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.

GA and NC Youth Teams On Mission in New Jersey

     1-Lakeside Baptist Church, Greensboro, GA; 2-Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, State Road; 3-Patty from Sandy Run Baptist Church, Roxobel (she organized the tool trailer); 4-Feeding team from PA/NJ (Carolyn, Bill, George & Suzann); 5-Ann got to see a beautiful sunrise when she was out running; 6-David is still with us and working hard; 7-This is what happens when vandals set one of our porta-johns on fire at a job site. 8-Some of the Pleasant Ridge group taking a chair lift ride;      The youth were numerous this week.  Paul Kenny’s house got raised last Friday so some of the guys helped him tear down the old block wall and clean it up.  One group started the steps and ramp for Georgette.  Several did caulking, cleaning and painting.  The group that spent the week at the O’brian house gave them a special framed gift before they left on Friday.  Kenny has been trying to arrange for a sewer and water line to be installed to a house since last spring.  He finally got all neighbors to agree so the GA guys helped dig the ditch so Billy and Rich could install the piping.

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

A Super Youth Group From Georgia

     Our work team this week was First Baptist Church of Blairsville, Ga.  David Fuss came back to stay for awhile and help Billy oversee the jobs.  Judy and Jerry Barbee did the cooking. When we first arrived in New Jersey we met the O’brian’s who’s home we had tried to work on but they needed so much more than we could offer at that time.  However our paths have crossed again thanks to Jersey Shore United and we are helping them rebuild their home now.  Some of the volunteers gave the yard a much needed clean up this week.     The group split into 4 teams and got lots of work done.  They framed in a ceiling and then hung sheet rock at the O’brian home. They installed doors, sanded sheet rock and then painted at the Polk home. They reworked the siding, floored 2 porches and installed support beams at the Barriga home. They also started working on siding removal at Peter’s home.  While moving some trash out of the way they found two unwanted visitors. 

Great to see more youth willing to work hard, learn and share the gospel.

Showing Others The Love of God

     The team from Community Bible Church in High Point spent most of their week on a new project at Jenny’s home.  She has health issues and has not been able to do much for the past 3 years. Therefore along with rebuilding they also did lots of cleaning for her and lots of loving on her.  Arrendo celebrated his 17th birthday in Seaside Heights.  Our Region 4 Feeding team was from Apex, Clayton & Castalia. They did a great job and were a pleasure to work with.     The Drexel Baptist team split up due to the group size as well as the home size.  Jimmy lead part of the team on a job installing insulation and hanging sheet rock in Georgette’s home.  Others went down to the Woods’ home. They cleaned up from last week, installed a toilet, found missing wires (covered up by others) and helped finish laying the flooring.   Billy gave Chris the wrong size nails for the brad gun so he had to unjam it twice.  Then he figured out what he did wrong.

During July we should be starting 2 new projects and also should complete 3 others.  The projects are more difficult to find now.  However, each project still has it’s special needs.  The most obvious is restoring hope in the owners lives.  So far the best way we have found is sharing the love of GOD with them by our work, actions and words.

Two Returning Teams and a Rookie Team

     1-This was the first feeding trip for our Region 10 Feeding Team and they did a super job. They found many creative ways to use leftovers. They all attend Marble Baptist Church; 2-Biltmore Baptist was back for their seventh trip.  They have become good friends of ours; 3-Billy is showing off his first tomato.  It still need to grow a bit more; 4-Another team we were happy to see come back is Center Hill Baptist, Tyner, led by our friend Billy Nixon; 5-Saturday afternoon we attended the 25th Anniversary Luncheon and marriage vows renewal for Pastor Todd and Krista; 6-The feeding team made scripture cards & shared them with people they met; 7-Ann and Elaine got a free ride on the 105 year old carousel on the Seaside Heights boardwalk.     Part of the Biltmore team spent the week working on the Woods’ house.  They worked on siding, flooring, cabinets, electric and trim work.  Others worked on the plumbing, framing repairs and pouring of missing piers at Juan & Gabby’s house.  Some helped the Soltys remove stuff from the attic of Georgette’s house so they could install strong backs in the ceiling.  On Friday Tom and Terry did more last minute finishing stuff at Barbara’s.  She finally got a gas meter on Friday but is still waiting on electric to be hooked up.

The Center Hill group built a porch and steps for the front door at the Miele home.  Then they poured concrete at Ms. Mary’s home to repair a walkway that was removed to repair a water line. They also helped dig and pour the porch piers at Juan & Gabby’s house.

It was a great week for all the volunteers.  GOD sent them challenges and they used them to continue sharing the gospel in New Jersey.  They were able to visit and share with 4 of the 5 families they helped.  Actually one of the family members told a volunteer,  “I used to attend church but fell away.  However now that I have seen all that you Christians are doing here I know I need to return to the church.”

A Hot Week in New Jersey

    1-Region 3 Feeding Team (Barbara, Mike, Shirley & David; 2-Everyone enjoyed the jigsaw puzzles; 3-Walks were popular in the evenings; 4-A favorite spot for watching the sunset; 5-Westwood Baptist, Cary was here for their 6th trip; 6-Barbara meets the team making final touches on her home; 7-Sid Pittman helped Billy for a second week; 8-The feeding team served up some great meals; 9-In their down time they enjoyed playing Tri-ominos.     The group split up and worked on five homes this week.  At Georgette’s they laid subflooring, help Paul finish rough in wiring, and helped Chris finish the rough in plumbing.  Some of the ladies helped with the final painting in her parents home, the Soltys’s.  Others removed the damaged siding from the Woods’ home and started hanging the new siding. They were also gracious enough to help unload the supplies needed for next weeks team and get it up into the house.  When the ladies finished painting at the Solty’s they came to the Woods’ home and painted some more.  Others started work at Juan’s home along with doing some final odd and ins at Barbara’s.

Team members were blessed by visiting with the home owners and hearing what they are saying about the blessings of having volunteers come and work on their homes.   We were also joined for supper and fellowship on Thursday night by Ron and Rhea Jolly.  A family that has touched the hearts of many volunteers who worked on their home and will always be a treasure in their hearts.  FYI – Ron seams to being doing great now.

Two Small Groups Ready to Serve God

  Sid Pittman came in on Saturday for two weeks to help Billy out. The Austin Grove group came in on Saturday also, making their third trip. They finished hanging the sheet rock in the Woods home as well as installing the rest of the OSB to cover the insulation down below.  Then they went to Dianne’s to complete the pickets and help Chris mud sheet rock. Sid helped them finish the OSB job on Friday. Rita and Ann did the cooking.     Steve Wells also returned with his wife and daughter.  They touched up and finished painting on three homes.  They also worked around the church helping Sid build a new sign frame, cutting the grass and weeding around the flowers.

We have several jobs going on at this time along with lots of volunteers for the next few weeks.  However there are 3 requests out there wanting our help which will not be able to be started until early July.  We will be needing more volunteers for July and August as we start these new jobs.