Leaving New Jersey

     1-Our last Sunday sunset walk in NJ; 2&5-On Sunday after worship Union Church had cake and coffee and thanked us for our service to the area; 3-Joe Geleta presented NCBM a certificate from NJ State Police Emergency Management in recognition of our service; 4-On Tuesday night our friends Chris & Elaine joined us for a cruise and dinner on the River Lady; 6-Jerry came up and got the bunk bed frames; 7-Paul, Kevin and some of Randy’s crew helped us get the bunks loaded on the trailer early Wednesday; 8-After Jerry got in we loaded the tuck down also. Also on Monday night Todd, Krista & Barbara took us out to eat. It was sad saying goodbye to our NJ friends but it was good to be going home.  1-Six guys from Biltmore and Sharon came up to help load and pull every thing back to NC;  2,3,4-It makes packing up a site so much easier when you have a team that you can say I would like this on that trailer and that in that trailer and so forth.  I spent about an hour with the guys on Thursday morning and then I left to make several visits I thought I would be doing Friday. When I got back the packing was winding down; 5-Cal just had to find that flat tire with a screw in it at the last minute; 6-After supper on Thursday we hooked all the trucks up and did that last minute check.  Then the Gross’s came by and invited us to come to their house for breakfast before leaving on Friday morning. Well we did need somewhere to eat and we knew they could cook.  Plus we needed to get the tire patched before leaving; 7-After a basically good trip we arrived in Momeyer at 5:30 Friday afternoon.  Our neighbor Violet (who watches out for our house) had been to Doug Saul’s and picked up supper for us.  After we ate the guys helped unload some of the trailers.  They spent the night with us and on Saturday they headed home also.

Thanks to to all who helped with the take down, pack up and transporting of all the stuff.  Also a BIG THANK YOU to everybody who prayed, supported and volunteered to help NCBM share the love of CHRIST in New Jersey following Super Storm Sandy.  Volunteers, supporters and prayer helps it all work.  But we all know none of it have happened if GOD had not called and you had not responded.  WE LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU.

At present time we are still unpacking everything.  We do have 2 weeks of vacation planned and plan to even visit our lake house before it gets cold.  Where/What GOD has planned for us next we don’t know but rest assured that when we find out we will do our best to let each of you know so we can volunteer together again.

Packing Up Time

     I guess it must be that time for sure.  In case you haven’t heard we are closing the NJ site and heading back to NC by the end of next week. It will be a sad but exciting day.

Kathy, Elijah and Lucas stayed through Friday and continued taking the bunk beds apart and packing up some of the stuff upstairs. Billy, Chris and Paul put down new plywood for the flooring at the Barriga home.  New plans are summited and waiting approval so we can get a framing inspection so we can move forward on completion of another home.  Tim and Vickie came up and picked up the NCBM camper. The boys had some fun time at the beach.

If you are in the Seaside area next week we could use some help packing and loading up.

Two NC Teams Working Together

     1-Region 3 Feeding Team; 2-Ready for some fun on the boardwalk; 3-A fun evening with the Gross family; 4-Biltmore Baptist, Asheville (they win the prize for the most trips to NJ); 5-Thankful for David Fuss’ five week commitment.  Sad to see him leave; 5-This young man really worked hard this week and is getting some rest; 6-Kathy Freeman did as promised and came back to help us get ready to move; 7-Zion Hill Baptist Church, Shannon, NC.  This was a special week for several volunteers who had promised to return for another week before we go home.  As before they all came ready to serve GOD in whatever way lead.  Most of them swarmed on the Vandekooy house.  It is a project that was supposed to start in mid May but has been held up by permit and inspection issues.  The groups removed siding and replaced most of it with new vinyl.  They replaced all the windows with energy star windows as required. They hung sheet rock in the carport (double 5/8) and Chris has finished it.  Chris did repair work to the inside sheet rock and some of the guys did trim work.  Several of the ladies have painted most of the interior.  Others helped hand siding up and cleaned up behind the installers.   Don and two of the younger boys removed all the under skirting from the units at the church in preparation of moving. They and some ladies have also started dismantling the bunk beds and packing the office.  Other volunteers worked to complete three other homes.

We still have lots of rebuilding to do and I personally would like to see some people come up and finish these jobs before we leave in two weeks.  Work needing to be done is: siding, trim, sheet rock hung, painting and maybe even insulate a home if we get inspections passed.  Also Paul’s house has been raised so we can help build his floor girders/supports, nail in tie down straps and install trim board around the bottom of the house.  The bunk beds are coming down but we still have a working kitchen, showers and plenty of room for air mattress or cots.  So please join these groups and make another volunteer mission trip to Seaside Heights.

Branch’s Baptist Church, Richmond, VA

     Center: This week our work team was from Branch’s Baptist Church, Richmond, VA. It was a small group we had no cook team so Ann did the cooking.  She was especially thankful for the sandwich maker and all the ones that washed dishes. Top: The final inspection for Barbara’s was last week so we had to make a few last minute changes. (This weeks inspector’s response – “He wrote you up for what?”  Bottom: Somebody got stuck in the sand. The sunrises were beautiful this week.     Paul’s house has been raised and exterior block work completed so we helped him install the seal plate.  Part of the group worked at the O’Brian house painting, doing trim and installed two windows.  Some of the others worked at the Barriga house putting up porch rails and digging a new water line.  Paul came by Saturday and helped us fill it in.

The O’Brian house needs a new roof.  However we don’t have any extra volunteers.  Actually we have the last two weeks of August open as of now in case you want to come help in New Jersey.

Two Pennsylvania Churches–One Team

     We had one team that was a combination of two Pennsylvania churches-Thompsontown Baptist and First Southern Baptist, Williamsport. George and Sue from last week’s feeding team signed on for a second week.  George went out with the rebuild team and Carol took his place in the kitchen.  Since Carol & Ann are quilters the ladies took a trip to Quilting Possibilities.     The team worked on four homes this week. They cleaned at Barbara’s and did some last minute touch ups before inspections.  They installed cabinets, painted and installed electrical outlets at Georgette’s.  They finished installing bath tub walls and trimmed out doors at Jenny’s.  Most of the work was at the O’Brian house where they finished sheetrock, painted, laid flooring and installed kitchen cabinets.  The ladies learned to cut and lay flooring.

We are still looking for volunteers for the last two weeks of August.