Two Weeks at the Beach

For the first time in our lives we have spent two weeks at the beach.  Most people think of sun and fun when at the beach. Well we have had lots of fun serving GOD and he has sent us several storms.  Most of all we have reunited with old friends who came over to help and made many new friends as we work side by side serving our LORD.   The residents are working right along side our volunteers.  Even though we have only seen the beach a few times it’s been a great trip.  Ann did get to climb Cape Hatteras Lighthouse one night and she really enjoyed that.  We’ve had some delicious seafood too. 

On Saturday, the 10th,  there were only three work team members here so we joined in to help do a tear out in Shelia’s home which is next to Top Dog Grill where we stopped to eat 5 years ago.  On Sunday we moved from Frisco to Salvo and set up the DROC at the fire station. On Monday another team from the Gastonia area arrived along with our cooks, Iva and Judy from Momeyer.   Elsie, with the Gastonia team, helped cook too.

The Gastonia team accomplished a lot of work.  It was fun getting to know them.  They were planning to leave on Saturday morning but when the Stumpy Point ferry closed on Friday due to lack of water in the sound after a storm they panicked and made 10 pm reservations for the Ocracoke/Swan Quarter Ferry.  They packed up so quick and left mid afternoon to make sure they had plenty of time to get there.  The funny thing is that the Stumpy Point ferry opened back up at 6 pm, long before they got on the Ocracoke ferry. Arrival and departure from the island is by ferry or medical helicopter only so they pack the ferries. 

Our Trip to Hatteras

On Thursday morning we headed to the ferry.  Since the road was washed out by Irene the ferries are the only way to get on or off the island.  We were blessed and only had to wait in line for one and a half hours before boarding.  Others have had waits up to six hours.  Sharon had gone over the day before to meet with Pastor Russ with Cape Hatteras Baptist Church and find us housing.  Operation Blessing was using the church so one of his church members let us use a second row beach cottage in Frisco that he was caretaker for.

Once we arrived on the island we were greeted with piles and piles of debris that had been removed from the homes of full time residents.  They have been helping each other but are so grateful for any help we can give them.  The wind damage was minor here but the flooding was major.  I have made friends with the sweetest lady.  Her name is Janie and she was born here 92 years ago and has lived here all her life.

Hurricane Irene

On my last blog post I told you we were monitoring  Hurricane Irene forecasts.  We decided to leave Colerain on Thursday, Aug. 25 so we could prepare for the storm. We didn’t get much damage at our house but as you probably know by now Eastern North Carolina took a pretty hard hit.  So on Sunday, August 28 we headed out, first to deliver a bunk trailer to Kinston and then on to Williamston where I was to do Admin work.

 I was happy to be joining our good friends J.E. and Betsy Skinner at their church, Memorial Baptist.  Other friends working there were Jimmy and Pam Lawrence, John and Peggy Gore, Jo Davidson, Bill Fogerty, Brian Moser and many others.  Gary, the White Hat from Arkansas was great to work with.  He brought a 31 member chain saw team.  While Billy and I both spent our nights in Williamston, Billy spent most of his days transporting shower and laundry units to Hatteras Island.

We spent one week in Williamston and then actually got a whole day at home before being transferred to Manteo where Billy was to Blue Hat the recovery operation.  We were only in Manteo  for two nights and closed that site down.  Billy had seen so much need for NCBM’s  help in the Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo and Avon villages when he was there the week before delivering the shower/laundry units that he knew that was where God wanted him to go next.  He was given permission to go and take a team with him.  There was a team from Icard in Manteo and they gladly accepted the call.  Also our good friend Sharon Chilton-Moser had been released from the “secret bunker” and she was ready to get her hands dirty.  Stay tuned for more on our trip to Hatteras Island.

 

Colerain

There were many homes and lives lost in this area as a result of the April 16 tornados that swept across Eastern NC.  NCBM volunteers are rebuilding four homes. Last  Wednesday  we traveled to Colerain to set up a shower/laundry unit and a bunk unit in preparation of the rebuild start. On Thursday and Friday we laid out 3 of the 4 foundations for the homes to be built.

We are being hosted by Colerain Baptist Church.  Their secretary Sheran has been a big help to us and so have some of the other church members.  The leadership team is housed in their church parsonage and the DROC is in the church fellowship hall.  Our cook team, from Elizabeth City, is using the fire department training building right down the street.

After a quick weekend in Momeyer we were back in Colerain on Monday.  Along with 10 other volunteers we dug, installed rebar and then poured the first  foundation footing.  While waiting for the concrete trucks we dug most of the second footing.  We are planning to pour the third foundation today and hopefully the fourth tomorrow.  The LORD provided the help we needed and then helped us work together great.  Please continue to pray for us as we work this week. We need masons and labors to help get the foundation laid so framers can start soon.

We are closely watching the Irene forecasts so we will know when we need to head back east.

A Week Ago in Minot

We have been home from Minot for over a week and I am finally getting to our final pictures for this mission.  I don’t know if I get too busy or too tired at the end.

On Thursday morning we were told we would be moving the laundry unit to the new city shelter sometime that day.  We decided to stop accepting loads after 42 and finished them all before we moved.

Pictures from top left: Ann waiting on one of the last loads. Three heads are better than one. Billy wondering where to put more bags.  Lots of people brought their clothes in Tide bags.   Billy telling the power company people where we were moving. Billy had to retrieve fingernail clippers from a dryer. Our replacement team came in just in time to help us move and setup in our new location at the Cameron Indoor Tennis Center.  This was a victim shelter run by the city.  It was quite interesting watching this group put the tent up.

My Animal Shelter Adventure

On Wednesday morning Billy and Trevis were kind enough to let me have some time off to go to the animal shelter. It’s not only people who are being affected by the flood, but animals as well. The NDSU extension office is now being used to house animals that have been dropped off by flood victims.  My friend Debbie and I volunteered there.  We walked dogs and helped clean the cat kennels.  That dog I’m walking in the center picture was a bit hyper.  He wanted to bite on the leash and then he found my shoestring and tried to pull it in two.  It was a fun morning. Back to work.  This is what our days are like.  We did 33 loads of  laundry on Tuesday and 61 on Wednesday.

Clockwise from top left:

These are the ladies that fix our lunch and supper plates each day over at North Hills Baptist Church where the Kansas/Nebraska Baptist Men are cooking with help from Arkansas.

The Texas shower team has been so helpful writing bible verses on laundry bags.  I just love them. They’re like family now. 

Home Sweet Home

Trevis must be caught up on the folding. 

Our laundry unit sits a the bottom of this stairway.  I’ve been running up the steps everyday.  It’s not easy.

Helping Friends

Saturday was a much easier day even though we still did 41 loads of laundry.  Lloyd, one of our friends friends from Texas was sick on Saturday so I took him and his wife Barbara to the Convenient Care Center to see a Dr.  They said he was dehydrated and wanted to put him in the hospital.  Being he was a stubborn man he refused so they sent in back with us with a prescription and orders to drink lots of fluid.  He was much better on Sunday.

Trevis, Billy and I went to church at North Hills Baptist  on Sunday morning.  This is where the Southern Baptist  kitchen is set up.We had a pretty quiet Sunday afternoon with only 33 loads of laundry.  ARC had a ice cream social and we were invited.

A Very Busy Laundry Day

The secret is out.  The ARC found out we were doing laundry.  We washed, dried and folded 63 loads today.  I don’t know when I have ever worked so hard and been to tired.

Thanks to the shower team from Texas for helping us fold laundry and write bible verses on the bags.  They were a big help.  The lady in green is Debbie, a teacher here.  She has been cleaning her room this week and has been so helpful trying to make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed.

Even though I was tired tonight, after supper I decided to run to the top of the 100 steps in the top picture.  I made it but had to walk a few of them. You can see the laundry unit  at the bottom.

We shut down early tonight because we are under a tornado watch.

Why Not Minot

Tuesday morning we left home with NCBM Laundry #3 towed behind the Childcare truck, stopped at the VA welcome center on I77 and picked up Trevis and headed to Minot, North Dakota.  In two days we drove 31 hours and 1830 miles.   I should clarify that-Billy and Trevis drove and I rode.

In June Minot was flooded by the Souris River, which curls from Canada through north central North Dakota back into Canada.

Wednesday morning after breakfast we set up the unit at Minot City Campus High School.  The school is being used for American Red Cross staff housing.  Texas Baptists have a shower unit at this location also.  We got lots of hugs from happy ARC people when they found out we were going to do their laundry.  We did 22 loads of laundry and took in 13 more to start on tomorrow.

It was a good day and not too hot.

Finished World Changers and Headed to Minot, ND

My days and nights with World Changers were very busy with little time for blogging so I am very behind.  

Wednesday was another hot day but the kids and adults managed to get lots of work done. Pictured are the Hammerheads and Goofus Roofers.  Mrs. Allen not only got a new roof but some cleaning and painting on the outside of her house.

Thursday we were blessed with cooler temps and we got closer to the finish line.  Jamie (in pink) stayed on the roof all day because she didn’t like the ladder. 

Friday was the last day of work and a day of saying goodbyes. Many of the teams and home owners got very close. I witnessed this first hand with Mrs. Kern and the Monkey Wrenches.   Mrs. Kern had enjoyed the crew being at her house so much and didn’t want them to leave.  She even insisted that they not use the porta john but come inside to use her bathroom.  New Sandy Creek Baptist Church served their  lunch at the crew chief’s  farm and we had the best corn on the cob I believe I have ever eaten.

Friday night was closing ceremonies with a pumped up crowd and time for more goodbyes.

I enjoyed this week very much and I’m looking forward to doing it again next summer.

Tuesday morning we headed to Minot, ND with a laundry unit.  More on that later.