Hello Bloggers!
Mia and Lindz here! We are just so excited to tell yall about our fun and exciting day in New Orleans! This was my first trip EVER to that wonderful city (Mia) I partook in local traditions such as listening to New Orleans Jazz musicians, shopping, eating of many different foods of the fried nature( i.e. Beignets) drinking and gambling etc. JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!! Not about the shopping and the fired food but anyways. I loved being with people that I came here to help. Speaking of which throughout the past days we have mastered the use of the nail gun, miter saw, with the help of pencils and tape measures. Because the close use of these tools they have become very dear friends of ours with names to boot. Our nail gun was named Helga, our miter saw was named Cha-chi, our trusty pencil was named Chloe, and last but not least our handy dandy tape measure Frank (pronounced with a German accent). These friends helped us lay wooden trim throughout our friend Lou’s (yes he is a human not intimate object) entire house.
Today we enlisted the help of our lovely friends Harry (the special trim brush especially for trim) and the Lou-Anns (regular paint brushes made for regular painting) to help paint the wooden trim that we laid yesterday. We had a great day and we hope Lou is happy with our team work! Buh-Bye bloggers! And if we don’t see you good afternoon good evening and good night!(a quote from the movie “The Truman Show” if you didn’t know that you should be ashamed.)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25
What a beautiful day in Mississippi. At 8 am we loaded into the Suburban and drove along the coast, north towards the Black Creek in Desoto National Forest. At the horizon, lightning licked the Gulf from a swath of darkness in an otherwise blue sky. (Fans of my other work notice my astute use of foreshadowing). At ten, after an extended stop at the Winn Dixie for intricately assembled poboys, we pulled into Soggy Bottom Canoe and Kayak. 
Kitted out in “Typhoon” model kayaks, we dropped into the river and started our lazy paddle, just a bit quicker than the current. The surface of the river was broken only by floating leaves and the dip of our paddles; the only human sounds were our splashes. We looked up at blue sky and down at still water, gathered to see a turtle or a snake (which disappeared as soon as they saw us), and pulled our kayaks on shore to take a swim. I haven’t seen such beautiful country in years. I kept thinking, “this is the earth as God made it.” I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, and then turned to laugh at a joke.
As the only one who could make it up the slick side of the riverbank, Jeremy enjoyed the rope swing for all of us.
After lunch we took a long, floaty swim, goofing at the drop-off into deep water, and remembering old camp trips. Thunder rumbled in the distance, which only underscored our pleasure at the blue sky and puffy clouds above us.
Back in the kayaks, it was only fifteen minutes before the dark clouds rolled over, and only a few minutes more before a light sprinkling dotted the surface of the water. All seemed well for a cooler paddle—until the wind kicked up and pushed us sideways faster than we could paddle ourselves forward. We paddled. Lightning darted ahead of us. We paddled. The storm moved closer, the lightning crackled closer, and we found the first flat place we could to pull the kayaks ashore and get out of the water. Lee, earlier our hero for thinking of a kayaking trip in the first place, was now the object of much scorn and derision J. At first we figured we would drop right back into the water—a storm that came up so quickly would certainly blow over just as fast—but ended up hitting the deck as lightning struck 50 meters away. We crouched on the bank for 45 minutes. Nonetheless—better to get soaked to the skin on a riverbank than in downtown DC.
Note that there are no pictures of our soggy interlude; it was too wet to get the camera out of the Ziploc bag.
Nobody has ever been happier to see the guys in ponchos waiting at the landing, and to hear Axl Rose welcome us to the jungle in the camp van.
Kitted out in “Typhoon” model kayaks, we dropped into the river and started our lazy paddle, just a bit quicker than the current. The surface of the river was broken only by floating leaves and the dip of our paddles; the only human sounds were our splashes. We looked up at blue sky and down at still water, gathered to see a turtle or a snake (which disappeared as soon as they saw us), and pulled our kayaks on shore to take a swim. I haven’t seen such beautiful country in years. I kept thinking, “this is the earth as God made it.” I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, and then turned to laugh at a joke.
As the only one who could make it up the slick side of the riverbank, Jeremy enjoyed the rope swing for all of us.
After lunch we took a long, floaty swim, goofing at the drop-off into deep water, and remembering old camp trips. Thunder rumbled in the distance, which only underscored our pleasure at the blue sky and puffy clouds above us.
Back in the kayaks, it was only fifteen minutes before the dark clouds rolled over, and only a few minutes more before a light sprinkling dotted the surface of the water. All seemed well for a cooler paddle—until the wind kicked up and pushed us sideways faster than we could paddle ourselves forward. We paddled. Lightning darted ahead of us. We paddled. The storm moved closer, the lightning crackled closer, and we found the first flat place we could to pull the kayaks ashore and get out of the water. Lee, earlier our hero for thinking of a kayaking trip in the first place, was now the object of much scorn and derision J. At first we figured we would drop right back into the water—a storm that came up so quickly would certainly blow over just as fast—but ended up hitting the deck as lightning struck 50 meters away. We crouched on the bank for 45 minutes. Nonetheless—better to get soaked to the skin on a riverbank than in downtown DC.
Note that there are no pictures of our soggy interlude; it was too wet to get the camera out of the Ziploc bag.
Nobody has ever been happier to see the guys in ponchos waiting at the landing, and to hear Axl Rose welcome us to the jungle in the camp van.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tuesday, June 24
Once again, the Lord has given us the chance to serve Him by way of helping another Katrina victim. Today, our second day working with Lou on the house he is building to replace the one he lost to Katrina, started out hot – the sun was out, the skies were clear and the breeze we enjoyed on Monday morning was gone. Kevin over-stated by a bit our progress on the above-range microwave yesterday. We were about 90% finished when we knocked off yesterday, finished it this morning by about ten.
Today was about paint – taping, sanding, sweeping, painting. Lee and Patrick finished hanging the remaining doors while most of the rest of us set nails, spread spackle, sanded, taped and painted. By mid-morning, we began to get a nice breeze blowing in from the south (that would be off of the Gulf), so that made things more tolerable. The mason who was working, along-side-of, but not with- (I think child psychiatrists and pediatrcians call that “parallel play,” or something like that.) hobbled by, having taken quite a spill yesterday – pretty banged up, but, we were glad to learn, no broken bones or other serious injuries.
After breaking for lunch, we returned to work and, again, the focus was on painting – brown paint, yellow paint, blue-grey paint, blue paint, white paint, primer, semi-gloss, etc., etc., etc. We’ve naught but baseboards and some door frames to finish up when we return, but that will not be tomorrow.
Returning to camp this evening, we were treated to a fabulous meal of grilled chicken, which had been marinated in Eliza’s secret recipe, cous cous, salad and ice cream with Peppridge Farms cookies – mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Tomorrow, half the group are going kayaking on Black Creek (in De Soto National Fort. We pray none become appetizers for gators!)
The rest (including moi, whose inability to bend his right knee prevents him from getting into a kayak) are headed for New Orleans – agenda still to be determined, but I think it is safe to assume we will not be behaving in a way that risks the grace we may be earning this week being taken from us – at the very least, I feel we should break even!.
Estimated departure time for both groups: 8:00 am. So, as soon as we upload some photos, it will be off to dreamland for us!
Today was about paint – taping, sanding, sweeping, painting. Lee and Patrick finished hanging the remaining doors while most of the rest of us set nails, spread spackle, sanded, taped and painted. By mid-morning, we began to get a nice breeze blowing in from the south (that would be off of the Gulf), so that made things more tolerable. The mason who was working, along-side-of, but not with- (I think child psychiatrists and pediatrcians call that “parallel play,” or something like that.) hobbled by, having taken quite a spill yesterday – pretty banged up, but, we were glad to learn, no broken bones or other serious injuries.
After breaking for lunch, we returned to work and, again, the focus was on painting – brown paint, yellow paint, blue-grey paint, blue paint, white paint, primer, semi-gloss, etc., etc., etc. We’ve naught but baseboards and some door frames to finish up when we return, but that will not be tomorrow.
Returning to camp this evening, we were treated to a fabulous meal of grilled chicken, which had been marinated in Eliza’s secret recipe, cous cous, salad and ice cream with Peppridge Farms cookies – mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Tomorrow, half the group are going kayaking on Black Creek (in De Soto National Fort. We pray none become appetizers for gators!)
The rest (including moi, whose inability to bend his right knee prevents him from getting into a kayak) are headed for New Orleans – agenda still to be determined, but I think it is safe to assume we will not be behaving in a way that risks the grace we may be earning this week being taken from us – at the very least, I feel we should break even!.
Estimated departure time for both groups: 8:00 am. So, as soon as we upload some photos, it will be off to dreamland for us!
Monday, June 23
Today we awoke for the start of our first real day of work. The guys from tent C4 and the gals from tent C5 were ready to go early – a lot of us congregated in the dining room over an hour before departure time. (Jeremy and I decided very early in this trip to sit at the end closest to the air conditioning unit.) The weather outside in the early morning was surprisingly pleasant. We hoped it was a good sign for the day to come.
For those of us who are returning to the area after previous VIM trips, it has been meaningful to see some of the signs of a more normal life returning to Pass Christian. There are more shops back in business, a nice new park close to the water, and even a few families on the beach. But there is still so much to be done. We all thought about this need as we drove down the highway this morning – passing empty lots one after the other – places that undoubtedly held special memories for so many individuals. It is so much starker to see many of these places that only have a concrete slab foundation remaining – as if there was nothing worthwhile to remain - everything simply washed away. We think about how painful that must feel for those who are living through such loss. Particularly now that so much of the country has “moved on” and given the bureaucratic difficulties some have faced in obtaining much needed relief. Many of us were able to talk to Lou today and hear his story about the storm and his life since then. His loss has been great – not only his home but also of a loved one. It just feels right to help.
(I will need to pause here now because the train is zooming past the cabin and it is difficult to hear myself think – please bear with me.)
When we arrived at the site in the morning, we were greeted by Lou and began taking our equipment upstairs – and the cooler was definitely included as part of the equipment. We focused our work on the upstairs rooms.
Like previous summers, Lee has been our fearless leader and has helped steer this opening phase of our campaign. In particular, we worked today on putting up the baseboard and multiple doors. Pat and Jeremy were great at installing the doors – which was no easy trick and patience was definitely a virtue. And Lindsey and Mia have been nicknamed our team of “cut ups,” because they tirelessly cut and installed baseboard all day long and did a terrific job. The rest of our gang assisted the teams in these various tasks. Everyone was working hard and it was fun to be moving from task to task – there was a sense of purpose and cooperation. My favorite moment was working with Jim to install the big microwave oven under the overhead cabinet – I kept thinking of the Dire Straits song and video with the same name. But you know it might be trouble when 2 lawyers are splitting measurements in increments of 1/16 on a calculator. But miraculously (I suppose this is a VIM trip after all), it went fine. The weather was actually pleasant in the house – there was a nice cross breeze with the open windows.
After a full day of work, the group closed up shop and headed back to camp. Lee cooked up some serious burgers on the grill and we had a nice time unwinding in the dining hall and talking about our day’s impressions. Our local friend Wesley even joined us for devotions. This first day bodes very well for the rest of our week.
For those of us who are returning to the area after previous VIM trips, it has been meaningful to see some of the signs of a more normal life returning to Pass Christian. There are more shops back in business, a nice new park close to the water, and even a few families on the beach. But there is still so much to be done. We all thought about this need as we drove down the highway this morning – passing empty lots one after the other – places that undoubtedly held special memories for so many individuals. It is so much starker to see many of these places that only have a concrete slab foundation remaining – as if there was nothing worthwhile to remain - everything simply washed away. We think about how painful that must feel for those who are living through such loss. Particularly now that so much of the country has “moved on” and given the bureaucratic difficulties some have faced in obtaining much needed relief. Many of us were able to talk to Lou today and hear his story about the storm and his life since then. His loss has been great – not only his home but also of a loved one. It just feels right to help.
(I will need to pause here now because the train is zooming past the cabin and it is difficult to hear myself think – please bear with me.)
When we arrived at the site in the morning, we were greeted by Lou and began taking our equipment upstairs – and the cooler was definitely included as part of the equipment. We focused our work on the upstairs rooms.
Like previous summers, Lee has been our fearless leader and has helped steer this opening phase of our campaign. In particular, we worked today on putting up the baseboard and multiple doors. Pat and Jeremy were great at installing the doors – which was no easy trick and patience was definitely a virtue. And Lindsey and Mia have been nicknamed our team of “cut ups,” because they tirelessly cut and installed baseboard all day long and did a terrific job. The rest of our gang assisted the teams in these various tasks. Everyone was working hard and it was fun to be moving from task to task – there was a sense of purpose and cooperation. My favorite moment was working with Jim to install the big microwave oven under the overhead cabinet – I kept thinking of the Dire Straits song and video with the same name. But you know it might be trouble when 2 lawyers are splitting measurements in increments of 1/16 on a calculator. But miraculously (I suppose this is a VIM trip after all), it went fine. The weather was actually pleasant in the house – there was a nice cross breeze with the open windows.After a full day of work, the group closed up shop and headed back to camp. Lee cooked up some serious burgers on the grill and we had a nice time unwinding in the dining hall and talking about our day’s impressions. Our local friend Wesley even joined us for devotions. This first day bodes very well for the rest of our week.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22
Saturday was an uneventful travel day. We flew from National Airport to New Orleans and rented vans for the drive to Pass Christian. Unfortunately, Budget rental car gave us an unexpected upgrade from two minivans to a Suburban and an Expedition. We can literally watch the gas gauge move. On the upside, each of these monsters has some unbelievable features. The best is probably air conditioning that can be digitally set for each side and each row of seats. Our accomodations at The Village are a little rustic, army tents that hold nine beds. An added feature is the roaches and mice that roam freely. 
We see them so frequently, we hardly pay attention now. Another surprise is that we are within a couple of football fields of the railroad tracks, and trains pass every couple of hours all day and night. Saturday night was rough because we had not learned the key to a good night's sleep, "drugs and plugs." Don't worry, we mean sleeping pills and ear plugs.
On Sunday, we worshiped at St. Paul United Methodist Church and those of us who worked on it two years ago got to see how great it looked.
We also finally got to meet Revered Williams, the pastor, who was away at Emory University the past two times we visited. 
Everyone was pleased at how shiny and new everything looked. After the service, we drove to our favorite restaurant, the Cajun Crawfish Hut for some southern Mississippi cuisine.
We feasted on fried alligator, fried pickles, fried shrimp (are you sensing a theme?), and for variety, spicy boiled shrimp. In the afternoon, a large group went shoping for groceries and other supplies, while Lee went with Jocelyn McBride, the volunteer coordinator, to view our job site. This year we are working on Lou Orduna's house. Lou is a mechanic who lost his house and various cars and car parts during Katrina. Lou's house has been rebuilt on 10 foot stilts and he is now adding a wrap around porch that will cover a garage where he can work on cars. We are hanging doors, trimming doors, installing baseboards, and finishing the kitchen and bathroom plumbing. On Sunday evening we were joined at The Village by a large group of Catholic youth from Easton, CT, and two other groups. The Village is full and very lively, especially when a roach is spotted in a tent full of girls. We also got an indoctrination from Kim, the head of Grey Hut, which was interupted twice by her jumping on to a chair to avoid a mouse running across the floor.
We see them so frequently, we hardly pay attention now. Another surprise is that we are within a couple of football fields of the railroad tracks, and trains pass every couple of hours all day and night. Saturday night was rough because we had not learned the key to a good night's sleep, "drugs and plugs." Don't worry, we mean sleeping pills and ear plugs.On Sunday, we worshiped at St. Paul United Methodist Church and those of us who worked on it two years ago got to see how great it looked.
We also finally got to meet Revered Williams, the pastor, who was away at Emory University the past two times we visited. Everyone was pleased at how shiny and new everything looked. After the service, we drove to our favorite restaurant, the Cajun Crawfish Hut for some southern Mississippi cuisine. We feasted on fried alligator, fried pickles, fried shrimp (are you sensing a theme?), and for variety, spicy boiled shrimp. In the afternoon, a large group went shoping for groceries and other supplies, while Lee went with Jocelyn McBride, the volunteer coordinator, to view our job site. This year we are working on Lou Orduna's house. Lou is a mechanic who lost his house and various cars and car parts during Katrina. Lou's house has been rebuilt on 10 foot stilts and he is now adding a wrap around porch that will cover a garage where he can work on cars. We are hanging doors, trimming doors, installing baseboards, and finishing the kitchen and bathroom plumbing. On Sunday evening we were joined at The Village by a large group of Catholic youth from Easton, CT, and two other groups. The Village is full and very lively, especially when a roach is spotted in a tent full of girls. We also got an indoctrination from Kim, the head of Grey Hut, which was interupted twice by her jumping on to a chair to avoid a mouse running across the floor.
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