish much in his short time on earth, the simple and loving act of washing their feet was also so important. We came here this week with high expectations of moving mountains and completing so much in a short time, when in reality it has been the little things that have been or will be the most important part of what we did. Things like meeting the person or people who's home you are working on, taking time to talk to them or listen, and showing Christ's love and compassion in what we do and say. The relationships that are formed as we work and live closely together for a week and the little things we do for one another are all just as important as the bigger tasks.

Wednesday, April 8

2009-04-08T19:49:00.007-04:00

Day #3 of our work week began with our usual breakfast in the cafeteria, but we also celebrated Hannah's birthday with a card signed by the group and a "Sweet 16" balloon which was a surprise to her. We sang "Happy Birthday" to her while we were eating our breakfast too.

Work groups departed again after breakfast, and we were all on our same sites except for Dean Wubben's group who worked with Russ Quick's team. Jason and Randy's group finished up insulating and most of the drywalling is completed-- some mudding will still be done on Thursday, but the sanding and painting will begin on Thursday for Geraldine's house. Kathy and Megan spent the afternoon boxing up clothing as we will be sanding tomorrow and that will make quite a mess!

Devotions tonight focused on I Corinthians 13, substituting the word "God" for "love" and showing the characteristics of God as we read this. We spent some time sharing things about our day and work sites, and also how we were able to show God's love or how His love might have been shown to us. Yesterday's frustrations seem to have subsided and a feeling of accomplishment was present, which we are so thankful for.

We are enjoying some ice cream right now in a final celebration for the birthday girl. The weather was gorgeous again today, sunny and about 70 degrees but the breeze off the gulf is definately refreshing and cool. We are thankful and appreciative for such awesome weather conditions to work in, and praising God for such a productive work week in Mississippi. Thanks again for checking up on us, praying for us, and thinking of us while we are here.

Tuesday, April 7

2009-04-07T23:16:00.005-04:00

Day #2 began again at 7 am with a nice, hot breakfast of biscuits and gravy with sausage links. There is also a variety of other food items to choose from and we are so appreciative of the people who cook for us daily, and who do it with a smile! The groups again departed shortly after breakfast to their various work sites, and all came back with shared thoughts of frustration with certain aspects on each site. For one group, it was the lack of materials available when they arrived to do the work. That resulted in lost work time and unproductiveness, and rerouting the group to another site. Hard for those who want to dig in and get something done, but with this type of work it is to be expected sometimes. Other groups stripped wallpaper, continued working on drywall and insulation and started painting, worked on ceramic tiling and laying laminate flooring, etc. Kathy spent some time in the morning doing laundry for the group, taking care of Ben and Mitch back at home base and getting them to rake the volleyball court in anticipation of a great volleyball match with the Allendale, MI youth group. We will also be having a bonfire with them on Thursday night on the beach in front of where we are staying-- we are all looking forward to that! We were treated to a delicious dinner of lasagna, steamed broccoli and cheese sauce, breadsticks, salad, and dessert.

Tomorrow is Hannah Damsteegt's 16th birthday and we have some fun plans for helping her celebrate, but we'll fill you in on that later! We hope you are enjoying the pictures and posts from our group as we work here in Biloxi.

Monday, April 6

2009-04-06T21:04:00.005-04:00

Today was day #1 of our work week. Some of us are still recovering from our second degree sunburns... but doing better! We got up early around 6:30 am and had to be to breakfast by 7:00 am, which for some of us is kind of early! We did all manage to make it and had some yummy breakfast. After meeting the director and getting our work instructions, the groups departed for the various job sites. The four groups painted, put in ceramic tile, packed up clothing and household items from a home that was recently flooded, removed drywall and moldy insulation, fixed a faulty construction job, painted and installed a door, and one group was treated to a delicious lunch fixed by a Vietnamese woman who's home they worked on.

After arriving back from the job sites, we ate a good dinner together and had devotions and talked about the things we did during the day. We are anticipating a good day tomorrow, and a volleyball match with a work group who is here from Allendale, MI after dinner Tuesday night.

Saturday, April 4

2009-04-04T19:42:00.006-04:00

We have arrived!! A little bleary-eyed and stiff from lots of hours in the vans...but we made it. After departing a little bit off-schedule on Friday afternoon around 4:30 pm, we drove through the night and arrived earlier than anticipated in Biloxi, Mississippi and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at a nearby Waffle House. You can still see many empty lots where buildings once stood, stripped and crippled trees still standing, and debris lining the roadway from some attempted cleanup after Hurricane Katrina came through almost four years ago. We took a short drive down to Gulfport where they sustained more damage than Biloxi did.

Since we couldn't access the bunkhouse until later in the afternoon, we decided to head over to the Keesler Air Force Base and enjoy a FREE airshow! The Thunderbirds also happened to be performing, so some of us stayed all afternoon just waiting for their famed flight acrobatics. They did not disappoint! The sun was shining with a good breeze and temps were close to 75 degrees today so we all enjoyed some time outdoors after traveling.

Sunday will find some of us catching up on some of our sleep (the traditional day of rest will surely be observed!), some of us traveling to Franklinton to visit the church that was worked on last spring break by members of our group, and some will attend a local church here. We begin work on Monday and it should involve some insulating, drywalling, and perhaps painting or other tasks. The motto our group has adopted is "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape". We are finding this to be so true as we arrange our sleeping areas, figure out an efficient way to get everyone a shower, etc.

Please pray for our group this week, that we may grow close to one another as we work together to help those still trying to pick up the pieces from Hurricane Katrina and also that we may show Christ's love to those we work with and to one another. Thanks for checking in on us and hopefully we'll be able to put some pictures on the blog too.

News Articles about CRWRC in Texas

2008-10-25T20:33:00.005-04:00

Please click on each link below the title of the article to read about the CRWRC DRS crews that assisted with the clean-up efforts following Hurricane Ike in Texas. The articles appeared on the home page of the Christian Reformed Church in North America website www.crcna.org. We are so blessed to have members of our congregation willing to actively participate in the work of CRWRC. Please continue to pray for those who are traveling to and from work sites and for safety as they do their various tasks and jobs at those sites.

The Green Shirts Get a Special Anointing
www.crcna.org/news.cfm?newsid=832

Response Crews Help to Heal Bridge City
www.crcna.org/news.cfm?newsid=844

Texas News

2008-10-08T15:28:00.002-04:00

We are beginning our first week of our second group. We have 17 people on the reconstruction team and now a new team of rapid responders arrived yesterday, bringing our group to 26. Right now we have the Regional Managers here so we are cooking for 28. This makes life interesting!!

The reconstruction crew is all working on one house for a family of 10 and it's supposed to be a complete makeover so the people are not to see what is going on. The local Interfaith group is using this as a promotion to help their cause for funding future projects. It's an 150 year old house with many possibilities and a LOT of work.I'll send some pictures next time.
The rapid responders are on their first day of work mucking out houses and sanitizing houses back in Bridge City.

One of the heart stories we heard from Pastor Buddy here at church was of a coffin that was found floating in the marsh. The funeral home called him and through serial numbers, it was traced to a town and family about 50 miles away in Louisiana. The family was very happy to get their family member's casket back. The wierd thing was- that it was lost in Hurricane Rita three years ago. So where it was, nobody knows!

Doug & Dan were cleaning out Sea grass that was piled five feet high behind houses that were right by the levie. They were using the tractor and everyone kept saying, "watch for the snakes"! Well, they found some. Dan killed a water moccasin and Doug saw a big yellow 3 ft. 1 1/2" dia. one but that left before he killed it. There were turtles, snakes, fish and who knows what else in there. The salt water gets in their eyes and blinds them and they go crazy.

I guess thats all for now so I'll have pictures and write more later. Love to you all and please keep this work in your prayers! Dan, Gerda, Doug, & Mary

Texas News

2008-09-23T16:03:00.003-04:00

We are busy in Texas! The guys are working in Bridge City, about 15 miles away, and they have been mucking out houses. They move all belongings that cannot be saved out to the street. There are around 3400 homes in Bridge City, and only 14 are not affected by the storm. One family ended up with a blown-up swimming pool in their yard full of dirty water and they didn't know where it came from. It's sad to drive thru there. Gerda and I are cooking up a storm! These guys eat a lot!! This is a great group of guys and they work hard. It's been in the 90's and humid but today there is a breeze which helps a lot. We got electric last Thursday night, so we enjoy the coolness of air conditioning. Jason is coming home this week and he has some wonderful pictures. Thank you for your prayers.

Love~ Dan & Gerda, Doug & Mary, and Jason

SUNDAY & PHOTO LINK

2008-09-21T22:31:00.006-04:00

Here is a link to the photos that Jason has been taking while working in Texas this week. Please click here to view the photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emcrc/ There are pictures here of other mission trips as well, so we hope you enjoy them all. It was easier to put the link to the photos rather than uploading them each time to the blog--this way you can see them all instead of a select few.

East Martin CRC is well-represented in Texas right now! We have Doug and Mary VanDerMeulen, Dan and Gerda Wubben, Jason Westendorp, and soon Rich and Phyl Grevenstuk will head to Lake Charles. WOW! Jason told me today that they finished up their fourth house on Saturday in Bridge City. The one home they worked on was that of a single young mom, I think her name was Krystal. She had just recently moved to the area and had no flood insurance, which is true for many down there. She went into the bathroom while they were working on her home and just cried.

They went to church today with Pastor Buddy (from the Lutheran church) and were even joined by a stray cat part way through the service. Then they took a road trip around the area, including Sabine Pass. Jason, Tom and Scott will return to Michigan late on Wednesday this week.

FRIDAY

2008-09-19T09:39:00.006-04:00

I heard from Jason Thursday night; the group has all arrived safely in Port Arthur, Texas and there is no electricity in that area yet due to the wind damage. Port Arthur was protected by the seawall so they did not suffer from the storm surge as did other communities nearby. They are able to use a generator some of the time. They are staying in what appears to be a former school or church, and beds are set up for them to sleep in the classrooms, and there are bathrooms with showers but no hot water, so the guys take some pretty fast (and cold) showers!! Doug was heading back to Slidell, LA to get the trailer and Mary, and then head back to Port Arthur. They were hoping the electricity might be working by the time they got back, or possibly sometime today (Friday). Jason and two others (Tom and Scott) worked on a house Thursday in Bridge City that had about 4 feet of water inside.

Please continue to pray for safety for the different volunteer groups down there working to help those who have lost so much with Hurricane Ike. Pray that they may have good experiences and give good testimony as they work to help these families and that some measure of comfort may be given to these people.
~Kathy

Wednesday Update

2008-09-17T12:19:00.004-04:00

Doug VanDerMeulen was recently sent to Port Arthur, Texas to survey the damage and do an assessment for CRWRC after Hurricane Ike went through. Jason Westendorp joined a group of 9 other volunteers who departed this morning at 7:30 am to head down to Port Arthur. (Jason and two other men will be in Texas for a one- week period, while the rest will stay for two weeks.) Please pray for the volunteers who are traveling down to Texas, that they will have a safe trip and that the work they do on behalf of CRWRC will be a blessing to those affected by the hurricane. Also continue to pray for Doug and Mary, Dan and Gerda, and the many others who continue to volunteer with CRWRC and help bring hope and healing to those affected by various disasters both within the US and in other countries.

Stay tuned for more information later on this week~

Kathy Westendorp

Here is the news release today from CRWRC:

A Rapid Response Team of ten volunteers with tractor, chain saws, and tools left Grand Rapids, Michigan this morning from the Disaster Response Services (DRS) office in Byron Center. The crew will help with immediate needs after Hurricane Ike struck 83 of 88 Texas counties, swamped parts of Louisiana, and left a good portion of Kentucky without power. "We have to be pretty much self-contained at this point," says DRS director Bill Adams for CRWRC. "We're aiming for Port Arthur, Texas, where we'll help get emergency workers -- fire, police, and EMTs -- back in their homes. Most houses just aren't liveable right now." Adams reports that DRS project managers were already canvassing homes that the agency rebuilt after Hurricane Rita in 2005 and were hit again by Ike last weekend. Rick and Bonnie Wiersma,and Joel and Angie Ploegstra found that homes CRWRC rebuilt in the last three years were still sound after the storm, despite unfortunate and extensive damage to the homes around them. "We rebuild according to the specifications for hurricane mitigation," Adams says. "The roof reinforced structure, materials used, and nail patterns are specified for hurricane-prone areas." CRWRC's focus, in their response to Hurricane Ike and other North American disasters, is on those who are indigent, handicapped, elderly, without insurance, or otherwise ineligible for government assistance. In addition to providing relief in the States, CRWRC now has six emergency relief projects in action in Haiti, after Hurricanes Fay, Gustav and Hannah struck the impoverished island of Hispanola. 3,000 people who lost what little they had are receiving $48,000 in food, clothing, and roofing materials through CRWRC's Christian partner groups.

Adams estimates that Hurricane Ike response will cost the agency $1 million in rebuilding and reconstruction projects. CRWRC is now requesting donations for both Hurricane Ike programs in Texas and for Haiti hurricane relief. On the Gulf Coast, CRWRC volunteers already in the area are coordinating clean-up and preparation for rebuilding over the next few weeks. Teams will be working in Port Arthur, Orange, Beaumont, and Houston, Texas, where the Christian Reformed denomination has several churches. Most members of Hope Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in Houston were evacuated along with their pastors. Rev. Roger De Young said Monday that the Hope church building was damaged but could be repaired. One of the congregation's pastors, with a home on Galveston Island, is safe but damage to his home is unknown at this point. Most regular communication in and out of the Hurricane area is by cell phone, and the towers remain overloaded with calls.

Adams said that after their crews arrive and begin assessments, they will travel on to Sabine Pass and Cameron, Texas, to continue evaluations there.

Port Arthur on Hold

2008-09-12T08:51:00.003-04:00

Hi, everyone.

We are still home. Our site manager and construction manager are in Marshall, Texas waiting for Hurricane Ike to pass. Please pray for their safety. They are under a tropical storm watch until Sunday. They are about a 2-hour trip from Port Arthur. We will be staying here until we get the all clear from them. Thank you for your support and prayers! Love~ Dan and Gerda

Done in Laurel

2008-05-14T21:13:00.003-04:00

What a busy week! We've packed and packed until there was nothing left. We even had to unpack a pan to finish our supper last night. Now it is Wed. night and we've left Laurel for some new duties. We got a call from Grand Rapids and now we're checking the areas where there has been flooding and the corners of the four states that had the tornadoes last weekend. They want to know if a Rapid Response Team will be needed to help these people. We hope to check this out in the next couple of days and then be home by Sat. night.
We really had a fun group again this time. We spent a lot of time laughing but everybody got a lot of good work done, too. Laurel was sad to see CRWRC leave after being part of the community for the past two years. Many people have been able to be back in their homes with this help. Many blessings have been received and given these two years. Thanks for your many prayers for the work of CRWRC. Hope to see you soon! Love~ Doug & Mary

Work Progress in Laurel

2008-05-06T21:01:00.002-04:00

We have been working here in Laurel now for a week and a half and things are getting done. Tomorrow the crew will begin on the 5th house. some of the work is quite extensive and some is minor. Doug had to jack up a house and level it up and put new floor joistes in it before other work could be done on the rest of the house. Today he went across the road and tore off a roof of a porch and hopefully will replace it again in the next few days. I have been busy cooking along with a friend of mine, Marie. We worked together in Lake Okeechobee three years ago so it's fun to catch up with her. So far everybody says the food is good so we'll see if we can keep it up for another week and 1/2. We are starting to wash and pack away the things that are not being used so we get an early start on packing. We just found out that a new site will be opening up in Lake Charles, La. next Fall so most of these things will be stored and moved over there sometime in the summer. There will be some RV sites there as well so that will be good for us. To answer Randy's question- yes, these beds are way better than the cots in Franklinton. I think my back is still suffering from those. However, I do miss all of the other couples that slept in the same room with us, especially Ben, who would always go to bed the same time we would at night. (Earlier than everyone else, of course) The weather is beautiful!! We are loving the sunshine and all of the flowers, but I hear it's nice at home also. I'm sending pictures of houses that we are working on so you can see that we are really working and not just basking in the sun. We sure are having a good time though! Thanks for your prayers! Love, Doug & Mary

Laurel, Mississippi

2008-04-27T15:09:00.003-04:00

Hello from the South-

We arrived here on good roads with very little rain and 80 degree temps. We understand that it's a little cooler at home. It's supposed to cool here also, in the 70's for a few days, so it should be great working weather. We are staying in this house that has 13 bedrooms and 5 rooms that have no windows that are used for bedrooms when there is a big crowd. There 18 of us here. The picture is of the house we are staying in. There is no room for RV's so we left that at home this time. We're quite comfortable so the three weeks should go well.

We went to the Baptist Church this morning and will ride this afternoon to look at some of the job sites. We'll need to get these jobs done these three weeks because this site will close permanately on May 17 when we leave. We have to pack up dishes, sheets, beds, and everything that belongs to CRWRC and store it to start another site in the fall. This site in Laurel has been open for two years, has helped many people get back into their homes, and has given hope to many in their lives.

Please keep this work in your prayers.
Love to all- Doug & Mary

Thursday

2008-04-10T23:04:00.004-04:00

It's our last night here in Franklinton. I think we had our biggest dinner yet. We had chicken, a variety of southern food and lots of desserts. I know we are working harder than usual, but we are probably gaining weight.

The weather continues to be perfect, but they're predicting storms for tonight and tomorrow. We have lots of work to do, so hopefully the weather will hold until we are finished. I hear that Michigan is getting a little rain.

We have developed good friendships with the group from Jenison and some people from Trinity Baptist Church. Someone said they couldn't tell that we were from different churches.

Tonight, the mission organizers from the church--Sharon and Joe, thanked us for our work this week and they gave us tee-shirts that say weroc. It is an acronym for Washington Parish Emergency Recovery On going Cadre. They also gave us a bottle of Louisianna Hot Sauce. I'm not sure how many of us will dare to eat it. They keep making comments that they are going to keep us for several more weeks, so if we don't get home, you will know what happened.

Tomorrow, after a full day of work, we plan to shower, eat our final dinner here and head home. The drive home may be a bit more challanging as most of us will be pretty whipped. Keep us in your prayers as we travel.

If you see Tammy when we get home, ask her why she earned the nickname Crash.

Thanks again for your prayers and support.

The mission crew in Lousiana.

Wednesday Update

2008-04-09T22:40:00.002-04:00

Hello again from Franklinton.

Today was another beautiful day both weather wise and work wise. All our groups are continuing to work hard helping people rebuild their homes.

Throughout the week, we have been instructed to invite the people we are helping to come and have supper with us. Yesterday several of them came to have jambalaya and jumbo with us--don't ask me what was in it, but it was good. Supposedly, we set a record for the number of clients that came in and ate with us.

We are working hard painting, dry walling--here they call it sheetrock, putting in electric, installing hot water heaters, cleaning up yards, tearing stuff apart and rebuilding and various other tasks. The youth are learning some good home-care and upkeep skills that I'm sure they will want to continue to use when they get home.

We have met many neat people with interesting stories. We are starting to get used to our surroundings and with the hard work we are sleeping well at night.

The youth have entertained themselves in the evenings playing a variety of games like capture the flag, the fox and the hound, and tonight they played human fuss ball.

We are being blessed by this experience and we hope we are being a blessing to the individuals we are helping. We thank you all for holding us up in your prayers.

The mission crew from Franklinton.

Tuesday, Day 3

2008-04-08T20:18:00.002-04:00

Today we started with a rooster call from Sharon, our mission coordinator. We ate breakfast, packed our lunches, and headed to our job sites. Our group was fixing up a trailor which involved painting the outside(Ashley and Nancy got splattered with lots of paint), building a wheelchair ramp(Mary, Stacie, & Hannah got to use a nail gun!), laying plywood and linoleum on the kitchen floor, and also anchoring it down. The next door neighbor, to the people we were helping, asked if we would paint his house also. We gladly did so. Our "boss" Mark gave some of us interesting nicknames. Stacie is now "bubble girl" because she was using the level with the bubble in the middle. Then Mary is "shovel girl" because she was using the shovel. Ashley was given the nickname "splatter" because she was covered with paint splatters. Hannah is now "blonde" because of two incidents while working. One was that she tripped over a saw while looking directly at it. Matt was given the nickname "dessert" because while playing scategories he mistaked dessert for desert. Then as for Andrew we have not yet come up with one. We have also been playing cards, ultimate frisbee and capture the flag in our free time. Tonights game is foxes and hounds. As we are writing this 6 army hellicopters flew over our heads. Our battery is getting low, so this is our goodbye.

Love from Ashley, Stacie, Mary, Hannah , Matt ,and Andrew

Hello from Franklinton, LA!

2008-04-07T21:37:00.001-04:00

It is Monday evening and we had a great day getting out to our jobs sites and starting to work. The weather is beautiful! It is around 80 degrees and sunny. Some of us got sunburned while others were smart enough to put on sun tan lotion. Yesterday, we attended the 8:00 a.m. worship service and had a wonderful time worshipping with the church here. After church, we headed to New Orleans to do a little sightseeing. We hung out in the French Quarter for a couple of hours and admired the beautiful architecture and ate lunch on the shore of the Mississippi River. We watched ships and paddle boats passing by. Then most of us went to Waveland, Mississippi to play volleyball on the beach. This is the site where they say the eye of the hurricane struck. Most of the houses on the shoreline are gone. This morning (Monday) bright and early--around 7:00 a.m.-- we got up, ate breakfast, and headed off to our various work sites. Mary VDM had fun catching a dangerous looking spider--she did accidently kill it getting it into a bottle. We have also encounted several roaches, dead rats, and mice. Some have entertained themselves catching geckos--I think they caught three. Overall, we had a great day and we look forward to working for the next several days. God Bless!

EMCRC Youth Group

We Made It!

2008-04-05T15:22:00.005-04:00

The East Martin Youth Group plus plenty of chaperones arrived in shifts between 9 and noon today. We're a little tired, but all here. The Bouman-mobile even made it. :) Doug and Mary were overnight in Laurel, Mississippi visiting CRWRC friends. Trinity Baptist has a great set-up and welcomed us with warm showers. The guys are out and about reviewing job sites, the ladies are shopping at the Winn-Dixie for "healthy snacks", and the kids are playing games/watching videos. We're hoping to see New Orleans tomorrow after morning worship. Thanks for all the prayers for our trip down, we'll be in touch!
Mary VanDerMeulen & Nancy VanDerHeide

Good Bye To Belle Glade

2008-04-04T13:46:00.003-04:00

Time goes so fast and our time here is done. Dan and Gerda are leaving in the morning and Rich and Phyl are leaving next Tuesday. The construction manager isn't coming until next Tuesday. Our group worked on 7 houses and trailers and our group was able to finish 6 of them. We had a Last Nail Ceremony yesterday-- it is given to families whose houses we have done a lot of work on and finished it. It makes us feel very good to see how pleased the people are with what was done to their trailer or house. This family was Spanish, so the ceremony was in both English and Spanish. Our group was great and we really had a good time with lots of laughs! Thank you all for your prayers and support. See you all very soon. Love~ Rich & Phyl, Dan & Gerda

We've Moved in Tennessee

2008-03-31T21:14:00.003-04:00

We've finished our Needs Assessment in Jackson and have moved over to Gallatin to help another group with their NA. A lot of the homes in Jackson were homes with insurance and, right now, look like they would be covered. We did reach 310 homes and filled out 15 surveys. There will be more for the local comittee to get because some of these people were not home and green call back slips were left on their doors. There is a place in the Gallatin area here where the tornado was on the ground for 51 miles. We start here tomorrow (Tues) to knock on doors and the group also will man two walk-in centers. The leaders of this group said they did 16 surveys just today, which was their first day in the area. We'll work here through Friday and then take off to meet the Youth Group in Franklinton, LA on Saturday for a good week of work with them. We'll write more later. Love~ Doug & Mary

Second Week in Belle Glade

2008-03-29T08:53:00.003-04:00

Hi, everyone. Well it is Saturday and another week is gone. Time goes by fast. We have a great group; Rich and Phyl are very busy keeping the group happy by giving them work to do! Also bring supplies to the jobs after many trips to Lowes. Dan is still coating trailer roofs. The roofs are very weak so they have to stand on ladders and put it on with rollers from the sides. Many of the other men are working inside putting up new walls and ceilings. Gerda and the painting group do the painting after the guys get done. It really changes the place. It is hard to imagine living in the conditions they have been for 3 to 4 years. Most of the people that own the places are Spanish. It is surprising how you can communicate with them by actions and gestures, and also many hugs. We will be praying for the young people of the church as they prepare to go down south for their mission project, too. God Bless all of you. We are so proud of you all. Love and prayers~ Rich & Phyl, Dan & Gerda

We Are in Jackson, Tennessee

2008-03-27T21:43:00.003-04:00

We arrived in Jackson on Wednesday afternoon, but we didn't do a ride around until this morning when we began our Needs Assessing. We have an area out in the country, so we ride from house to house and stop at each to ask about their needs after the tornado. We covered about 7 roads today. Some people had very good insurance and are well on the way to recovery with a new roof or new siding. Then the house next door has the whole top floor gone or the next house is gone completely. Tornadoes do amazing things! It skips here and there and takes what it wants. The stories we hear are also quite something and they tug at your heart. But this is the Bible Belt, and the people and their Faith in God is amazing! The huge trees that have been scattered around just leave you in awe. I hope to have some pictures in a couple of days. We have some appointments tomorrow for surveys, so I am sure we will hear some more stories. Doug's leg is holding up but it is swollen at night. Thanks for remembering us in your prayers. Love~ Doug & Mary

Happy Easter from Belle Glade

2008-03-23T12:53:00.003-04:00

We wish all of you a Blessed Easter!

We are all doing very well. Rich and Phyl have kept our team busy in 6 houses, and keeping supplies coming when the team needs them. Dan and Gerda put down a tile floor and that went well. Dan has been helping shingle a roof and also coated a trailer roof. Gerda worked on ceilings, mudding and painting. We hope each one of you are safe-- we heard you had a snow storm. We had rain yesterday but the rest of the week has been good. We will be praying for your safe trip to Tennessee, Doug and Mary. Love to you all~ Rich & Phyl, Dan & Gerda

Howdy from Belle Glade

2008-03-16T15:55:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone: The four of us made it to Florida. Rich and Phyl got here Wednesday, and Dan and Gerda got here Saturday. We have a lot to be thankful for-- no storms or accidents! We are working for two rebuilt organization; C.R.O.S. and C.R.E.W. Rich and Phyl are the construction managers and they find the houses the organizations have set up to be worked on. Dan and Gerda are sent out to the homes and work on them with the rest of our group. There are 17 of us total. This morning we went to the Methodist church for their Palm Sunday service. Some of our group sang in the choir. This afternoon we went to take a look at the houses we will be working on in the morning. We will write you again soon to let you know how thing are going. Thank you all for your prayers! Love~ Rich and Phyl, Dan and Gerda

Happy Birthday!

2008-03-04T08:03:00.003-05:00

I know you're not on a work site yet, but you will be soon in Belle Glade. We just want to wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Do something nice for her, Rich. She's not only getting older but better. Have safe travels and we wish you God's blessings on this day! ~Love, Wes & Darlene, Dean & Carolyn, and Doug & Mary

Good-Bye to Laurel

2008-02-22T17:42:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone. Today is the last of our work in Laurel. We worked hard and got a lot of work done! We had a very good group, and the managers were great. We are planning on starting for Michigan in the morning. Hope and pray the roads are good. Please also pray for Bill Adams and his family; Bill is the director of CRWRC Disaster Response Service. His brother Charley and sister-in-law Pam were in a very serious accident in South Dakota. They remain in critical condition but are showing signs of improvement. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We both get a lot of strength from it... See you soon. Love~ Dan and Gerda

Last Day in Belle Glade

2008-02-22T13:39:00.006-05:00

We are on our last day of our three weeks in Belle Glade. Somehow the time always go by so quickly. We have completed 13 trailer or modular homes. Some were major repairs and some were minor. We had a last nail ceremony for the Beltron family yesterday and they were very happy to have their home finished. They speak very little English so it had to be translated into Spanish but the ceremony is always so moving.

The weather here has been fantastic! We've had some rain and that's good because it's been quite dry here. The temps have been in the high 70's or low 80's- much better than snow and ice that you're having at home. I'm not sure if I'm ready for all of that white and slippery stuff anymore.

I'm sending two pictures along of Doug before and after his broken leg. He's actually doing quite well. He tries to do some work, but when it swells then he knows he has to stop and put it up for a while. He has been helping the head of the local group in Clewiston and they have had some really good talks together. Maybe even broken legs have a purpose and God uses that for His will.

We will be leaving for home Sat. morning and we'll take our time driving back. Doug can't sit with his leg in one position for long so we won't hurry. I was supposed to have jury duty next week but that has been postponed for one week so we'll take a few days. Thank you for your prayers for us and for the work that CRWRC is doing. Bringing hope to people who are affected by disasters is something that is very close to our hearts. We feel very blessed to be able to do this work. Love, Doug & Mary

Hi from Laurel

2008-02-16T19:46:00.003-05:00

Hi, everyone. We are doing great! We feel guilty because of the weather you have been having since we left. We did have frost of the trucks the other morning. We were also under a tornado warning on Tuesday-- we all had to come back to the house. We are still working on the same 3 houses; Dan is doing more floors in the same place, and the group I work with are doing ceilings. I was thinking it was impossible for me to mud and tape, but the team and I did a pretty good job, much to my surprise! It is hard to believe that by this time next week we head home. Have a great week and God Bless you all. Love~ Dan and Gerda

Broken Leg

2008-02-12T13:45:00.001-05:00

We've had a new wrinkle come about on our worksite. After working a whole week putting a roof on a trailer, Doug slipped in the mud while jumping a mud puddle and broke the fibula bone down by his ankle. We had an inch of rain on Saturday and the soil gets real slimy when it rains. Now he's on crutches and he is running errands for anyone around. I'm still in the kitchen cooking and baking up a storm for 24 people every day.

We watched sugar cane being harvested on Saturday and that was interesting. There is a lot of muck fields around here. It reminds us a lot of home.

Last week we finished 7 homes. Some were a little work to some extensive work done. The clients have been so happy to have their homes back. It is such a blessing to see their faces while the work is being done, but especially when it is complete. Even when they can't speak English, the look on their faces says it all! Will write more later~ Doug & Mary

Port Arthur-- Week 6

2008-02-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe we are begining our last week here. We have finished 2 homes and have 10 more on the files to work on. Today we were treated to a dinner at the Church of God, an African American church. They even sing "Victory in Jesus" faster that East Martin!! We had a lady pull up next to us at the stop light today and yell out the window, "Thanks for working here, you did my house last year." Things like that make our day! We will be having a changeover this week with the management team. Our project managers have been here 4 months, so a complete new team will be taking over on Saturday. We will have a little vacation and then be off to work in Florida. I don't think I had better tell you about the weather here.

Love~ Rich & Phyl

Laurel, Mississippi

2008-02-08T18:46:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone. We got to Laurel on Saturday afternoon. We were ahead of the storm. It was raining most of Thursday, but the rest of the way went well. We have been having a busy week! Dan is working on a house replacing the floors and I have been taping and mudding, which is a new experience for me . The Pine Belt Reconstruction group we work for is starting to run out of money, so they are only doing the necessary things so people can continue to live in their homes. We are here with 19 people. We love you all and thank you for your prayers.

Love~ Dan and Gerda

We made it to Belle Glade

2008-02-03T19:58:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, and especially Dustin! We arrived here safely on Saturday afternoon and have 80 degree weather. We left before the snow arrived and were ahead of the bad weather all of the way down. We have 24 in our group, so it makes for a big group around the table. Doug will be working in the town of Clewiston, which is about 20 miles away and I will be the head cook in the kitchen. So far, the work is all on trailers and double wides and this is leftover yet from Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Trailers don't last real good when they've been wet that long, but these people are still living in their homes and many are getting sick from the moldy conditions. This is a very poor area and a lot of migrant workers live here. The crops we've seen so far are sweet corn and lots of sugar cane. We'll write more as the week progresses and the work gets started. Enjoy the snow and we'll enjoy the sun and humidity.

Love to all! Doug & Mary

Port Arthur: Week 3

2008-01-25T17:57:00.000-05:00

It is already 3 weeks that we have been in Port Arthur; the pictures above show one of the homes we had a last nail on. We were privileged to have two, and each one was a moving experience. The week is ending with a lot of rain (I'm shopping for boots); I think my feet have been wet for 4 days! It is also cold but I guess I will not get anywhere complaining about that when I hear the temps up north! On Saturday a new group will be coming in, so Rich and I are already getting ready for them. It is easier for us to just continue on with the projects started because a lot of the leg work is already done from the last 3 weeks. We will be starting on 2 new homes this coming week. When you meet the people in the homes you cannot wait to get started. Mr. Aaron, an owner of one of the homes, sat on the bed when we were looking at his house to see what had to be done, took both of my hands in his and said "I just prayed and prayed to the Lord for you to come". He had tears in his eyes; that just makes it all worth it. Please continue to pray for the work here as there is so much to do.

~Rich & Phyl

Port Arthur

2008-01-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Port Arthur on January 3, a little earlier than planned because we were already put on Plan B. The construction manager who was going to work the first 3 weeks was ill and could not fly down at this time. Rich and I got a crash course on what had to be done and we proceeded from there getting the work together for the new group coming. We have a very busy group of people and the harder they work, the faster we have to go. I think they are enjoying making us run because they are sure accomplishing a lot. We are working on 6 homes; two will be finished this week. There are 2 new ones to start and when they get started, we will be picking up a couple more. Monday we have 9 people going to do a Demo. That is not necessarily fun work; very dirty work, so far no one is complaining, at least to us. The food is wonderful and better because I'm just enjoying it not cooking in Mary's kitchen! Please continue to pray for our work down here. Love~ Rich & Phyl

Coming Home

2007-12-14T16:40:00.000-05:00

This is our last day of work in Port Arthur and , I must say, the past three weeks has gone by very fast. I'm always amazed at how much we grow to love the people we work with and for in such a short period of time. It is always such a blessing to work on a project like this. We are so grateful to God for giving us the time and the ability to do this type of work.

We are starting out for home tomorrow am and hope to be home late Sun. pm or Mon. am, depending on the weather. We hope we don't find any slippery roads to travel on as we head North.

I'm sending two pictures along of Doug & I working so you can see that we just don't sit in the sun. By the way, there isn't a whole lot of sun today and the temps are only in the 60's. Kind of cool for here with just a few sprinkles. I think we have to get used to cold weather again and some snow but it will be good to be home again. See you soon. Blessings to you all! Doug & Mary

Last Nail Ceremony

2007-12-11T21:07:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I've spent a couple of frustrating days trying to get on the wireless from our trailer and I finally brought everything in to the main office and, of course, I got on right away.

Last Thursday we had a Last nail ceremony at Miss Jane Moore's house. Our group painted the inside and put the siding on the outside. The previous group did the wallboard and the mudding. She was very happy with her home and her daughter was going to sleep in her room that night even if she didn't have a bed yet. She said she wasn't going to spend one more night in the Fema trailer. I'm sending a picture of her house and of the wreath that was hung on the last nail pounded on her wall by our Contruction Supervisor. I can't include a picture of Miss Jane because I didn't get a release form signed but at least you can see a little of what we celebrate at a Last Nail.

Our last week is well on the way and I will try to put one more entry on the blog before we leave Port Arthur. I understand that you have snow and ice predicted for tonight. That doesn't sound good! It was a little cooler here today- only in the high 70's and knid of cloudy. We're supposed to have rain and cool for the weekend. I hope you get rid of the snow before we drive home. Love, Doug & Mary

One work week done

2007-12-01T13:15:00.000-05:00

This has been a busy week! I have been working in the kitchen cooking up a storm, which is something I have never done on a worksite before. Doug has been working on Miss Jane's house all week. He has been putting up the vinyl siding. It's looking real nice. The inside is almost done too. We're planning to have a last nail ceremony there on Thursday. The weather was cool when we got here last week but has been beautiful the last few days. It's in the high 70's today with lots of sun. That's even worth the tired bones at the end of the day. The pictures along with this are of the three houses that our group worked on this week. Take care everyone and I'll write more later. Love, Doug & Mary

Arrived in Port Arthur

2007-11-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody! We have safely arrived here in Port Arthur, Texas. We left Thanksgiving Day afternoon about 4:00 and got here today (Sat.) about 4:30. We had snow around Benton Harbor and rain all day today but had safe travels. I'll take some pictures and write some more next week. Love, Doug & Mary

End of Week 3

2007-10-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

This has been accomplished in 2 and 1/2 weeks.

Week 3

2007-10-26T22:14:00.000-04:00

Here it is at the end of our work session; the time has gone so fast. I just want to post a picture of the house I had posted when we first started so that you can see the accomplishment that was made. Thank you for your prayers and we will see you soon. I have another 350 pictures I could share! Love, Rich & Phyl

Week 2 Slidell

2007-10-21T21:20:00.000-04:00

Here we are at the end of week 2 already. We have had a Last Nail on one of the homes that was very special to us because Ms. Frances made us lunch every day as well as made lunch for weeks for every group that has worked on her house. All this was made out of a little tiny kitchen in a Fema trailer. At the Last Nail there was another big feast after the ceremony, and everyone in the neighborhood was invited. We have another home that will be 95% finished when we leave, and one that will be 80%-- so the next group will have 2 Last Nails. We are starting a new job on Monday and also are picking one up that is 40% completed. To date the Last Nail we had was house #480 that was completed. We had to give one back until the case worker could straighted some things up. It is so hard to give them back after you hear the peoples story. There is so much to do and so little time. We have been blessed with good weather most of the time and good workers. Thank you for your prayers. I will try to send the picture of the lady from the red house and also the progress of the red house. The last one is Ms. Frances. Love, Rich & Phyl

Slidell

2007-10-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

I'm not to sure about this blogging stuff, by the time I get on the internet I have spent a half hr on the computer. I have a long way to go. We have had a great week and a half. It took a drywall sanding blitz with all hands that we could use to get Doug and Mary's shotgun house ready for paint. Today we have the whole house with one coat of paint and some rooms starting on the second coat. The house that I sent a picture of we have it leveled ,all the plywood on the floors the windows out and the room arrangement set up so we can put up the studs on the inside to make things a bit more stable. My first reaction to the house was what a dump that was before I met the owner . Now the house has a face of a elderly little lady who told us she has waited for 2 years to get back home. Now it is the red house and a very special challenge, right up Rich's idea of a fun job. The group of people we have working with us give 110% they also have a good time doing it. I have never worked with such a funny group. It starts around the breakfast table already and goes on until bed. I guess we have to work them harder. It makes for a great time. We have a Last Nail on Fri and I hear even the Mayor is coming, Ms. Frances knows every one in this town. She also feeds us at noon and half of the neighborhood. Things are going well. I will try pictures later when time permits. Thank you for your prayers we could not do without them. Rich & Phyl

Hi Again from Port Arthur

2007-10-11T22:05:00.000-04:00

Hi-- Well our 3 weeks are just about over. Tomorrow is our last day. We didn't finish any of the houses we worked on. They had so much damage, we found more everytime we looked around. The next group should be able to finish 2 of them, so the families can move back home after 2 years. I have been painting ceilings for the past couple of days and Dan is helping hang drywall. We have had a wonderful 3 weeks. We worked hard but had lots of fun too. We celebrated Thanksgiving day with the Canada friend last Monday. Tuesday the cooks went to a garage sale and got us all a fun gift and put up a Christmas tree. Tonight we celebrated Christmas. We sang Christmas songs and opened our gifts. Saturday morning we will be heading home. We should be home Sunday late or Monday. Thanks for all the prayers and support you have given us. I have enjoyed blogging. Thank you Kathy. Love Dan and Gerda

Last day in Slidell

2007-10-05T20:46:00.000-04:00

These three weeks went really fast! We worked hard but we had a lot of fun, too! I'm sending along a group picture so you can see who we worked with. But now it's time to head north and go home. I mudded today at the shotgun house so I was tired again tonight. We almost got the house done one coat. Doug & the guys put in plywood subfloor so that house is coming right along. Miss Frances' house has the laminate floor laid in two rooms and another gal & I put down vinyl tile squares in two rooms. It really looks nice. The third house has the siding on and the painting is done so it is ready for trim work. There are 2 "new" houses that the next crew will work on that will be quite a challenge. They will also finish these three houses. I think Rich & Phyl will be able to handle all of that. We want to thank you for the comments sent to us on the blog; they meant a lot to us. We also want to thank you for your prayers. See you at home. Love, Doug & Mary

Slidell/R-P

2007-10-05T17:28:00.000-04:00

This is our first house that we will be starting! We will need your prayers. No need to say more!
Love Rich and Phyl

We made it to Slidell.

2007-10-03T21:58:00.000-04:00

Nice to have a welcome here from someone we knew. Mary is giving me lessons on sending notes on the blog . I hope I can do as well with pictures as she has. It is as hot as we expected. We have a few days on orientation before we start work on Oct 6. Pray for us as we begin a new job. Rich and Phyl

Humpday.It is down hill from here

2007-10-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

We are half done. We have done a lot of work. I with the group I was with tore all the walls and ceiling out of a house. Today I started to paint in the house I started at. When the painting is done the floor can be laid and the owner can think of moving into her home after 2 years. The is a lot of work on the outside the next group will do. Dan is working in the house I was out and they have to raise the roof tomorrow because it is fall down. Then they can put the walls up and ceiling up so it too will look like home to this family in a couple of week. We will start in the fourth house tomorrow. It is always exciting to see what has to be done and start doing it. We are here with a great group. Laugh alot. We will say good bye for now and will write again soon. Love you all. Dan and Gerda

Our 3rd week in Slidell

2007-10-02T18:52:00.000-04:00

Hello again! We are winding down and are trying to finish the houses that we are working on. Doug started on a different house and this one is really crooked. They are just doing enough to get it ready for the next group. Rich & Phyl will be the Construction Supervisors for that group so he will have some work ahead of him.
I have a message from Anthony for our Youth Group. We visited him the other day and he has moved into his home about a month ago. He said to tell everyone hello and to say that Anthony is doing A-OK! He laid the ceramic tile himself and put down the carpet himself. He did a good job. We had a nice prayer with him and a nice visit.
I'll have more in a couple of days to finish out our report and have a few more pictures. Until then- Love, Doug & Mary

Hi: time goes fast when you are having fun

2007-09-29T20:21:00.000-04:00

Well we have been here a week. Yesterday we started knocking down walls in a house that was damaged by Rita. It was a new undertaking for me. An eight year old boy lives in the house with his parents. The look on his face when he seen what we had done to his room was priceless. Dan is still working in the same house and they are starting to put the walls up again. We have a prayer request: Rense DeGroot and his wife lost a brother in law this week to cancer. Rense flew back to G.R. yesterday and will return to us on Tuesday. Tomorrow we will go to church next door. They own the building we stay in. Bye for now Love Dan and Gerda

Middle of the week and all is well

2007-09-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone: We are having a great time. We are still working on the same houses. There is a lot to do. Dan took a bathroom apart and the daughter of the owner wasn't happy. She asked him how she would take her shower. Today they set the bathtub but no water. The guys suggested she fill it from the kitchen sick. They had to raise the center of the roof almost 4 inches. It was sagging that much. The house I have been working on we are starting to put back together. We started painting in the kitchen today. That house has the bathtub in the living room. The floor in the bathroom is no more. You see the ground under the house. The weather has been very warm but we are doing fine. We have air in the place we stay at. Will write again soon. Thanks for you prayers. We love you all..Dan and Gerda

Lunch in Slidell

2007-09-26T18:46:00.000-04:00

I have to tell you about our lunch that we had today. Everyday Miss Francis fixes all 14 of us a variety of meals for our noon lunch. Today she fixed cabbage with pig tails plus some other foods to go along with it. They have very little meat on them with a lot of fat but they tasted just like pork (Doug said). We always get a few things different but this was the most different of all. Miss Francis is such a positive person. She fixes these meals in her FEMA trailer everyday and sweats up a storm doing it; but yet she is as happy as a lark, always with a smile on her face and so grateful for the work that we do. I'll send along a picture or two of us eating in her back yard. Til later-- Doug & Mary

Second Week in Slidell

2007-09-25T21:16:00.000-04:00

Another week has begun and it is hot and muggy. The humidity is 96% and it's not supposed to get better for a couple of days. We escaped the tropical storm on the weekend and had rain on Mon. but sun again today.
Doug & group found a leak in the roof of the shot gun house when it rained yesterday so the drywalling stopped short. They hope the leak was found today so the other work can continue. Some of the guys are putting siding up on the house.
The third house that is being worked on is being painted on the inside and siding is now going up on the outside. That house is coming right along.
The house that I'm working on has the mudding done now and we have been painting on the doors and the trim. Tomorrow we need to paint the utiliy room where we mudded and then more trim. There are really low ceilings in this house and in the utility room the ceiling is slanted, so I can reach the ceiling standing on the floor.
Well, the group is ready to play cards so I guess I better get ready too. Last night we were so tired that we were in bed by 9:00, but tonight, I guess we can play a little. I'll write more in a few days and I'll take a few more pictures, too. Take care, Doug & Mary

First day of work at Port Arthur

2007-09-24T20:49:00.000-04:00

There are two houses we are working on. One of the groups Dan is with and I work with the other. They have a lot of damage and need a lot of work. I cleaned cabinets with two other ladies and we only finished the top part. The still had dishes and food in them and it is two years since the hurricane hit. Dan was taking a bathroom apart all the way down to the floor. We have a very good group and work together very well and have a lot of fun too. It was a hot day but it went very well.We will write again soon Love Dan and Gerda

We made it to Texas

2007-09-22T22:31:00.000-04:00

Hi It is Saturday night we had a very safe trip. We got to know a group a little and plan to go to church nextdoor. The name is St Johns Lutheran church. They own the building we stay in. Bye for now Love Dan and Gerda

Hello again

2007-09-20T20:46:00.000-04:00

We have now finished two days of actual work and we're kind of tired. Last night we played cards (and I won) but tonight this is just about all I can handle! It is still hot but the humidity has not been as high.
Doug has been working on a "shot gun house". This is a house that has the rooms one after the other with the front door on one end and the back door on the other. If you would shoot a shot gun through the front door; it would go right out the back. There are a lot of these houses here in the south, in the poorer communities. He has been doing some insulating, drywalling, and carpentry work.
I have been doing some taping, mudding and sanding on drywall on another house. This lady, Miss Frances, fixes a meal for all of the "green shirts" at noon time.
We are monitering the storm that is down in the gulf and are hoping that it does not come this way. We do have a place to go to evacuate, if necessary.
Time to go now and am sending love to all.
Doug & Mary

Texas here we come

2007-09-19T13:19:00.000-04:00

Hi We plan to leave in the morning and get through Chicago before it gets too busy. Will let you know how it went when we get to Port Arthur. Love Dan and Gerda

Greetings from Slidell

2007-09-17T20:48:00.000-04:00

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Hello everyone! Doug & I had a good trip down to the south country. We had beautiful sunny weather every day. We got about 30 miles from Slidell and I thought it was raining but Doug said that bugs were hitting the windshield. It is mating season for the lovebugs here and they are all over the place! Our truck and trailer were plastered with them. I'll include a picture of them on the trailer. They are also flying all over in the air. Yuk! The men said they usually last about three weeks and they should only have a week left. Does anybody want them for an insect collection? This site has been closed since May and everything needs a good cleaning. Our real work will start on Wed. It sounds like there is at least 6 houses to get started on with more in the works. There are still a lot of FEMA trailers and gutted out houses wherever you look. The temps have been in the 90's and the humidity is up there. I'm glad we have air conditioning for eating and sleeping. I'm going to try to put some pictures along with this. They are of the office, the shower trailer and our trailer parked with others. I don't know if I'm doing it right or not but we'll see. This is all new to me. I'll write more as we begin working and as more interesting things begin to happen.
Love to all, Doug & Mary

EMCRC Missions

Work Day #4

Work Day #3

Work Day #2

Work Day #1

Easter Sunday~ He is Risen!

April 2 and 3~ Photos

Arrival In Franklinton, LA

Cedar Rapids Flood

Thursday, April 9

Wednesday, April 8

Tuesday, April 7

Monday, April 6

Saturday, April 4

News Articles about CRWRC in Texas

Texas News

Texas News

SUNDAY & PHOTO LINK

FRIDAY

Wednesday Update

Port Arthur on Hold

Done in Laurel

Work Progress in Laurel

Laurel, Mississippi

Thursday

Wednesday Update

Tuesday, Day 3

Hello from Franklinton, LA!

We Made It!

Good Bye To Belle Glade

We've Moved in Tennessee

Second Week in Belle Glade

We Are in Jackson, Tennessee

Happy Easter from Belle Glade

Howdy from Belle Glade

Happy Birthday!

Good-Bye to Laurel

Last Day in Belle Glade

Hi from Laurel

Broken Leg

Port Arthur-- Week 6

Laurel, Mississippi

We made it to Belle Glade

Port Arthur: Week 3

Port Arthur

Coming Home

Last Nail Ceremony

One work week done

Arrived in Port Arthur

End of Week 3

Week 3

Week 2 Slidell

Slidell

Hi Again from Port Arthur

Last day in Slidell

Slidell/R-P

We made it to Slidell.

Humpday.It is down hill from here

Our 3rd week in Slidell

Hi: time goes fast when you are having fun

Middle of the week and all is well

Lunch in Slidell

Second Week in Slidell

First day of work at Port Arthur

More News from Slidell

We made it to Texas

Hello again

Texas here we come

Greetings from Slidell