What did I see?
100.000 families yet displaced 14+ months after the disaster
Communities setting deathly silent
Home after home each with a lifetime of memories waiting in ruin for what’s next
Families with a sense of despair and hopelessness’
Churches struggling to be the foundation of communities
Government at all levels not up to the task

No that’s not what I saw,
That’s what exists in the material world of today,
What I saw was that,
Recovery is happening thanks to thousands of volunteers
Non-Profit and Faith based groups are making a difference 1home, 1 family at a time
God sent us and thousands of other, volunteers / missionaries

We took our Brooms and shovels
Hammers and saws
But most importantly we took our Faith and Love

We took our faith That God would show us what to do
That our gifts would be used
That we would make a difference

We took our Love To share and support each other
To give unconditionally to individuals, families, and communities

I did not feel like a missionary, just a farmer, using the tools God has given me, fueled by my faith, showing my love for fellow humans,
I felt like, a Farmer, just a farmer sowing the seeds of hope,

What message do I need to leave with you,
As Christians we have an obligation to use our gifts sharing them freely with
our neighbors, here at home, across this country, and around the world

What did we do?

There were 43 volunteers in our group,
We worked over 2000 hours on 15 different projects, these projects included
Mucking 3 homes
Finish Trim work in 3 homes
Hung dry wall, applied tap, and mud in 1 home
Began reconstruction of 1 home
Installed the Shower Trailer
Worked on 2 separate Prayer Gardens
Painted 2 Murals, 1 at Bethlehem LC and 1at a local School
Worked in a Dental Clinic
Distributed towels, Quilts, School Supplies, and Toys
Prepared 3 meals a day for 80+ volunteers

My stories to tell
Allie, Beth, each wanted their turn to be a part of Grandpa’s project
Monica, quietly cleaned and cleared the yard, you would not know it was the same house at the end of the week
Katie, Chelsie, daily reports of their hard work, what a hard working team
Vicki, part of an in separable team
Kevin, willingly changed assignments when a strong back was needed
Cody, when did this kid get so mature,
Jan, mom’s girl
Kate, a double espresso please, what do you mean I am not a morning person
Cindy, she can hold her own running a skill saw
Chris, easy going, what ever, I will do it
Phil, thanks for being a part of building the shower trailer
Pauline, did not say, but I know she pushed her personal limits
Wil, a true mentor, demonstrating patience, planting the seed of hope
Kathy, give her a sledgehammer and stand back, can I have that coffee to go
Arlene, lunch is on the way
Jim, we are lost at the corner of Hickory, Dickery, and Dock
Darlene, she brightened up the neighbor hood
Jackie, chauffer
Paul, need him for the heavy lifting
BJ, finished the job to perfection
Elisa, fun loving, influenced by others love of life
Sue, founded in her faith, my friend
Jan, Lin, the golden girls
Al, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree
Marvin, he has not taught me all of his skills yet
Ruth, we never went hungry
Dale, OK Team this is what we are going to do today
Pr Chris, not only can he preach but he can mud too
Carolyn, Donna, they must be saints
Lauri, Dr. Mom
Harvey, when does he quit?
Bill, no we need him on our crew
Patty, quietly got the job done
Roy, a man with a vision
Allen, arrived Tuesday, not a day too soon
Glen, where does he get all that energy?
Lisa, you must make Bethlehem a stop on your next trip to NO

What did I learn, “Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape”

Thank You Volunteers for all of you hard work and a truly memorable experience.