GULF COAST 2009

GULF COAST TRIP 2009

WE ARE HOME AND MOST OF US ARE BACK TO THE RAT RACE

Well, we made it home.  We were ok for most of the trip until we got around Kankakee and then we hit ice.  That was fun!  Not really.  We left New Orleans around 5 AM and got home around 9ish at night.  It was a very very long day.  I was really glad to get out of the car and I can only imagine how anxious Keith and all of the other drivers were.  

I have not processed in my brain all of the great feelings I have about the trip.  My emotions ran high and low.  I was so happy to see that New Orleans is better this year than last year.  It seems cleaner and more houses are either done or in the process.  I'd say it's about time.  Our teams were more organized (thanks Steve) and had a clear direction as to what had to be done.  We had the necessary supplies and if not it was just a short time before they were there.  Last year we spent quite a bit of time standing around and that was wasted time.  This year the "advance man" had it so that we just walked in and worked.  How perfect!  

There are a lot of statistics about how many square feet of various stuff we worked with but I don't have that info written down.  I will try to get it for you.  It is truly awsome!  We did do work on 14 houses and that means that we got 14 families closer to being back in their homes.  The fear is that people will tire of hearing about the Gulf Coast and forget how much work still needs to be done.  I pray that that doesn't happen.

Getting back to my "real" job today felt so different from what I have been doing.  I wish I could afford to spend more time in New Orleans and get further in the project.  But, alas, money has to be made to pay the bills.  Maybe when I retire I can give more time to what my heart has been telling me I should be doing.  If the economy picks up I can retire but until then I will spend my week every January doing my small part.

I am going to download some pictures tonight.  

Peace and love to you all

Ginny

EARLY SATURDAY MORNING

We are getting ready to leave. It is 4:04. My group is different than the group that I drove down with. Pastor B and family are driving straight through to Michigan so I grabbed an empty seat with Keith. Keith's 4th passenger is driving the box trip back because the box trip driver had to fly home because he had a bad eye condition. Now, if you can follow that you must be reading this later in the day because I'm having trouble following it. The Baerwolf's were going to drop me by the side of the road somewhere near Joliet and hope one of the others on the team picks me up. No. really, we had a plan but this was really the best. This also buys them almost an hour earlier on the road.

I am packed, my bed is sanitized, and I am here in the corner staying out of the way. I don't look forward to this long drive but it is better than stopping midway. I am anxious to get home and back to my family and I am sure the rest of the team is, too. While we have been here working for other families we have missed ours dearly.

Time to get some last minute stuff ready and get off the camp's computer in case others want to use it to check the travel conditions.

Pray for our safe journey. And also pray for the folks down here. We have left them a bit further along with their road home but there is still much to do. Maybe even 10 more years. Can you imagine that? Keep the Gulf Coast in your hearts and prayers. Everytime we leave here we take a bit of this place with us and leave a bit of ourselves behind. It's hard to forget the hugs and tears of appreciation.

Peace and love to all

AWAY WE GO!!!!

Well, we finished our assignments. None of us were completely done with our houses but we can see we have started and are a lot closer to getting some people back in their homes. Our Mrs Cloud, for instance, probably will be back home in about a month or less if the next crew coming through here will continue on with her house and not be assigned to something else. She still has the final electrical and plumbing to do and those craftsmen are hard to come by here. They have to be certified in the state of Louisiana and we cannot guarantee that we will have any of them so they may need to get a private contractor in. That may cause a hold up. Mrs Cloud did get her phones wired today so she is closer than ever.

We only worked a half day today. Immanuel Crystal Lake left about 2:30 or 3:00 today with a plan to drive to Memphis tonight and the rest of the way tomorrow. We wish them safe travels. We spent part of the afternoon riding the streetcars in downtown New Orleans. We got to see how "the other half lives". There were some beautiful houses down by St Charles Street and Tulane University. Then we toured the lower 9th ward again and saw the have nots. What a contrast!! We went to dinner at our new favorite place, came back and packed and now are all going to bed so we can get a very early start for tomorrow. We plan on pulling out of here at 4:45 AM with a stop at Cafe Dumont for breakfast. Nummy! The truck that is bringing our totes and bedding is almost all loaded already with the exception of the necessary stuff. We will pick it all up at Immanuel East Dundee between 1 & 2 Sunday.

Anyhow, I know I keep promising pictures and I really will but right now I have to get some sleep. When I get home I will go into detail and include pics including the Brad Pitt homes and a million shots of our home that a bunch of us who were strangers on Monday worked on as a family by the end of the assignment.

Pray for our safe return.

Peace and Love to all of you

Ginny and the rest of the gang down here! We love you and have missed you. We can't wait to see you.

SORRY I MISSED LAST NIGHT BUT I HAVE A SEMI-GOOD REASON

Hi, all,

I had a hard time getting this computer to log on tonight. Sorry this is late. Last night I didn't blog because I had a real rough day. We started work at 8AM as usual and we really worked. We got the house mostly painted and the floors almost down. We worked until 6PM. We missed dinner so when I got back Pastor B insisted that they get me some food and off to Bourbon Sreet we went. I did get a shower before we left but that was about all. We had dinner at Pat O'Briens. I had crawfish ettoufee, red beans and rice and gumbo. I have had some wonderful food down here. For lunch yesterday I had a catfish po'boy. WOW! We discovered a new little restaurant in the area of our house - a real surprise. Loved it.... Anyhow - back to O'Briens - I had a hurricane and it was really good but not being a drinker it was almost more than I could handle. Wasn't drunk (especially by NOLA standards) but I was REAL tired. I was glad when we got back here so I could get some sleep. The French Quarter was very busy last night - a Wednesday night at that. Not my idea of a great time. I am glad we went but I don't want to do that again tomorrow night as we planned. We found this (to use an Illinois term) Sports Bar in Chalmette that was really neat so we are going there tomorrow for dinner with the whole Immanuel Team or at least those who want to go.

Today was back to Mrs Clouds where we finished the painting and the wood floors and the tile team came in and did that in the bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. She is so excited. She brought her grandson over who goes to the boys academy across the street and he was so surprised. He said to his grandma later - " it is so wonderful that all those white christians came down to help us and they did such a good job". When you get comments like that you remember why you are down here and why you deal with the aches from muscles you haven't used for many years, if ever. I am bone tired but it is a good tired. We have met some wonderful people. Many in Mrs Cloud's neighborhood have come over to introduce themselves. Most everyone who drives past while we are outside eating lunch or cutting flooring or doing anything else waves and smiles. Mrs Cloud walks through the house with tears in her eyes saying "oh my" with awe in her voice. She is a dear who has been living with her daughter for 3 plus years now. It is time to get that lady back to her home. It is getting there. The sad thing is that after tomorrow someone else will get to finish it or at least get it a bit closer. Tomorrow we install all her internal doors on her side and get started on the trim. The next crew will get to hang cabinets, finish the other side and do some outside work. Wish I had another week here. I would love to see the finished project.

We drove through the lower 9th ward today after work. They have come a long way. It has been cleaned up so much since last year and there are a few new homes there and some that escaped the floods have been rehabbed. There are still many foundations there without homes and there are still abandoned homes and abandoned lots. We saw the Brad Pitt homes too. I can't say I like them. They don't fit the New Orleans style - they are very ultramodern. I won't say too much because he is helping to get the rebuilding going and he is doing it in a very green way but I still don't know.... The homes that are being rebuilt are all being outfitted with a hatch in the roof in case this happens again. The sight of that is pretty disturbing to me.

Tomorrow we are only working until noonish and then back here for a pizza party and then devotions and after that a free afternoon. This is a real treat but we deserve it. We have worked on 14 homes this week and have made a dent in their "to do" list. We have drywalled, installed insulation, done tile and wood floors, hung cabinets and sanded lots of drywall and painted, painted, painted. We are a good crew. We even deep cleaned Camp Restore and helped out here. What a good feeling to get the kind of complements and verbal hugs like we have from the staff here. Anyhow think of the manhours we have donated to New Orleans and the people here 61 peopleX40 hours each. Then we donated $3200.00 in supplies and a full set of kitchen cabinets. The people of our congregations have been very generous in their donations and that is what we used to get things like the extra flooring for Mrs Cloud that she needed to finish the job. It is an interesting story of how she got on the Camp Restore list. She had hired a person to do her work and he bought the supplies with her money (the money from her insurance check). He then turned around and sold the supplies right out of her house just like a mini home depot. He then took off - never to be seen again. This is not a unique story here. Mrs Cloud had no where else to turn and Camp Restore took a look at her case and put her on the list.

I am going to bed now. I can't keep my eyes open any longer. I have pictures and will get them up here soon

Pray for us to have the strength to finish our jobs tomorrow and also pray for our safe travels home. We are all distressed to hear about your cold weather. As I type this my little weather bug on the top of my screen says Elgin is -14. We are sorry and very worried about you all. Stay Warm! We are praying for you.

Peace and Love to all

Ginny

Day two - OWIE,OWIE,OWIE!!

I Hate painting!  No, not realy - just a bit tired of it.  We painted from 8 to 3.  Can't tell you how much time I have spent with my arms over mhy head.  Today I was a CUTTER - you know - edging.  Yippee!  Tomorrow they tell us that they will either be doing floors or splitting up and probably PAINTING!  How unique!  No, it is really necessary.  

I will add some pictures on here but dinner is in 15 minutes so I am not sure how much I will get done.  I hope to blog tonite but we may get out of here and go shopping for awhile.  ust to get away for awhile.

Peace and love to all of you.

We are all safe and very very tired but feel that we are making some people here in New Orleans just a little more comfortable.

Ginny

p.s.  hope to get back to you later tonite

DAY 1 AND AM I SORE!

Whew,  now I know I sit at a desk all day.  Didn't know I had some of these muscles that I have that are hurting.  Good exercise and better than a sleeping pill at bedtime.

OK  the day started as normal - breakfast at 7 A.M.  Now, I am a very early riser but I don't like to eat that early.  I "suffered" and ate scrambled eggs and sausages.  Glad I did, too, 'cause the rest of the day got a bit confusing.

First of all our house didn't have the required supplies yet so we hung around Camp Restore and deep cleaned.  The place was a mess and one of our ladies took it upon herself to recruit some peeps to clean.  So, while we were waiting for supplies we cleaned, moved bunk beds and sanitized anything that didn't move (and some things that did).  About 10:30 we got a call that the supplies were on the way to our house so we all loaded up and found our place.  It was in a real blighted area.  The homeowner had been ripped off and was starting from scratch.  He had had all of his supplies and tools and then someone broke in and stole everything - including pulling wires out of the wall.  He now has a rotweiler.  Anyhow, we had some cash and used some of it to get him drywall and cement board.  The two rooms we were to drywall and tile were each no bigger than 4X4 and there were 8 of us.  Our "advance team" guy came by and two of us were moved to another project.  We went to Mrs Cloud's house on Hope Street.  Isn't that perfect?  Anyhow, Mrs Cloud has a double shotgun house (long and narrow with a kitchen/living room combo followed by a bedroom, followed by another bedroom).  There is the exact duplicate on the other side that Mrs Cloud rents out.  She was born in this house over 60 years ago and this is all she knows.  The water was higher than her front door and to get to her front door you had to go up about 5 stairs to her front porch so you can tell it was very high.  So, we drywalled, taped, patched, primed and painted.  Tomorrow (if I am still on that team) we will finish painting and start on the ceramic floors and the laminate floors.  Mrs Cloud has all of her materials so other than labor, she has paid for everything herself.  Don't think she has that much left for labor and that is why we are here.  I hope Dave (the other orphan) and I stay with this team.  They are fun, work hard, and get along.  No one seems to think they are any smarter or better than the next.  We are young and old, boys and girls, skinny and not so, in good shape and not at all.  A very diverse group to be sure.

So far the only embarrassing moments I have had was first when I asked this lady which church she went to and she said the same as mine.  She also knew which pew was mine (for those of you who don't know, I'm very territorial about my church pew).  Well, I surely had egg on my face!  Then today I was walking into the bathroom to do some priming and tripped over absolutely nothing and fell face down on the floor.  Worse yet, there were 3 young guys there who absolutely froze.  I am sure that they thought they'd have to take the "old lady" to the hospital.  The good thing was I didn't spill a drop of paint.  I'm not going to tell them that my knee really hurts.  Let's see what cute tricks I can do tomorrow to liven up the crowd.

O K  - hate to go on about the weather here when you have blizzard warnings in Elgin but I just can't resist!  We had upper 50's today and bright sunshine.  We were outside eating lunch in shirt sleeves.  The people who live here keep apologizing because it is so "cold".  They look so cute in their jackets when we have tee shirts on.  The grass here is very green and the yards around Hope Street need cutting.  I'm sorry - the devil must have taken over my fingers and made me type that but it is beautiful.  Next year you can all experience this kind of weather in January by coming with us.  You will love it!

Everyone from Immanuel is doing well.  Some of them have more energy than the 20 year olds.  They have found out that there is something for everyone to do no matter what your age or experience.

Well, that is about all for now.  We have bible study in a few minutes and I want to get ready,  Hope I can stay awake.  Not that bible study is boring but I am really really sleepy!!

Ya'all take care.  Pray for us - tomorrow is going to be a tougher day.  More than one of us will be moving a little more gingerly.

Peace and love to you all

Ginny and the rest of the Immanuel group.

p.s. Look for the pictures at the top of the page.  Don't know what they'll be yet so we will be surprised together.  Will post some right after I post this.

WE MADE IT!!! AND BOY, ARE WE TIRED!

We made it - all of us are safe and sound.  There were no problems on the road.  Thank God for that.   

After a pretty snowy start to the trip, we made it to about Kankakee and then there was just slush on the road and finally we had drizzle and dampish roads but really nothing to worry about.

We made it to Hernando around 4:30 or so.  They fed us wonderful casseroles and home made dessert for dinner.  We LOVED it.  After dinner Pastor B held a short church service for us.  It was nice to have a taste of home and to hear a familiar voice.  We were up early this morning and had a quick breakfast on the run.  To my GREAT dismay there were no grits - cheesy or other kind.  The staff was told to make us breakfast like the Hebrews ate - on the run.  DARN!  

We got to Camp Restore around 12:30ish and got our lower bunks!  That is a real joy.  No climbing to that top bunk and face the fear of falling down as you are climbing up.

Camp Restore has really changed.  It is staffed by all volunteers and it is a pig sty.   I can't tell you how disappointing it is.  There also were very strict rules last year that I see have changed  this year -  they seem to have been relaxed.  It is nice that we have the whole place to our selves this year and have a smaller team.  Last year we were over 100 and this year we are around 60.  What a difference.  The halls are much less crowded and less noisy.

A group of us went to lunch and had cajun food this afternoon - Muflattas (YUM) catfish po'boys and all of that kind of stuff - complete experiencing of the New Orleans lifestyle right off the bat.  

We drove past some of the areas that were in a terrible state last year and there has been some progress.  I am sure that we will see much more tomorrow and can tell you more about the progress that has been made.  We still are seeing FEMA trailers all over the place. Not as many as before but still too many. 

I have pictures and will download them either later tonight or tomorrow of some of the sights on the way down but I will tell you that we have SUN and green grass .  

We will have dinner in about an hour and then a bible study and a church service.  Right now I need a shower - real bad.  

So, if you all will excuse me, I am going to take my shower so my tablemates will be able to stand me.

All take care.  Pray for us as we go out on our assignments tomorrow and pray for those of us who will stay behind to clean this place.  It needs us as much as the residents of New Orleans do - maybe more.

Peace and love to all -

Ginny 

Gotta get to bed

I've been messing around trying to post pictures and as you can see I figured it out.  Yahoo!!  Now I have to pack up this computer and get myself to bed.  4 AM is going to come real early!!  Next time I write we should be in New Orleans.    We got the truck packed this evening (well, I was there for awhile and there was still a LOT to do when I left but they had a good start) and it looks like we will be ready to leave at 6AM as planned.  Hope the snow stops and the weathher clears up.  Wish us good travels.

Nighty Night!!

Peace to all

Ginny

The Day Before The Day Before....

Getting things ready to go - praying for no snow on Saturday morning but from what I heard today it sounds like we may have some.  OH - if it's gotta snow let's hope it stays North!  Checked the New Orleans (NOLA) weather and it is going to be a high of 60 during the day and a low of 40 at night.  Rain on the last day we will be there but the rest sunny (remember the sun - that bright shiny thing up in the sky?).  Got things at work about buttoned up - I am indispensable you know...not really.  Just like I feel I need to clean my closets at home before I go on vacation in case something happens (don't want to be remembered as the girl with the dirty closets) I like to get my work "closets" clean before I leave.  I don't want any panic calls.

We will be dropping our stuff off at Immanuel Friday between 6 & 8 PM so they can load the truck.  We will all be coming at different times but if you want to drop by and say HI and Good Travels, please feel free.

The men's club has offered to serve us breakfast Saturday morning at 5:30.  That is so nice and so welcomed!  Especially because it's soooooo early.  We leave at 6 AM.  Our first stop is at Hernando Mississippi.  We sleep on the floor in the United Methodist Church school.  Ya'all thought this was going to be a glamorous trip - didn't you?  The highlight comes on Sunday morning and the cheesy grits.  Even if you don't like grits I guarantee you will love these.  No matter what - we eat well during these missions even though we have brown bag lunches - that we pack ourselves - at the work sites.

In case anyone is worried about our souls. Pastor B is having a small Saturday night service in Hernando.  And there will be another service Sunday evening when we get to Camp Restore.

We are sad to be missing the Immanuel  Cantada so save some DVD's and CD's for us.  I know you all will be in great voice.  We will be there for you in spirit.

Well,  I think I will go clean a closet or repack my stuff (again) or just veg with a wild game of  spider solitaire.  If everyone is as excited as I am to get this adventure started, sleep will be hard to come by for us.  Lots and lots to do and think about before we push off Saturday.

Love and Peace to all of you.

Keep us in your hearts and prayers.

Ginny

New Orleans Update

This is the week before the Gulf Coast trip and there is still more to do.  I am backed but am sure I have forgotten something.  I always worry about not having something but I still over pack.

I am riding again with the Baerwolfs.  The ride with them is almost the highlight of the trip.  What a fun group of people.  I laugh A LOT!

I have been put on a landscaping team.  Those of you who know me know that this must be God's little joke or a very good lesson in patience because I HATE landscaping and anything to do with outside work.  I will be patient and ENJOY what I am doing but this may turn out to be a great lesson in following HIS direction.  I am secretly asking for rain so we can paint or even sand drywall.  Bet you can see now how much I hate landscaping if I would rather sand drywall!  My hubby is getting quite a laugh out of my assigned job.  He's been asking me to help outside for 20 years now and I have refused.  Hope he doesn't think this will suddenly make me join the Curb Appeal people on HGT.  But I think he'd pay big bucks for a video of me pulling weeds, planting shrubs. digging holes or mowing lawns.  Gee I hope it rains!

Just to warn you, I plan to update this blog throughout the trip.  You will be getting further updates as we go along as long as the blisters on my hands from LANDSCAPING don't get in the way.  Will try to not bore you but hope to share the "magic" of the trip and how it affects us all here.

Pray for us that we make it there and back safely and that we have the energy to complete our tasks and that we remember that we are there to help rebuild homes but more importantly to spread the word and love of Jesus.

Peace to all

Ginny