Week 3 - Working Too Hard to Blog!

We here @ PCC, CTBC & MCCC are extremly exhausted! (This is why we have'nt been able to blog on a regular basis.) We are working way harder then the previous (2) MCCC crews that came down:-) Not only are we redoing what was done those previous two weeks from the Daquri drinkers, but we have nearly completed all the electrical, plumbing & have redone rough-in carpentry due to a safety hazard of a non-secured wall.

Needless to say all these God-Given talents were accomplished during the Mardi-Gras week! In all seriousness we sincerely appreciate the left over daquri mugs & for paving the way for us to be a part of this wonderful experience & opportunity to share & witness all of God's wonderful grace. If it wasn't for all the hard work from your previous two week's we could not have accomplished the things we did. It truly is a God Thang! Thank you for all your blessings!

Week 3 - We Made It!

Well the PCC crew made it in Saturday evening to Nashville to meet up w/ the MCCC crew. Upon arriving, we discovered Gary's car's fuel pump failed. (Praise God for allowing us to make it to Nashville!) The following morning on the way to pick up spare parts for the fuel-pump repair, our other vehicle's water pump failed. Once again, God provided & we were able to get both cars repaired & hit the road running by 1:00 PM.

Our crew spent time on various projects today. We mainly moved Concrete blocks & cleaned up a job site today on Carnot St. Gary & Paul were pulled by Brother Vance to help w/ Electrical. So far we've been blessed & really apprciate this wonderful opportunity.

Week 2 - Day 5

Brrrrrrrrrr!!! Down here....they get a little snow in the air and they start their day two hours later! They wait until a car slides OFF the bridge before they call out the one and only truck that can spread a little sand (not salt).

Our crews still braved the weather even though they could not begin at the normal time. Our Miro Street gang finished their tasks and it looks like a totally different house! They may be a little bit affected by the bleach fumes so see if you can talk to them when they get back! You will be able to figure out who was on THAT crew!

Humanity Street crew had to jack up the back side of the house today in order to replace a couple floor joists that were eaten from termites. The subflooring in the rest of the house is down and now the house is stable enough to be lifted so pylons can be placed underneath. A 40 yard (yes 40 yard!) dumpster filled to the top with trash, the old roof and who knows what else!Way to go Humanity crew!

Bruxelle Street - windows, windows, windows - most of the framing on the first floor is done and ready for new windows. The second floor is all framed and ready for new windows. Two cast iron tubs were removed - one from each level. We are thankful for the young bucks and Kelly that got those out! Girl power kept it going!

Carnot Street forms are removed, nails pulled out, shoveled and wheel-barrow back filled foundation area. The crew cleaned up the lot too. Introduced and educated the young bucks to the sledge hammer and how to remove the pile of cement the truck dumped and left. Now the cement blocks can be laid and a new house will begin to be built.

Wickfield Street crew grouted tile even though they knew NOT how to do it. The pergo-like floor had to be reworked to remove the hump that rose in it. Now it looks like the best professionals did the work!

Where did WE see God??? In the neighbors at these locations that allowed us to plug in to their homes to power some of our tools; the neighbors and businesses that allowed us to use their bathrooms; the Popeyes Chicken and Shell Station that did NOT have us arrested for using their facilities; in the laughter and tired, cold faces of each volunteer at the end of each day; in the new friendships made and the old friendships strengthened. YES.....God is here and we know he will be with us as we travel to our homes.

Where did YOU see God today???

Signing off.......until we arrive back home!

Phil, Marie, Sue, MaryEllen, and Laurie

Week 2 - Day 4

Greetings everyone from the deep south!
We just finished our 4th day and despite the cold weather and rain we are getting a lot of work done. We are working on 4 different jobs: 1 new construction, and the other 3 are rehabs. Also, rumor has it that 2 old ladies were busy all day hanging out in the men's restroom! Besides the work we are doing this year we also got to visit some job sites we worked on last year. We got to see Pastor Washington and his wife Buela in their home. So many of us from last year got to work on their house and saw when it was down to studs for walls and no floors, now they have hard wood floors, furniture, and it looks like a home! They were both very excited to see us, but not as much as we were to see them. After enjoying a wonderful prayer circle with the Washington's we got the opportunity to see the church and transition house, both were finished and very impressive. It's nice to have the opportunity to see the fruits of our labor from last year! I hope this year's group gets the same opportunity next year.

This evening some of our group went to the Frenchmen Street Jazz clubs and some went out to dinner with Brother Vance to a local spot called Lil G's! The Crawfish Ettouffee was simply delicious and very spicy to our Northern group!

We have one more day of work. The forecast continues to be cold and rainy, however our dispositions are warm and sunny. Looking forward to another day of friendship, hardwork, and laughter. Tomorrow we will be packing up and getting ready to head North on Saturday morning.

Thanks to all of our congregation and family that made this trip possible for us, without your love and support we would not be here and feel very fortunate for that. Today we saw God in you.

Where did you see God today?
Timmy B

Week 2 - Day 3

Today Brother Vance returned to "Mission Central". As he drove around checking on all the jobs, he was beaming!

More of the same occured today, including 2 lucky ladies finding a Mardi Gras parade float "den" on the way to the Miro St. job site, and ditching the pastor (cuz that's how we roll), got a special sneak peek.

The folks at the church provided dinner tonight which consisted of delicious gumbo, wonderful side dishes and a fabulous bread pudding...yum!!

Diana, the chaplin here at the mission asked the question "where did you see GOD today"? As we become more united in our work, the answers seem to be easier and the hands raise faster than a kindergarden class when asked, "who needs to use the restroom"?!

We enjoy the company of all that are here and we miss the Ohio weather....NOT!

See you soon
MaryEllen and Tracy

Week 2 - Day 2

The work continues....grouting floors, removing windows, framing windows, installing sub floor, killing mold, and caulking windows. Brother Vance would be proud! All this, we did in two hours. When the cats away....yes, the mice do play! I'd tell ya more... but there are rules here....ones that MUST not be broken - kinda like Vegas.

Parades to watch, food to consume and tasty traditional drinks - a place like no other - alive in spite of the tragedy. The Saints have added a new special touch to the Mardi Gras festivities.

Where did we see God today? A dozen people working together to improve the quality of a house; crowbars in hand, hammers pounding, cleanup accomplished. The lack of asphyxiation from the bleach fumes. The awe as some stood amazed at the improvements at the transition house. The clean clothes neatly folded on the tables back at the mission house as we return from the work sites. The many hands that helped with dinner and cleanup. The smiles on all the tired faces. The hugs exchanged. The laughter! Yes......we saw God today!

May you too see God in your day and feel his presence in your heart.

Almost time for lights out! Signing off from Westside Mission.....until tomorrow.......

Laurie Metzko

Week 2 - Day 1

New Orleans Mission Trip
Week 2, Monday evening

A glorious, sunny day in the mid sixties! Everyone we encountered while shopping for food were wearing Saints wear - hats, shirts, whole outfits - celebrating the victory.

We sent out several groups. One was doing clean-up, removing cement forms, pulling nails, on a project that was started by someone else. Pastor Washington came by and visited. We had a lively chat.

Another bunch scraped, primed and caulked windows on Miro Street at the Brown's house. The New Orleans DA stopped by, introduced himself to Tracy, and asked her if she knew where lot 17 was. She did not. ;^) Rick and Chad and Fred installed two beautiful doors on the front of the house.

Seven folks scraped and scraped and scraped old paint on on Mrs. Banks' house on Bruselles Street. They pulled out all the windows on the lower floor and measured for new ones. Mrs Banks' house had filled with water during the flood after Katrina. so she moved upstairs. She's living nearby with her daughter now, and we are working on restoring her ruined home, inside and out. On their way home, these folks stopped in the lower ninth ward. They looked at the Church we rebuilt and the half-way house we are building to house parishioners while they rebuild. Then they stopped in at Pastor Washington's house. Mrs. Washington was delighted to see Kelly - gave her a big hug, and proudly showed the whole gang the house we all helped restore. What a Joy!

Speaking of joy - this evening, after a meal of grilled burgers and chicken, we will explore together where we saw God today. Where did YOU see God?
Katie

Week 2 - Arrival Day

Greetings from the craziness of New Orleans!!

SAINTS WIN THE SUPERBOWL!!! Let the fun begin.

All we can say is "Who dat!" What a start to the week!

We've all arrived safely after a very snowy start yesterday. Two long days of travel ended with gathering to watch the Superbowl. Imagine the excitement as the Saints won!

Now we all gather back at Westside Mission to plan our tasks for the morning. Work teams are forming, friendships being renewed and new friends welcomed. It is amazing to sit here and listen to all the excitement and laughter from all.

Yes, we are all tired but ready to begin our week as we each anticipate the awaited question....."Where did YOU see God today?"

For me, it was in the laughter and sunshine that we shared as we arrived.

Stay tuned....more to come!

New Orleans Day 5 - Week 1

`Mornin Once Again`. This is how we have begun many prayers this week, as we get ready to begin work. Today was our last day to work and finish as much as we could. We did some work at four separate locations today.

Our first group today worked on painting at the mission center. Painting a few walls seems like an easy task, but when you consider the fact they had to remove and reinstall many of the “decorations” that all the groups have left behind, it can be a huge task.
Group 2 worked on the Miro St. house (Cleopatra). They continued to scrape, paint, and replace window glass. This week they have taken this house and changed it from something that looked like it should be torn down and changed it into something that looks like a house once again. This helps to make the neighborhood a brighter and more hopeful place.

Work continued on the four-plex on Lowerline st. They tried to install the last few pieces of flooring, but I had cut them to the wrong width last night. So the next group will have the privilege of finishing the floor. This is a building that when it is complete, will be affordable housing for 4 different families.

The transition house is almost complete. The last of the vinyl siding was completed today. The only thing left to do is paint the outside trim and a few interior finishes in the upstairs. The down stairs had been finished and is being used as a fellowship hall and Pastor Washington’s office. The upstairs is already occupied by a gentleman who will be bringing his family there to live until a home can be built (rehabbed) for them. This home will then be used to help additional families as they transition back to New Orleans. What greater gift can we give than to do something that will continue to benefit many for years to come?

We have accomplished a lot in 5 short days. We have helped to put 3 buildings back in livable condition. We have made many friends, both in New Orleans and within our own group. We have grown closer to each other and to God. We have seen the glory of Gods work through us. I hope each of us can continue to share his glory back in Ohio and elsewhere.

As our mission groups return, please ask us to tell about our experiences (if we don’t just start telling you). We have much to share. I challenge you to go do something to help others and to spread God’s glory. It doesn’t have to be in New Orleans, it can be anywhere. It can even be in your own neighborhood.

Tomorrow our good friend, Brother Vance is getting married. We wish him all the happiness in the world as he starts a new journey with his new wife.

See you in a few days,
Brian

New Orleans Day 4 - Week 1

A very wet hello from New Orleans. The day started out with just a little bit of rain, but by the end of the day it was a torrential downpour. The rain however, was expected and Brother Vance made sure we all had something to do.

Most of our work force was at the house on Miro street (also known as Cleopatra but I’m not sure why). Today they painted inside and repaired some broken windows. As incentive to get finished, the group decided when they finished the ten gallons of paint they had, they would quit for the day. You would be surprised how fast 12 people can get rid of 10 gallons of paint. Their situation was compounded by the fact that it was raining inside almost as hard as it was outside. Apparently the roof that was supposed to be fixed 3 weeks ago has not been completed yet.

The second group went to the Four-Plex on Lowerline St. This group of people replaced the laminate wood floor that was torn up earlier in the week (it was not installed right the first time). Trying to put this floor back down is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture and not knowing if you have all the pieces. They also installed two bathtubs in between walls that were closer together than the length of the bathtubs. Some Baseboard and quarter-round was installed and a door that had been kicked in was repaired. This was all in addition to patching and painting some walls.

All crews were back at the mission center by 3:30 (Normally we don’t leave the job site until 4:00 then have a 30 – 45 minute commute. When we returned, most of us were SOAKING WET and COLD. It felt good to get into a warm shower and get into some dry clothes. The washer and dryer have been in constant use since then so everyone has clean DRY clothes for tomorrow.

After dinner, Brother Vance shared with us the stories of some of the people the mission center has helped. He encouraged us to remember Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it caused. People tend to think of things in “sound bites”. We only continue to think about the events that are most recent in our minds and in the news. Currently we hear a lot about Haiti. There is great need there now and they will continue to need a huge amount of help in the future. But we should not forget those victims of past disasters that still need our help. Brother Vance believes the rebuilding process here in New Orleans will take another 10 – 15 years. Brother Vance also discussed the vision for the future of the Westside Mission Center.

As you think about the victims of disasters, sit down in your favorite place in your home for 10 – 15 minutes. Now get up and walk away from your house for 10 – 15 minutes with nothing but the clothes on your back. Stop and look back imagining what it would be like to loose everything you have. That is what it is like for the victim of any disaster and that is what it is still like for many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Sorry if it seems like I am rambling on, but the work we are doing down here is important to the people of New Orleans, to us, and to God.

God bless you all and thanks for your support
Brian

New Orleans Day 3 - Week 1

Once again, we ended the day tired and sore. Once again we worked on two projects today. Our first group worked on the house at Miro Street. This is a new house they are working on in conjunction with pastor Elijah. The crew there continued to scrape and paint the exterior. They also removed a fence and worked on fixing windows. They had 15 workers at that house so they made significant progress.

The first group also had the assistance of Mel Norton. Mel and his wife Judy are here for a long-term stay. They arrived the first week of January and will be here until the end of March. Mel is a supervisor/facilitator and helps Brother Vance get the jobs organized and runs for supplies.

The second project was to continue putting vinyl siding on the transition house. We have nearly completed the one side and have the back of the house ready to start. The only thing we lack right now is siding and dry weather.

The weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow is rain, so tomorrow we will all be working inside.

For supper this evening, the women of Westside Christian Church prepared a wonderful meal for us. We were also honored by the presence of Pastor Washington and his wife and the new Pastor, Dianna and her husband Eddie. After dinner and our nightly meeting, Pastor Washington’s wife Beulah treated us to a song.

After dinner we were again asked “Where did you see God today”? This is always a thought provoking (though sometimes humorous) time of the day. It is a time when we can think about how God has shown us his blessing.

We have received many thanks from those we have come to help and several people who see the work we are doing. This is evidence that they see our love for God and our neighbor and that they see God through us.

Where did YOU see GOD today?

Brian

New Orleans Day 2 - Week 1

Well, here we are after our second day of work. Our newcomers from the Hiram Christian Church joined us today. The help was sorely needed.

As for our projects, we had one small group of people working on the parsonage in order to get it ready for the new pastor and her husband. They spent the day painting and cleaning. Things are in pretty good shape there now.

Another group was sent back to the four-plex this morning where they continued to patch drywall and paint. Then this afternoon they went to another new house and began painting the outside. They worked hard and accomplished a lot.

We also had our group return to pastor Washington’s transition house. We needed to replace Soffits and Facia boards on the back of the building. It was challenging to find something solid enough to attach the new wood to. While there we also made some progress on putting the vinyl siding on the side of the building. Everyone is stiff and sore tonight.

After work today, we all got ready and went out to eat. Half the group went to the French Quarter, while the other half of our group went out to eat with Brother Vance at a place called “Lil G’s”. The food was good and the portions HUGE. And of course the company was great. It’s getting late and it’s time for bed. Back to work early in the morning.

Brian

New Orleans Day 1 - Week 1

Here we are at the end of our first day of work in New Orleans. Today we worked at two project houses. The first group was working at the 4-plex on Lowerline st. Their projects included patching and taping drywall, painting and pulling up some laminate flooring that was installed wrong. Hopefully they will be reinstalling the floor later this week.

The second group worked on the Transition House next to Pastor Washingtons church. Projects there included repairing/replacing soffit and facia boards, painting porches and railings and getting ready to install vinyl siding on the side and back of the church.

At the end of our workday today, Those of us working at the Transition House, were invited into see Pastor Wahingtons house. It was extremely gratifying to see how much Pastor Washington and his Wife enjoy their new home. Those of us that worked on the home last year were able to see the end results of our efforts. Pastor Washington and his wife are truly grateful for all the work the volunteers have done. They told us the home belongs to us too.

After a wonderful meal this evening, Brother Vance introduced us to the new Pastor at Westside Christian Church. Pastor Dianna is a young women from Puerto Rico. She was a Disciple minister in Puerto Rico before coming to the U.S. She will be the minister in residence. On of the goals here at the church is to reach out to the Hispanic community in the area. One of our projects this week will be to get the Parsonage ready for pastor Dianna and her husband to move into.

We of course ended with a few stories from Brother Vance and the most important question of the day – Where did you see God today? As important as the work down here is, It is also important for us to build our relationship with God. Recognizing all the good work He does is part of that process.

Time to go now. We need to get up at 6:00am so we can be on our way to work by 7:00am.

By the way, Where did YOU see God today?

Brian

New Orleans Arrival - Week 1

Greetings to all from New Orleans.

Everyone arrived safe and sound after a long 2-day drive. The distance is just under 1,100 miles one-way. Fortunately, the severe winter storm that went through Tennessee this weekend was over with by the time we got into Tennessee yesterday (Saturday). The main highways were clear, but the secondary roads in Nashville were covered with snow and ice. I don’t think the City of Nashville even owns a snowplow. Many businesses were closed because of the “severe storm”. We got an early start this morning but still encountered many snow covered stretches of highway.

Even though we had some challenges, we were rewarded with some spectacular scenes of the Sun shining through the ice on the tree limbs. It was truly spectacular.

On arrival, we were met by Brother Vance. Those of you who haven’t experienced Brother Vance, won’t realize what a truly special person he is. He is so much a part of what makes this place special. If you ever get the opportunity, Please come down and see for yourself what a wonderful experience this is.

Shortly after our arrival, several of our group prepared a wonderful meal for us. We then had a short discussion with Brother Vance about the activities for this week. He won’t have anything specific for us until tomorrow, but promises there is plenty for us to do. We will start our day bright and early tomorrow with a wake up call from Brother Vance at 6:30 am.

We will try to post something to the blog every night, so be sure to check back daily.

Yours in Christ
Brian Summerlin

January 30th & 31st

We have left Mantua, Ohio and the first group from Mantua Center Christian Church, Hilltop Christian Church, Brighter Day, and Hiram Christian Church are on their way to New Orleans!