Another Visit from Biltmore

     1-This week we had a great feeding team from South Carolina (JoAnn, Rhett, Judy & Jeff); 2-Everyone enjoys a shoulder rub after a hard day of hammer swinging; 3-We all enjoy Pastor Todd’s bible studies; 4-Biltmore Baptist, Asheville, NC made their 14th trip; 5-Biltmore’s favorite relaxation activity is jigsaw puzzles. The feeding team enjoyed them this week also; 5&6-Friday night David & Maureen Gross invited us all over for dinner at their newly rebuilt home.  Several different teams worked on this home over the past few months.  They are so happy about the work NCBM did to their home and the love shown to them by the volunteers.  Billy presented them a bible signed by many of the volunteers.     Being the Biltmore team is large they usually split up.  Part of them worked on Barbara’s house.  They laid bamboo flooring, painted trim molding and doors, installed storm doors,  garage door and installed the house numbers.     Most of the group went down to the Woods home to get it started.  They built two entry porches and steps, rough in the plumbing and most of the electric, took out part of the old ceiling which exposed some weak framing so they beefed it up as well as the floor system.  They also did a lot of cleaning up so they and others would have room to work.

We received a request to return to Joe’s home to build him a ramp.  He has had a stroke since moving back in last summer and the girls needed a way to get him in and out of the house.

Some of the ladies also painted at Carol’s house this week.

All in all it was a busy and productive week.  However for the next two weeks we have no volunteers so not much will be done.  At this time we have eight homes to work on and finish this summer.  I am concerned that with the lack of volunteers these families may not all be able to return to their home to live before the third anniversary of Sandy’s destructive visit to New Jersey.  Please consider coming to New Jersey to help us share GOD’s LOVE in a special way this summer.  We have lots of open time so call or e-mail one of us.

Back to GOD’s work in New Jersey

Some of you might be wondering where we have been for the past month.  We took a wonderful 10 day trip to Israel.  Then we spent a few days at home for Easter.  We came back to NJ on April 5.  Then Ann went to Ohio to help take care of our 19th month old grandson.  Billy stayed here to work, all by himself for the first week but help arrived from Swannanoa on the 12th.  Ann came back on 17th.     Swannanoa Baptist Church not only supplied the cooking team but also the rebuild team.  Being a small team they basically worked together on two different homes.  At Barbara’s they painted the walls and ceilings, cut and installed window trim, laid tile for her shower wall and helped get the siding to 95% complete. They also worked at Carol’s house installing interior doors and flooring in two rooms.  While they were here last summer they had built a ramp for Mr. Bob 3 doors down the street and it needed an entry plate installed so they took care of that for him also.

The RREM program has started issuing funds to people to get their homes raised and some to start the new build process.  These funds are not enough to complete the entire project so therefore we are again getting many new calls for help.  We have lots of open slots that need filling over the next 4 months starting with next week.  If GOD is laying it on your heart to go to New Jersey to serve Him I hope you will give us a call or message us.  The volunteers here this past week were able to witness to workers on sites next door, in the drug store, doctors office (yes one guy didn’t feel good), neighbors walking by and stopping to ask why they were here and of course home owners.  So come join the work, witnessing and fun.

A Short Week For Us

     Volunteers: 1-Vicki, Tim & Jack, Greenville, NC; 2-BCM-Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA; 3-Reg. 1 Feeding Team-Phil, Kay, Billy, Hollis, Linda & Warren; 4-Curtis Baptist School, GA.

This week was full of youth. We have one college & one high school group.  The college team is working at Barbara’s house hanging sheet rock and siding.  The high school group is hanging sheet rock at Carol’s house.  Some of the younger folks also moved some sand from Barbara’s to Carol’s.

It was a short week for us because we went home on Tuesday to get ready for our big trip on Friday. Tim and Vicky came back to Seaside Heights to relieve us so we could take a trip to Israel.  Please pray for travel mercies and peace as we enjoy a trip of a life time.

A Good Birthday Week

     1-Jim & Al from Virginia; 2-Ann and Paul celebrated their birthdays; 3-It was warm enough a couple of days this week for a walk on the beach 4-Alliance College Connection, Boone (This was their 7th trip to volunteer in NJ; 5-1st Baptist Asheboro; 6-Our South Carolina Feeding Team, Juanita, Peggy and Wayne. Hope they can come back again.     This week the teams did many tasks. Part of the Alliance team insulated Carol’s floor (1) and then loaded the home with sheet rock.(2)  Some  shoveled more sand from Barbara’s.(4&5) She can now once again see her back patio.  Chris and Cody started Barbara’s siding (9) after Al and Jim had wrapped the house with tyvek.(7) On Thursday and Friday some started hanging sheet rock at Barbara’s.(8)  The rest of the crew went to start work on the Collins home.  The first job was to move the sand from the pile and level it around the pilings so the home can be moved over the pilings and set down.(6) The First Baptist of Asheboro group worked on the porch, steps and rails at Diane’s home. (10&11)

A Cold But Productive Week

     1-Westwood Baptist, Cary; 2-Adopt-a-Home, PA and Cool Springs Baptist, Sanford; 3-Reg. 5 Feeding Team with Carl & Richard doing several odd jobs to help Billy out; The Cary team started out the week in Carol’s home taking out more of the old sheet rock and insulation.  The electrical is done so they also installed new insulation. The Adopt-a-Home/Cool Springs group worked with Jersey Shore United on Teddy’s home.         1-The ladies went to the Gross house to do some final painting and clean up.  2-Wednesday was kind of warm so the team went to Diane’s to pour concrete and start the new entry porch/steps.  3-Lots of people here have frozen water lines so we dipped the water we needed out of the bay. 4-Thursday it started out snowing so some of the guys went to the Lutheran Church to help them get started in converting some class rooms to sleeping areas for future rebuild and outreach mission groups. 5-Charlie and Steve stayed back and installed the rails on Barbara’s house.  6-The inspector wanted plywood over the fiberboard so on Friday most of the team did that while others built the base for Diane’s porch and rebuilt her a/c platform.

Thanks to this group and many others who have made a commitment to serve GOD this winter in New Jersey and stayed with the plans although it has been a cold winter.  Spring and summer will be here soon.  If you are thinking about coming to help this year please let us know soon so we can plan for a great year of service.

Small Team With a Servants Heart

     1-Our team this week: Jacob, Russell, Seth & Billy Nixon from Edenton. 2-It was suppose to rain first of the week so the guys went to the Gross home to replace the crawlspace ceiling.  3-Ann has joined a group of ladies called the Broadwalkers trying to get some exercise in this cold weather. 4-On Wednesday we started installing Barbara’s windows. They are storm ready windows and very heavy. 5-The windows are now in however some were built wrong. Can you see the problem? No one noticed this until Ann came by and pointed it out. All rough ins are done and Barbara is calling for inspections.  6-Ann was the cook this week but Russell & Seth helped with the dishes.  7-The ice sculpture is compliments of a busted water line going to laundry unit. 

Biltmore Returns Again

   The LORD must have wanted the Biltmore folks to feel at home.  He blessed us with cold weather and snow. The ladies spent most of their time at the Gross home painting trim and touching up the walls.  CR helped Chris finish the floors and baseboard.  We celebrated CR’s birthday.  Three of the guys went to Michelle’s to build her some entry steps.  Our feeding team was Bill and Carolyn, from The Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania-South Jersey.      Most of the guys spent the week at Barbara’s.  They built the front and rear porch and put in the steps. They also installed her entry doors. They also helped the plumber and electrician get the rough in done.

It is cold here now but spring and summer is just around the corner. At the current time we have eight homes to work on and three more families are waiting for me to visit their home to see if there is work NCBM volunteers will be able to help them with.  Two other home owners have requested our help with a total rebuild but they have not yet gotten plans or permits approved.  If your church or team is thinking about coming to help rebuild and spread GOD’s love please go ahead and let us know soon. 

Barbara’s House Gets A Roof

     GOD is good. Ten days after starting Barbara Hastings’ home is now framed and shingles installed.  Not bad for a very small volunteer team who battled rain, snow, freezing temps and high winds. During the build Rick had to fly to Kansas City to discuss a church addition he will be doing this summer. We took a few days to go home and see family. Rick returned Friday night so Paul and a few local guys helped Rick set the rafters on Saturday. Ike and Kent brought Billy back on Sunday. Ann stayed home for another week due to a dentist visit. The team worked together to get the roof done and all the many hangers and straps installed by Tuesday evening. Thursday the new roof received it’s official snow welcome.   Thanks to each and every one who has helped with the framing of Barbara’s home. She seems so happy to be able to think about placing things in her home.

It is January and it is cold and snowing here.  However there are still many people not able to go home and kick their feet up in their chair as you might be doing as you read this post. I have talked to four more home owners this week who are asking for our help.  Please pray about the possibility of traveling to NJ to help us spread the love of GOD.  He called us and we responded and due to us and many others who followed HIS call families are returning home. A home that GOD’s children helped rebuild and I feel certain the families will never forget that.

Back to Work & Happy New Year

     After a nice two week Christmas and New Year holiday we are back to work in NJ. David and Kathy Fuss joined us for a week to help coordinate operations and frame Barbara’s home.  Rick (our carpenter angel from Conn.) joined us until we get Barbara’s home framed and shingled. We had a great group of high school seniors from Statesville Christian School, in Statesville, NC. Since they were here from Thurs. to Wed. we had two feeding teams. We didn’t get a picture of the Reg 8 Feeding Team but they did a great job for the first part of the week and Dale Martin for the second half of the week. Some of the girls were lucky enough to do some inside work painting at the Gross home.     It has been cold and windy.  However work has moved right along on Barbara Hastings home.  The youth have nailed hurricane straps, shoveled sand and moved lots of timber up to the main floor for us.  Rick is amazing.  He will gladly tell you he loves carpentry.  Paul, Greg and Mark (locals) have also been a great help.  FYI – that is snow you see. Rick works rain, snow, cold and wind and loves every minute GOD lets him build.  For everyone that knows how Billy likes to work – he has met his match (and then some).

 

Alliance’s 6th Trip To New Jersey

  1-The Alliance Baptist Fellowship group returned for their 6th trip with their usual youthful hearts ready to serve in most anyway they could. Josh and Paul enjoyed working with them this week; 2-They had been studying and testing hard over the past weeks and working hard this week so they at times did the college break sleep; 3-Zac and Nick wanted to see what was happening next door.  4-Best dressed Santa contest; 5-Billy has gotten a lot of help from locals in Jersey but never had a Seaside Heights officer offer him a ride before.           1,2 & 3–The team sanded, primed the Gross home as well as painted the walls downstairs; 4–Several of us joined in to move about 14 tons of sand away from Barbara’s lot; 5&6-Jerry and Josh helped the guys do three tear out jobs; 7–Some of the guys also insulated the crawl space of the Collins home. 

We knew with the Alliance team coming it would be a good week.  Yes being young they did goof around some BUT they also worked hard, learned about what they were doing, went to visit home owners of previous trips and took time to share GOD’s word with others.

Over the past 2 years volunteers of most all ages have came to New Jersey to help The North Carolina Baptist share the gospel and rebuild the shore area of Ocean County. It has been a very meaningful experience for them as well as us.  We want to thank each one who has come as well as the ones who could not come but prayed or supported the operation.  As we start into what will most likely be our last year rebuilding after Sandy we are concerned about the low number of volunteers signed up for 2015.  As you enjoy your Christmas holiday with family and friends in “YOUR HOME” remember there are still many families in New Jersey and New York who are still not back into their home.  Please come and help us share GOD’s WORD as we help people once again believe there is a GOD and he does send help when needed.