Galveston Work Trip News

Day Two

fightpilotswife — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:27:34 +0000

On Day Two of our trip we “mucked out” Miss Mary’s house. This was by far the buggiest, hottest, dirtiest day of our week. We arrived at Miss Mary’s early to beat the heat and were astounded by the condition of her home. There was evidnce of mold all the way to the ceiling of each room in the house. Our instructions said to start by ripping out paneling. We started at the back of thehouse in what I can only imagine was once a family room. We donned masks and gloves and with crow bars and other tools in hand we started the job of ripping away the paneling! And then the bugs came! Behind the insulation crumbling boards were revealed. It was obvious that along with the roaches and wasps some termites had taken up residence in the back of the house. Everyone worked so hard. It was such a hot job and difficult to breath with the masks but the group perservered. During the day we were visited by Miss Mary’s pastor who thanked us for coming to help her with her home. He told us she had been waiting for a year for the work on her home to proceed. He brought us a lunch made by church volunteers. The snacks, sweet tea and plenty of fresh water were much appreciated. In the case of Miss Mary’s home mucking I think a picture is worth a thousand words. You can see our pile of debris growing as the day continued. We managed to not only pull out the paneling and insulation throughout the house we also pulled out the full bathroom including Thom Larkins conquering the tub. I learned the Texas roaches apparently believe that Black Flag bug spray is an appetizer. I learned that randomly there can be a tiny skull in a wall. Who knows what is lurking in yours. I also learned the power of humidity. At the end of the day I stood on Miss Mary’s FEMA trailer porch and took a photograph with her. Her sweet thank you made the entire day worthwhile. After our short drive home we all showered off the grime of our day and even felt it necessary to wash our clothes to get rid of any possible bug and mold residue. We enjoyed some nice fellowship as we took a quick swim in the hotel pool followed by a nice dinner together at a local cafeteria. It was early to bed for all of us. The next day we would be heading to the the Habitat for Humanity job site in Beaumont.

Hump day and just posting

fightpilotswife — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:57:20 +0000

Hi everyone! It is already the hump day of our trip and I’m finally posting. Each evening I mean to post and then we are so hot and tired that I don’t get to it.

Our travel day was easy! We flew into Houston Hobby airport in the afternoon and the flight was smooth. Five of us flew on the original flight from Las Vegas to Houston: Gregg Denzler, Stephanie Ecklund, Gayla and Mellissa from St. George Utah and myself. The drive to Beaumont from Houston took just over an hour and it was interesting to see the green flat land. As we were flying into Houston the blue tarps on all the rooftops were evident. When you realize it has been a year since the last storm you wonder how many tarps there were throughout the year. We heard from locals that the tarps represent a mix of Gustav, Rita and Ike damage. Our hotel is very nice and located next to two major highways. Trouble is with these strange Texan on ramps we sometimes end up getting on the wrong one. It fools the GPS because they are so close together. On the first night we spent our time getting to know two of the travelers from St. George. We shared a meal and checked out the area.

Sunday morning we headed over to the Salvation Army emergency shelter which is near our hotel. We met Russell the kitchen manager and heard his amazing story. Russell was out of town working when Ike hit and he returned home to realize that he not only couldn’t get back home to Galveston Island but he had lost everything. His home, his possessions and HIS HARLEY! Russell sought shelter with the Salvation Army and it was there that he also faced his addictions. He went through their 3 week program and lived at the shelter. At the end of the program they asked him to stay on and work in the kitchen. He still lives on site and supervises those staying there at night. He is an amazing man and a true believer. We helped serve the noon meal and spoke with several of the men, women and children who are currently making the Salvation Army their home. The emergency shelter is a well run and clean place. They have areas for men, women and even a room for families. Some of the folks come to the shelter on a nightly basis and others are completing the 21 day program to get off drugs or alcohol. They are allowed to stay at the shelter for 3 days and after this intial period they are expected to pay $10 per night. Those that are in the 21 day program are allowed to keep their things by their bunks and are allowed to stay for free provided they attend meetings and church services. We spoke with several men who had received a second chance at life through the programs provided. Meals are served every evening at 5pm and they feed anyone who comes to the door. The afternoon we were there we shared an amazing meal of brisket, mashed potatoes and green beans. The food was incredible. We helped Russell with the clean up and cleaned and mopped the dining room and then we enjoyed a tour. They had just set up their sanctuary for Vacation Bible School and it was decked out in space decorations. At the end of our time there we shared a prayer with Russell and a few others. Russell truly feels the Lord sent him to the Beaumont Salvation Army in his time of crisis for a reason. He knows deep within his soul that the work he does there is the work of the Lord. Joy radiates from this man who lost everything material and through that loss found everything important.

After serving at the Salvation Army we drove to Galveston Island. We saw the devastation of Ike. Piles of debris lined the highway a year after the storm. We also saw evidence of the Texas spirit. One property had two small houses on it, both damaged one sat upright while the other sat on its roof. The upright house had been painted with an arrow and a sign that read: This side up! If only they had placed one on the other house…. There were also makeshift business reopened in trailers and little collections of RV’s where a neighborhood once stood. We took the ferry to the island and several in the group dipped their toes in the Gulf of Mexico for the first time.

Monday morning the full group convened as Pam and Barry Prescott from St. George, Thom and Carole Larkins also joined us that day. After a short devotion we headed to Orange, TX to Miss Mary’s house. Habitat for Humanity does not build on Mondays so I had hooked us up with a disaster relief organization through the United Methodist church. I was a little nervous because I had been told we would be “mucking out” a house. 24 hours before arrival I had received an email with a list of tasks we were to complete and was told all necessary tools would be left on the front porch of the house. Miss Mary, the home owner would be living in the FEMA trailer next door to the house. The list included: tearing out paneling and insulation, tearing out a bathroom vanity and tub, tearing out kitchen cabinets and clearing the house of debris…….what the actual task included was quite a different story. (To be continued next blog entry)

The Time has Come

fightpilotswife — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:37:00 +0000

The time has finally come for our departure. I have to admit I’m getting pretty excited about getting my hands dirty and doing some hard work after all of this time planning. I want to thank each and every person who helped us make this trip happen. I know it isn’t possible for everyone to take the time out for a trip like this but please know that just because you aren’t there physically it doesn’t mean that you aren’t on this trip! You are all in our hearts and we are there representing everyone at our two churches.

As the trip unfolds we will be updating daily on this blog. We will also be tweeting on twitter. So far you can follow amy potts or carole larkins. If more team members join twitter we will update you with names.

Please pray for safe travels and the next time I update it will be from TEXAS!!!!!!

Amy Potts

Ice Cream Social Fundraiser!

fightpilotswife — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:16:18 +0000

We will be repeating the ice cream social fundraiser this Sunday May 3rd after the 1030 service. Everyone is in charge of replenishing the supplies of the item they were originally assigned. I do have a chocolate and strawberry syrup in the fridge so those supplies are not necessary. This time we will have a free will offering and not a set price.

Karaoke Night – May 9

fightpilotswife — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:07:38 +0000

We will be holding a Karoke Night fundraiser on May 9th from 7pm to 10 pm in the Unmacht hall. There will be snacks and prizes. Bring your change because you will be voting with your change. The act during the judging period which raises the most change will receive a prize. A free will offering will be collected. All proceeds go towards the Galveston mission trip.

Build a house Brick by Brick fundraiser

fightpilotswife — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:36:36 +0000

Our build a house in Galveston brick by brick fundraiser is in full swing! The board thanks to the hard work of Karen and Greg Denzler looks great. We have bricks in increments from $1 to $50 in the categories of food, lodging and transportation. Karen also provided a paint can for the donations to be placed into each week. Thanks Karen for all of your hard work on this great ongoing fundraiser.

Successful Fundraiser!

fightpilotswife — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:34:10 +0000

We had a great Ice Cream Social Fundraiser this Sunday and raised $175.00 for the trip! We decided to utilize our extra toppings and ice cream and have another on May 3rd after the 1030 service. I am going to make a couple of posters for the church to advertise. If anyone is interested in helping with these or has a creative idea please let me know.

Final Details on Work Trip!!!!

fightpilotswife — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:12:51 +0000

The final details have been ironed out for the Galveston Work trip. We will be flying to Texas on June 14th and returning on June 21st. During the trip we will be building with Habitat for Humanity for six days. The cost is $550 per person. The first deposit of $100 will be due on March 22nd. This includes airfare to Galveston, transportation to and from the site, two meals a day (lunch is provided by habitat) and a double occupancy room. If you would like to arrange your own transportation down there or airfare please contact me to find out the cost of the remaining parts of the trip. If you are not a member of The Lakes Lutheran Church the subsequent payments of $225 are due April and May 22nd. Please do not let the cost prevent you from participating. We may have a limited number of scholarships available. Please contact Amy Potts at ajpotts911@aol.com or 702-343-8469 if you have questions or are interested in attending but were unable to attend our February meeting.

Future Plans

fightpilotswife — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:12:32 +0000

I’ve always been the sort of person who even while working on a current project is thinking “and then we could….” I try to break myself of this and enjoy the moment and project I am currently working on but it hardly ever works. I invite you during your prayer time over the next few months to ponders this same idea…and then we could? It seems like El Salvador has been jumping in front of me and in my mind with a frequency I can’t ignore. Please check out the Thrivent Builds project in El Salvador with Habit for Humanity International. Lets all ponder where God might send us next year, our anniversary year and see where it leads us.

Lodging

fightpilotswife — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:43:45 +0000

Lodging costs have increased to $40.00 per night but we have figured that we could have four to a room if we can get queen sized beds. It has been determined that upon registration people will need to decide if they would like single, double or quad occupancy for the rooms. Cost will be $10.00 per person a quad, $20.00 per person on a double or a single for the full $40.00. Participants will be required to raise/pay the trip amount that corresponds with their accomodations.

Carole has found two options for transportation. I will outline those in more detail in my next post. We are trying to decide the exact cost difference including gas between 6 and 12 passenger vans.