Pages

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Day 4 | Casey Bone

Today was more fun than the other days because there was a constant breeze, and we took down more of the walls, I also got to use a crowbar to take off some of the walls. After we took down the walls we put some windows on the back of the house, after that we put a tarp ware we took down the walls, we used staple guns to put it in. I am glad we had wind to day.

Day 4 | Michelle Shaver

We started the floor and it lacks two rows to be complete. We end the day to be back by 430 so whatever is not complete stays that way until tomorrow. There was a breeze today outside making it a little better than several of the other days. We took a quick trip to the Bay and I got my feet wet and watched the kids play in the water. It was a good evening to be out.

Day 4 | Vicki Groff

Mickey has been mean to me this week making me blog every night and then Heath and Jordan try to correct my grammar. It has been fun getting to know the people I go to church with better. We will forever have a bond and be friends. By for now.

Day 4 | Jeff Skidmore

Another great day working at Cowboy Joe’s house. We started installing appliances and hanging doors. Everything is starting to come together. It is sad that tomorrow is our last day before our journey home. I think everyone had a great week and lots of work has been done. I got to meet one lady, Linda Castor that told us about riding out the hurricane in a “pod”. She was on national news and her video went viral. Also we all took a trip to Rockport Beach and Sonics. Till next time. Night all.

Day 4 | Paul Summers

I thought I was done with sanding and painting, but I was wrong. I forgot we would have to put a second coat on the floorboard and doors. That took most of the morning, and I was sent to clean paintbrushes and buckets. Tim is a stickler for perfection—a good quality to have if you are working for God—so it took me a while to get the stuff clean. I started at about eleven thirty, and finished at four. What happened was that Tim saw how great of a job I was doing and decided to let me continue. Or at least, that is what I tell myself. I have had a great time working with my crew, but I am looking forward to coming home.

Day 4 | Tate Roach

Today we worked at Cowboy Joe’s, and to my disappointment, we could not work with him today. We sandpapered and painted all the trim for the 2nd time today. We then had to paint the doors and shelves and screw them into their respective places. Next, we had to clean up and vacuum everything so the electricians, plumbers, and other contractors could do their jobs. Tim told some amazing stories of patience and faith in God, as well, which wrapped and made the day great.

Day 4 | Jordan Skidmore

For our 4th day here in Texas, my group was at the same worksite that we’ve been at all week. Today, Camylle and I learned how to put down flooring. Flooring was a lot more fun to do than cleaning paint brushes all day long. We have one more day of work and then we will be on our way home. This week has been fun but I am ready to be back in West Virginia.

Day 4 | Hunter Mitchell

Today we went back to cowboy Joe’s and we sanded and painted. We also hung doors. Sadly cowboy Joe was not home today. I witnessed a sight today that was really funny. Tim , our foreman, threw boards off the porch and an unsuspecting Jeff walked out and almost got hit with boards. Even with the work it was a great day.

Day 4 | Tess Morlan

I was windy today and I mean windy. We were back at cowboy Joes house today putting on the some final touches and every time I step out side my hat almost blow off my head. Everyone in my group was feeling the 4th day we all moved a little slower today but no one was in a bad mood or complained. All in all it was windy and hot but a good day.

Day 4 | Marshall Frame

When I got to the worksite today I started by caring tools upstairs. Then I measured out door molding. Then once it was cut I installed it. Then I had to go back and had to do the same to the tops of the doors. Then I went the measured baseboards. Then once they were cut I put then in place but did not installed them because so where cut wrong.

Day 4 | Mickey Skeens

Work day number 4 of our mission trip here in South Texas. It was another beautiful and hot day; my group went back to Ida’s house and Jordan and Camylle became Vinyl floor experts today. They along with the crew leader Carl laid all but 3 rows of the flooring. They did a great job in doing it. Polly and Michelle did the cutting for the girls, Heath, Gary and I painted and put up moldings around the windows and door frames. Hopefully we can finish this house tomorrow and move on to the next. On a different note, I have been leading the bible studies in the evenings and last night I challenged the youth and asked if one of them would step up. During breakfast, each morning we have devotions and the adults have lead each of them so far. I ask if one of them would lead on Thursday morning, and if anyone of them would come see me after bible study. Riley came to me and said that she would do it. This morning she shared and lead us in scripture from I Peter. She did an awesome job and I could not be more proud of her.

Day 4 | Buster Hamric

I had a great hot day. These kids are amazing , they work hard and listen well and are very teachable. I enjoying working with the youth.

Day 4 | Riley Skeens

We have worked at the same house site all week and needless to say I don’t want to see paint for awhile. Today Adison and I painted doors and finished up the trim work. It was very warm today, but the Lord provided a breeze and work continued. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience here, but I am ready to be back in the hills.

Day 4 | Becka Campbell

Today was another hot one, but a great work day. Every day our crew has found a new gear and worked very hard in the heat. Juanita and her family need a lot of work done on their home; so many different areas that are broken or destroyed. It is very difficult to only work on parts of a home that I know I wouldn't want to walk into let alone live in. I can't imagine the difficulty that the staff here with Samaritans Purse have to handle when deciding how much work will get done at each home. I ask you to continue to pray for the staff here that are working tirelessly to return people to their homes. There is a large staff here (I think about 20) that work in a variety of roles including replacing manufactured homes and home repairs. It is so neat to watch God at work here.

Day 4 | Tracy Garavaglia

Today was a good day. We removed siding, pulled up stumps, and unloaded lumber, doors, and windows. We worked well as a team. There was a nice breeze throughout the day making the heat more bearable. God always provides exactly what we need. Love you Rick!

Day 4 | Andrew McCallister

Captains Log day 4 Today was a good day of work there was a nice breeze so it was cool outside. we had to carry 80 boxes of flooring up 20 steps and they were pretty heavy. we also went to the beach after dinner. I’m sunburnt on the back of my neck and that sucked but its not to bad.

Day 4 | Gary Gerwig

Hey all. Another great day in Texas. We made a lot of progress today. Polly ,Michelle, Jorden and Camylle put down vinyl flooring and Heath done some final paint touch -ups while Mickey and I worked on trim. We still haven’t meet the home owner but did get to see her sister.We seen a different camel on the way in this evening . The one was a one hump and this one was a 2 hump. We enjoyed our work and constant laughter all day.

Day 4 | Bill Morlan

Day 4 is in the books. Not as hot today with a great breeze. The day started with our leader telling me that we would be on the roof today taking off the shingles of the house we are working on. So on our way to our job site, a 45 min drive, I gave a crash course to my van on how to take off shingles. I also told them to memorize the address of where we were working so they could call 911 when I fall though it. So Becka was going over how to get 911 on their phones by using the emergency app on their phone. Then she added but don’t forget to video it because it would be funny. I felt the love of my van. When we got to the job site our leader said he was kidding and we were going to take off the rest of the old siding and put OSB board around the house. As we started to take off the wood, Eric noticed a bunch of termite damage on the wood he was taking off. So on further removal of the wood we found multiple termite damage around the house. Now they have to fix that problem and we just worked on what we could today. We got a lot of work done but not what our leader wanted to accomplish. Tonight we took the kids to the bay so they could swim and hang out on the beach. Been a good day. Dont know what we will do tomorrow but I’m sure it will be hot. Love you Bron, boys and my girls.

Day 4 | Logan Morlan

hey everyone so today we painted, sanded, switched a door on a refrigerator and hung all the interior doors. unfortunately i don’t feel like much was accomplished by us but i know that every detail is still a detail no matter how small. i don’t want to stop working i want to finish this house and they have all these rules that prevent us from completing our projects. i do hope that who ever comes next finishes the houses soon.

Day 4 | Emily Frame

When i got to the worksite today we started by moving the beams to the back porch. Then we had to dig up the stumps that the beams where sitting on so we can put in footers. Then we unloaded the plywood and two by fours and putting them in stacks. Next we took siding off and then put on tarp.

Day 4 | Brett Chapman

Our team had a great day and got a lot accomplished, door frames, window frames and painting are almost all complete. The end of the day was a little rough do to the fact we received a load of flooring at the end of a long day. We had to care eighty bundles up a set of twenty steps but we got it done and will be ready fly with it tomorrow. All in all it was another great day.

Day 4 | Adison Garavaglia

Our fourth day here in Rockport, Texas has been much the same as the rest of this week, as I have been working at the same house. Although, today we migrated from painting mostly walls and some doors to painting strictly doors. It’s tedious work, but every stroke we paint says something about our work and the faith behind it, so we paint on! A lot of the trim has gone up, and the house is looking really nice. We are supposed to be working on much of the same things tomorrow with, hopefully, a little flooring mixed in. It was another good day filled with fellowship, and I can’t wait for another good day of work for the Lord tomorrow. I’m sure it will be just as blessed.

Day 4 | Matthias Garavaglia

Today was a really good day. Melanie brought us Italian Ice halfway through the day to cool us off a bit. That was much appreciated for sure. We got most of the siding off the front and took out the rest of the porch foundation. It has been really nice getting to know Juanita and I had a good day.

Day 4 | Polly Gerwig

Wow, this week has went really fast. Hopefully tomorrow we will finish Miss Ida’s house. We got most of the flooring laid today, and the guys got some doors hung and trim put up. I think Michelle was just as happy as I was to not have to touch a paint brush or roller. Instead we got to use the miter saw and cut vinyl flooring. It was nice to go to the water this evening and watch the kids having fun. The weather has been hot and humid, but tonight there is nice breeze. I have enjoyed spending time with whole crowd.

Day 4 | Heath Cottrill

Another day has passed here in Texas, and our journey is beginning to near an end, a fact that is evident in the increasing fatigue of the group. My group was again sent to the same location where the floor installation began, the endless painting persisted, and insulation was laid. In addition, we were able to go to the bay today where individuals either swam, fished, or just enjoyed the breeze. The projects are nearing completion, and I am eager to return to my own bed, environment, and home.

Day 4 | Eric Campbell

Today we continued to remove the siding from our house. This house needs a lot of work to get it to where it needs to be. Our original plan to place OSB board on the house was thrown off when we found termites throughout the foundation of the house. We removed everything that we safely could after that. Headed to bed soon. We will share more updates on Facebook tomorrow - our final day of working here in Texas before we head home on Saturday.

Day 4 | Kalyn Harris

Today was day four, and was very interesting. We were at the same house we were at yesterday. We cleaned the last of the trash, including a blue tarp from under the house, which happened to house a spider the size of my palm. I was raking the tarp out, when that thing crawled to the edge of the house and proceeded to stare at with me with its eight beady little eyes. I froze because I happen to be terrified of spiders and got Mathias, who I found out is also scared of spiders, to come and hit it with his sledge hammer. He missed because it tried to run at him and I got the heck out of dodge. It crawled back under the house and I was very uneasy the rest of the day. After that, we pulled siding off the house and discovered extensive termite and cockroach damage. We had a good day and got a lot done. I can’t wait for tomorrow.

Day 4 | Jan Gooding

It was another hot day ! Understatement !! Worked on window casings and trim all day while the girls painted all the doors. Got 85 boxes of flooring which should begin as soon as we finish the base trim tomorrow. Found out 2 families received their new homes this week. If Avery could have found the board stretcher we may have turned over a third home.LOL It was just another blessing to work with all the younger people.

Day 4 | Avery Chapman

Welcome to blog 583! Today is Thursday. I saw to long leg white birds. Someone brought us ice cream while working. We back home on Saturday. Still haven’t met my home owner. The house is coming along. Hi family :)))).

Day 4 | Camylle Leake

Today we went back to the same house we have been at all week. Jordan and I got to learn a new skill today, we learned how to put down flooring. Let me tell ya I loved doing the flooring, I thought it was a lot of fun. Vicki gave me the bright idea to use more than on bug bracelet so I had three on today which seem to keep the bugs off of me. But we also were inside most of the day too. Overall today was a very good learning experience and a great days of work!

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Day 3 | Hunter Mitchell

Today instead of cowboy Joe’s we worked at the place we are sleeping. We spent all day moving wood and making walls. It took us all day to put the walls up. We hit a bit of a delay because of a broken level that said that we did not have the doors level. We spent about 30 minutes on this and then we learned it was the level. It was a great day and tomorrow I get to learn how to hang drywall.

Day 3 | Andrew McCallister

Captains log day 3 Today was hump day and bill woke everyone up saying what day is it. Tomorrow he will say it is the day after hump day and so on. About volleyball, the other team showed up today and we beat them 25-12 so that felt good. It was really hot so im going to have to take two showers because I’m sweating still.

Day 3 | Avery Chapman

Welcome to blog 995! Today I work on 2 houses. I saw a cool bird and a cat. The first house we put a bath in. The second I painted. So far so good. I played volleyball the whole evening. Hi family.

Day 3 | Polly Gerwig

Michelle and I just maybe have finished all the painting needing done with rollers. We had a great day despite the humidity. It is great to get to go back to the same house and see how much progress we are making. Tomorrow is flooring, trim and some touch up paint. Hi to everyone back home, this week is going so quick. Hard to believe we only have 2 more work days.

Day 3 | Gary Gerwig

Hey all. It was HUMP DAY. That was repeated all day by a youth pastor, not to mention any names. It was another great day in Texas. It was so hot the camel wouldn’t get out of the pond. We got a lot accomplished on the house we were working on. It looks like maybe tomorrow we will be putting down flooring and trim. It’s looking like SP will be here for another year. I am missing WV but I know this is where God wants me.

Day 3 | Heath Cottrill

While today possessed several activities and tasks that we completed yesterday, I was blessed to experience another day in the state of Texas. Additionally, we survived hump day as repeatedly stated by Bill. We painted doors and trim, replaced boards, installed a pocket door, and began to start the flooring process. Although the home owner did not make an appearance, we learned more about her from our supervisor. Most notably, she visits the property every night to ride her stationary bike and check on the construction process. Hopefully all is still well back in West Virginia.

Day 3 | Vicki Groff

We had a great day today again we painted. It has been very hot here, but where I am working on the bay.

Day 3 | Matthias Garavaglia

Today we finally got to meet a homeowner and it was really nice. She helped us as much as she could and talked to us for a while. She had an autistic child that gave Bill a high five which was really cool to see. We tore down a porch and took siding off the back of the house. It was a productive day and I’m looking forward to working there tomorrow.

Day 3 | Marshall Frame

Today when I first got to the work site we stared setting up saws. Then I started marking door facings and get their measurements. Then once they were cut I used an air gun to nail them back on the door jams. Then I measured the bed rooms and closets foe base boards. then after lunch the boards where cut I got to nail them down

Day 3 | Emily Frame

Today we got to demo a porch. We started by taking off the roof then the walls. We also had to get the siding of the house on the back side tore off. As the group was tearing down the walls I was in the dumpster taking the wood and stacking it against the far side. Then after lunch we started tearing up the floor. After that I went to get a water and twisted my ankle. I rested it for a little time then helped where I could.

Day 3 | Paul Summers

We worked inside of the barracks today, building the walls for what will be the offices. Luckily, our barracks are air conditioned, so we weren’t roasting. The high point of today was when we got all the walls up and the level was telling us that we were way out of plum. After wallowing for it for about forty minutes, bracing, pushing, shoving, and pulling the walls this way and that, we finally figured out that the level was faulty. Boy, that made our crew leader both mad and happy. He was mad that we wasted so much time, and happy that we didn’t have to tear down and rebuild the walls. Other than that, my day went fine.

Day 3 | Jan Gooding

Another hot day. 109 index. Lots of work was accomplished on our house today. The inside is painted, the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms are installed with counter tops, all the doors were hung and to be painted and over half the trim installed. It really makes a change with the trim being installed. We should be close to finishing the house in a few days. An all-around great day of hustle.

Day 3 | Mickey Skeens

Today was another hot but blessed day. The heat index around noon hit 115 degrees and there was no breeze blowing today. Our group went back to the same house today and we finished the painting in this room. We were also able to install a new pocket door into the room for the homeowner and added new steps for her due to it being lower than the rest of the house. We also had to mix leveling compound the bring the new floor up to meet the existing floor in the house. We hope to finish up there tomorrow with the installation of the flooring and the base board trim. I have truly been blessed with the team that I have. I have been working with Gary and Polly Gerwig, Heath Cottrill, Jordan Skidmore, and Camylle Leake, along with our crew leader Carl.

Day 3 | Becka Campbell

I’ve had a good week so far. Today we started at a new home. Juanita is a sweet lady who lives with her daughter, son in law, two sons and a granddaughter Katie. Katie is a young girl with autism and I thought that was a really neat site for us to be at. I was able to meet Katie and talk to Juanita some about what I do. For those who don’t know, I work with young children with autism spectrum disorders. By profession, I am a behavior analyst focused on early intervention services for children. At work, I focus on helping kids learn to talk. Katie did not talk to us, she did share a few high fives though and then spent most of the day at her aunt’s house. She doesn’t deal well with change (which is very typical for children on the spectrum) so pray for her that she handles the changes we are making. Our goal is to replace siding on the back side of the home and to replace a back covered porch that also functioned as a laundry room. I’m not sure exactly what the next two days have in store for us in terms of rebuilding or replacing but I know that God has a unique plan for our team and I look forward to watching Him work. It has been a really neat week working with Kalyn, Emily, Casey, Matthias, Tracy, Bill and Eric.

Day 3 | Logan Morlan

So today started with me leading devotion, i thought it went pretty well for the most part i had a few people tell me i did a good job afterwards. Day three is over and done and i only have two more days to enjoy working here. Its crazy to think that we have traveled hundreds of miles and spent five days on this journey and its all coming to a end. Today my crew worked here at the compound as those who watched our live stream this morning saw, we were tasked with building two offices and a conference room using this pretty pink wood. yes it was pink and it was very twisted, but nevertheless we had a good day and got everything built. i really don’t want this week to end but i know that we can’t do this forever.

Day 3 | Bill Morlan

I’m sure that you have already read this, but the heat index today was 115 degrees. At the hottest part of the day, Eric and I were eye level with the roof taking off siding on a house we started at today. To say the least, it was hot! Come to Texas Eric said, it will be fun! It was a great day of work and we did get a lot done. We started a new house that has not had anything done to it yet. So we tore off the back porch which had a roof on it, the porch was rotted away. It didn’t take much to tear it down. Then we took the siding off of the back of the house because we are to put new windows and siding on it. I don’t know how far we will get in the 2 days we have left but we will hit it as hard as we can. Each day I come up with new songs that describe what we are doing and I add all the names of our group to the songs. I have came with with some real good songs. But today we worked at a house where we had to be as quiet as possible as we tore the house apart. The grand daughter of the home owner is autistic and noises and new things upset her. We got to meet her today and she gave us high fives as her grandmother introduced her to us so she wouldn’t be as scared. So today I guess I was put in Samaritans Purse timeout. Most of us “ AARP group” are pretty tired from the heat and are just sitting around. The youth are outside playing volleyball, man have things changed. It’s hard to believe that the week is almost done and there is still so much more to do. It’s time for this old guy to relax. Love you Bron, boys and my girls.

Day 3 | Tate Roach

Today we worked inside most of the day. The A/C was nice and cool. We did have to go outside some to gather materials and saw some studs, beams, and jacks.The location was right in our living quarters. We had a good day of work and got the entire exoskeleton of the walls done.We ran into one problem: a faulty level, which caused mass confusion into what we all were doing wrong. We helped unload drywall as well and helped Tim pack up the utility truck. All in all it was a good day.

Day 3 | Jordan Skidmore

In today’s heat we finished up working on the trim from yesterday. We had to sand it a second time and give it a second coat of paint. After everyone’s painting Camylle and I continued to clean brushes for the second day. Although it was a very tiring day, we had lots of fun and made more memories. I miss everyone and I hope all is great back home.

Day 3 | Camylle Leake

Today was a super super hot day, it reached 100 degrees today and let me tell ya Texas humidity is not like WV’s. Jordan and I painted and sanded some trim this morning at the same house we worked on yesterday. Jordan and I were still the groups go to girls for cleaning up brushes and pans. I must say I have applied and applied bug spray but I have still managed to get eaten up somehow. But besides the awful Texas bugs we had a great days of work!

Day 3 | Kalyn Harris

I found out this early this morning from Pastor Bill that today happened to be hump Day! After breakfast, we laced up our shoes and walked outside to a scorching 89 degrees. When we got to the worksite, we found out that we were going to demo a porch for a grandma and her autistic granddaughter. We got it mostly done by lunch when the warning for the heat index rose from 105-109 degrees to 115 degrees. I think I drank 6 bottles of gatorade and water. We finished demoing the porch and cleaned probably 50 coca-cola cans out from under it. We also took the siding off the back of house with a crowbar and hammers. Overall it was a really fun day today.

Day 3 | Brett Chapman

So yeah, I’ve learned that Bill is a morning person, I mean wide eyed and bushy tailed as he rolls out of his bed. My group worked on two different houses today the first one we weren’t at for very long but got to run an electric jackhammer which was a first for me. The second house was the same house that we’ve been working at and its really starting to come together. We got all but two doors hung and have most of the house trimmed. We also had tocos or lunch from a lady that has a little taco Jeep and wow just like everything else we’ve been feed down here they were awesome.

Day 3 | Contessa Morlan

We woke up to light being flipped on and the sound echos of what day is it asked to any child that past. following that chant was hump day over and over. It was a good day we were located at the church today building a temporary wall. Which was harder process than I have ever experienced because you have nothing to anchor it to or square it against. So it took us the whole day. I feel like we all learned something new today no matter what are experience level was. That all for today.

Day 3 | Jeff Skidmore

Guess what day it is? Hump Day! I heard that all day. Anyway another day in the books and it is still HOT. We framed up walls for a couple new offices at the Samaritan Purse building. It was inside a/c, but still had to do our cutting outside. It was a little relief from the scorching heat. Everyone seems to be doing well and having fun as I hear lots of laughing.

Day 3 | Eric Campbell

Today was another hot one. I checked the temp once - 98 degrees / Heat Index of 115F. We started a new job today working for Juanita. She lives with her granddaughter who has autism. Her house was in pretty rough shape, and honestly, it was likely in rough shape prior to the storm. If there is someone here though that could really use a helping had - it is her. You can tell she is doing everything she can to try and take the best care of her granddaughter and she also told us stories of how she took care of her neighbors on a regular basis. She worked alongside us today as we tore apart her back porch that had a crumbling floor and roof. We tore out siding that had nothing behind it - no insulation and in some places - not even drywall. We won’t see this one completed this week - but she will be receiving all new siding and all new windows for her entire home. I can’t imagine how happy she will be to see that improvement to her home. Even then that happiness pales in comparison to the joy that we have in our salvation through Jesus Christ. I hope through the sweat and heat of the day, we were able to share some of that with her as she worked alongside us today on her own home. Looking forward to heading back to her home tomorrow.

Day 3 | Casey Bone

Today was another fun one it was but it was hard, and I am glad was able to persevere. We got to see the homeowner today it she also worked with us, first we had to take off the roof of the back porch I through the pesses of wood into a dumpster wile the others took it down, after that we took down the walls and sledgehammered the big pieces and then we through them in the dumpster, after that we took out the floor, once we were finished with that we took out trash and put that in the dumpster. I thank God that no one got too hot.

Day 3 | Tracy Garavaglia

Another day of work in the heat, but many blessings as well. We worked in a new home and met the homeowner and her granddaughter. She said every morning she wakes up and gives God praise for another day. It reminds me of our lessons at VBS last week. In the difficult times and in the good times, God is always good.

Day 3 | Michelle Shaver

We were at the same house today. It was nice to get some color on the wall. It made the room look like it was coming together. I think we are laying the floor tomorrow. It was nice to hear about the home owner and learn a little bit about the person who’s house we are working on. I can feel some of the muscles I don’t use a lot but it is worth it to know the home owner will appreciate the outcome.

Day 3 | Adison Garavaglia

As the week continues, I continue to be amazed at all the smiles on my fellow volunteers’ faces as we work in the Texas heat. They remain constant even in the 109 degrees Fahrenheit weather. We have been at the same house for the past three days, doing, for the most part, the same work, yet the smiles are still there. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the others on my crew and learning from those more experienced than I. While scrubbing paint out of my hair is a hassle, I wouldn’t trade the past few days for anything, and I hope that we can continue to do good in the name of the Lord.

Day 3 | Riley Skeens

Today was another amazing experience! I have been working at the same house for the past three days and needless to say I’m covered in paint. I have grown to know more about the members of my church and have grown very fond of everyone. Even though today was very warm, there were no complaints or grumbling. Everyone worked as usual with a smile on their face. It was been so fun and I am sad that the week is halfway over but excited for what the next two days hold.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Day 2 | Buster Hamric

I had a great hot day. These kids are amazing , they work hard and listen well and are very teachable. I enjoying working with the youth.

Day 2 | Mickey Skeens

It was another wonderful day here in West Texas. My group painted on a house and we put in moldings and door trim. I have enjoyed this trip and doing this rebuild, it is different than doing disaster relief. They have the same goals in hand in sharing the word of God, but the work is no were near the same. For me I can say the I enjoy the disaster relief better. Don’t get me wrong they are both good. It has been a please watching our kids work together and as they learn new things. Mostly done a lot of painting and everything is white, white, and white. They have done great and have been a blessing to me and those around them. It also has been a blessing to be on this trip and working with Riley.

Day 2 | Logan Morlan

Another day down and already I feel like the week is over, things are going by way to fast this happens every mission trip. I very much enjoy working on these trips and it always makes me sad to think that I am running out of time to do more. Today we painted at Cowboy Joe’s house and as many know I have been fired from jobs because I can’t paint but God preforms miracles every day. I was given probably one of the best compliments I have ever gotten on a job today, our crew “foreman” told me that I was a great crew leader and that I helped motivate everyone. In all my years of actual mission’s I have never been able to say that I am the leader of a crew and for someone to tell me that was huge to me. Then more missions I do the more I notice that less and less of the same people return for another trip and one day I will actually be a leader of a crew and it will be up to me to lead whoever I have under me to complete tasks. I hope that I take after the great leaders I have had the privilege to work with and lead others to complete the impossible. Now for the info about armadillos and wild hogs that I promised last night; during the summer months’ people done eat either one of these creatures because of diseases they may carry such as armadillos carry lepersy and hogs can have anything from rabies or diseases carried by ticks and fleas. So, they wait to eat them until the weather is cooler because then they don’t carry these diseases. I’m super excited for tomorrow and can’t wait to see what new adventure awaits.

Day 2 | Marshall Frame

I got to wetness to my crew leader today. I talked about my accident back in 2007 and how it changed my life. I also got to finish the kitchen cabinets. We had to us a table saw to rip spacers to fill in a gap on the cabinets.

Day 2 | Tracy Garavaglia

I’m thankful for many things today: for safety while we all worked, for cold water to drink in the heat of the day, for silly songs and opportunities to laugh, for the hard-working and devoted people working around me, for times of fellowship, for God’s words of encouragement and guidance, for wonderful food prepared for us to eat, and for the love of Christ that brings us all together.

Day 2 | Emily Frame

Well I made it to day two. Moving sand is not so nice to your back but we finally finished moving it. After that we dug trenches with hammers. So, that we could put boards in them for flowers beds. After that we put on the top soil and the flowers. Next, we filled in the rest with mulch. The house is almost finished we just have to finish cleaning the inside but other than that it’s we are done. After we came back to where we are staying we move water cases out of a back of a truck to a platform. Then we were done for the day.

Day 2 | Kalyn Harris

Today we went back to yesterday’s job site and finished shoveling the last 4 tons of sand. After that, we tried four different methods to construct the flowerbeds. The other youth and I got to dig trenches with hammers to lay the boards in while the adults debated on how to build them. Then, we raked sand and covered that evenly with top soil (it was really manure). After that, we planted flowers and raked mulch over that. Although the work was hard and tiring, it was a really fun day.

Day 2 | Matthias Garavaglia

Today, we finished what we were doing at our job site. We created flower beds and shoveled a lot of sand again today. Today there was no breeze and it was hotter than yesterday, and we did some small things around the property. Overall it was a really good day and I had fun.

Day 2 | Riley Skeens

Today was truly a blessing. I worked with the same group from yesterday and we worked on the same house. We painted all day and the laughter lasted all day as well. I got to know more of my church members and got the opportunity to hear their stories. By the end of the day, I was covered in paint and soaked with soapy water, but I was ready to begin work again. I thank the Lord that I got the amazing opportunity to work alongside the youth of our church.

Day 2 | Vicki Groff

It was a wonderful day here and the youth are doing great. all of you that is back home keep praying for us the days are very humid. the mosquitos are so big down here that they wear cowboy boots.

Day 2 | Paul Summers

Imagine for a moment that you are experiencing an earthquake. Now imagine trying to sleep while the earthquake is taking place. That is what it is like sleeping on these bunk beds. They are made of aluminum and look and feel like they were engineered by a second class scout. I was looking across at Heath and Bill’s bunk, and it was looking like the leaning tower of pisa for a while, but so far nobody has tipped over. You can be sure that I will report it if anything happens. One of the things I enjoy about these mission trips is that I always learn something new. Whether it is how to put on a shingle or tin roof, landscape with rocks, or paint floor trim, I truly enjoy learning a new skill. The latter was today’s lesson. Our crew leader, Tim, patiently demonstrated how to carefully hold the brush so it wouldn’t put paint on the wall or the floor, and how to go at the proper speed so that it would neither dry nor stretch the paint too far. A skill learned today is a skill you won’t have to learn tomorrow when the need arises.

Day 2 | Contessa Morlan

Today we were back at cowboy joe’s house. It was a good day all in all. we only had a few little mess-up but nothing that could be fix with just a wet rag. We spent all day painting base boards and trim around door but we did not have any tape so we had to be really careful. We got all of our job for today done before we left and our group leader Tim was very impressed and was happy with out work ethic and all together the job we did. The house received it lights and bather supply today but we are not aloud to touch that work. They have a contractor come in to do it. As far as I know we will be back tomorrow to hag closet door and finish what we are aloud to tomorrow. It truly was a good day and after noon we got a nice breeze and it made it a lot better. That’s all I have for tonight

Day 2 | Gary Gerwig

Hey all. We had another great day. We moved to another home today it was ground level with concrete floors. There was a lot of painting to be done trim and flooring. Even in the heat and high humidity we got quite a bit accomplished. We have a great leader and a great crew from GBC. On the way to the job site we seen a zebra, a camel, lama , deer and a field full of longhorn cattle adding to our list of wild boars, armadillos, coyotes and gators.

Day 2 | Polly Gerwig

Today we traveled 45 minutes to a small town name Refigo, we primed and painted ceilings and sanded trim. We were a small group today , but I enjoyed getting to spend more time with Michelle, Jordan, Camylle and Heath. I especially enjoyed the drive to and from the job site as we tend to joke and laugh a lot. On the way home we stopped and took pictures of longhorn cattle.

Day 2 | Michelle Shaver

We went to a different house today. It was a 45 minute drive from where we are staying. Today’s task was painting. We primed the entire room and painted the ceiling twice. While we waited for the paint to dry we sanded molding. The weather is humid and hot. I was thankful they had fans in the room today for the breeze.

Day 2 | Adison Garavaglia

I spent the day at the job site we started at yesterday, and although we did not have the help of a second crew, as we did yesterday, we still got a lot done. All of the bedrooms have at least a two coats of paint, the kitchen cabinets are up, some of the doors have been installed, and the bathrooms are starting to be set up. The house owner is also going to be receiving some squeaky clean stairs after one of us fell while painting and paint was spilled out an open window onto the stairs. We scrubbed and scrubbed until the stairs were as clean as we could get them. During the scrubbing, I learned a little more about some of my fellow church members and really enjoyed the time I spent with them. The Lord definitely blessed us with another good day of work and more wonderfully paint-stained hands.

Day 2 | Andrew McCallister

Today was good i didn’t paint so i wasn’t covered in it when i left, i did still have some on me though because i leaned against the wall. Avery tripped and dumped white paint out of a window and onto the porch and that took a long time to clean up. if you read the last blog i mentioned a volleyball game rematch, the other team didn’t show up so i guess we scared them away.

Day 2 | Jordan Skidmore

Today was a much hotter day than yesterday. With the weather being as hot as it was it made it seem like our work was harder than before. Camylle and I painted a room and cleaned brushes. Towards the end of the day, we finished painting all of the trim work. On the way home Camylle and I learned (as embarrassing as it is) that Texas does not have wild zebras or camels.

Day 2 | Camylle Leake

Today my group went to a different job site, it was about forty-five minutes away from where we have been staying this week. We did some painting and a lot of cleaning brushes. It was beyond hot today too which made it seem like we were working so much harder. Had a lot of laughs and a few bugs chasing Jordan and I but other than that over all we got a lot done today!

Day 2 | Becka Campbell

Today we returned to the Garcia home to continue our work from yesterday. It’s a slow process to complete the punch out list. I resumed my work inside detailing the baseboards and scraping paint off the vinyl flooring. I also swept out the kitchen cabinets, realigned cabinet doors, wiped down cabinets and windows. It was a lot of tedious work, inside of a home that does not have electric. It got pretty hot in there. The team outside worked very hard to move sand around the house and complete a flower bed. I know many of them are working outside of what is normal for them and they’ve handled it really well. The heat and humidity have been a little bit of a challenge for all of us. In the evening most of us have a hard time putting sentences together because we are so worn out. Please say a prayer for Thelma - she hasn’t been feeling well since about Sunday evening. She stayed back at the church today to rest. Thank you all for the prayers and encouragement, I’m looking forward to another day of work tomorrow.

Day 2 | Eric Campbell

Today our group worked extremely hard and I was very proud of my team. We finished the dirt work around the house and build a couple of flower beds. Becka and Tracy worked inside to finish cleanup inside. It has been a little difficult not getting to meet our homeowner…but under the circumstances , it is very understanding. Mrs. Garcia suffered a stroke 5 years ago and currently lives in Corpus Christi - about 45 mins south of our current location. I have really enjoyed working alongside of our team. It is extremely encouraging to see this many young people give up a week of their summer vacation to serve God and serve others. It makes me realize how blessed we are as a church and cherish the people that make up the body of Christ even more. Time for me to get some rest! Watch Facebook and this blog for updates…

Day 2 | Casey Bone

Today we finished digging up the sand after we did that we put soil over parts of the sand and then put malch over the soil, then we put flowers in the soil. We got to go back early but we had to put cases of water on a blue tarp we made a line so that it would be easier and bill tosed the water cases at Matthias and then me and Matthias switched and then got to do it. After that we had dinner then devotions. I had fun today but it was hard and hot.

Day 2 | Avery Chapman

Welcome to vlog 997. Today I finished painting. Unlike blog 998 I didn’t get to sea as much wildlife. But did get to see a gator. I have got to see my home owner yet but I think I will later. Hi fam

Day 2 | Bill Morlan

Day 2 is in the books and the sand moving crew finished the 16 tons of sand today. Yes, I was a part of the sand crew. We finished before lunch and then began the flower bed. We had to mix potting soil with the sand and then plant the shrubs and flowers. We were all done by about 3 today and then got cleaned up. Arriving back to the church we then had to unload a truckload of water. We kind of had fun with that cause I would throw them out of the back of the truck and Matthias and Casey would catch them and then pass them down the line. It was hot again today. I have decided if this youth minister thing doesn’t work out for me, I’m going to become a professional sand mover. Love you Bron, boys and my girls.

Day 2 | Jan Gooding

Today was a Great day. It was so very hot, hot, hot. It was a very productive day constructing a few bathrooms and hanging doors. The kitchen really came together for the guys and girls also. The young ones were relentless at painting and cleaning a little paint spill of a few gallons out the window and splattering all over a large set of new 8 foot wide steps. All pitched in to clean that up spotless, but all of them kept painting without one complaint about the extreme heat and never slowed down. What devotion to the Lord all have each day as we work in the image of Jesus as his hands and feet. Lessons, experience, friendships and faith will never be forgotten and everyone has 7 more days to learn.

Day 2 | Jeff Skidmore

Today continues to go great working on Cowboy’s Joes house. Details are finishing up and it won’t be long before he is back in his house. I helped install a bathroom sink and finished up shelves in three closets. It has been another great day and looking forward to tomorrow. After more sleep.

Day 2 | Brett Chapman

Wow, it was hot today but we got a lot of good work done today. I learned how to set door frames and set sinks on cabinets. All in all it was a beautiful day hang out with great people.

Day 2 | Tate Roach

Today went a lot more efficiently, especially when it came to painting things. Cowboy Joe again worked with us today and was a lot of help. I swept, sandpapered, and then painted the trim along with almost everyone else. I also hit my head on a couple shelves. We had a good godly discussion at lunch, which motivated everyone a bit more. Miss all you guys at GBC.

Day 2 | Heath Cottrill

For those closely following the blogs, I am sorry that I did not compose a post yesterday. I was not feeling very well, so I slept for the entirety of our downtime. Thankfully, I felt better this morning and was able to work. Upon arrival, we were met with a series of projects and challenges. These include but are not limited to painting, trim work, creating a step, fixing a door, and installing locks. The most exciting part, however, was on the van ride home. We were able to see longhorns, a camel, and a zebra. As the week progresses, I long to maintain health and continue to experience new and exciting quests. Hopefully, all is well back home in West Virginia.

Day 2 | Hunter Mitchell

Today, we went back to cowboy Joe’s house. In the first part of the day, we sanded and cleaned where we sanded. Next, we painted the trim and windows. After this, Paul and I spent about 20 minutes cleaning paint brushes since we could not get the paint out easily. Then when we were finished working, I came back and went with Brett and Paul to Tackle Town. I did not get anything. I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Monday, June 17, 2019

Day 1 | Jan Gooding

It was just a Great day in Texas. So, grateful for being chosen to serve Jesus as His hands and feet and to help people in their time of need. Displaced from their homes for 2 years now. Everyone had a wonderful day painting, trimming, and building a kitchen. There are so many people displaced from Harvey. 123 families have been returned to their homes though many more need to be built or repaired. As written in John 15: verse 16 Jesus said: You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. He has blessed each and every person in our group with wisdom and growing faith with feelings of Love for every person.

Day 1 | Michelle Shaver

I have a love/hate relationship with the early departure time. I hate getting up early but it offers the experience of seeing how beautiful the sky looks and changes color. One really cool thing I saw on the way down was an alligator lounging in the river. The place we are staying at resembles a gym with two rooms built into it and of course a bathroom. The girls room has 10 bunk beds. I was glad someone said kids on top. I guess that is one of the perks of getting old. Today’s job was painting trim. I mostly stayed on a ladder and did the top part. The house we painted was on stilts and you could feel it move as we worked. The one part that scared me a little was when I had to trim over the shower. The shower was on the second floor and I asked how he wanted me to paint it because I could not reach. He told me to stick the ladder in the shower or get a stool. I ended up sticking the ladder in the shower. If you looked down, there wasn’t any pipes in the bottom so I could see the ground. I felt if there was too much weight placed in the shower I would end up on the ground. I learned today that I was not trimming. I was cutting the room. He told us we were going to cut the room. I had no clue what he was taking about. Now I do.

Day 1 | Gary Gerwig

Hey all. The First day in Texas went great we worked inside in a house built on stilts. I was hot but the breeze from the gulf made it vary bearable. I had a chance to socialize with teens and adults from our church that I normally wouldn’t get chance to talk to. It was great and I’m sure the days to follow will be just as great.

Day 1 | Casey Bone

The first day was hard but fun, our instructor was nice and his name Steve. He told us a story about how Eskimo and how they hunt wolves, and they compared it with how Satan tempts use with sin. We started our day with painting the walls and the when we were done with that we had lunch. After lunch, we put sand in wheelbarrows and put it around the house with rakes. I was hot but I had fun I hope I have as much fun as tomorrow as I did today.

Day 1 | Bill Morlan

Well day one is officially in the books. Man, was it hot. I have a really awesome farmers tan going on now. My group today was finishing up a house that they are getting ready to turn over to the owners. So, we had a punch list of little things that needed to be done. Like hook up appliances, touch up paint, clean and so on. At 1 o’clock we received a delivery of 16 tons of sand that we had to move around the house to help run the water away from the house. In 3 hours, we had moved about 12 tons of sand. We had 2 wheelbarrows, 4 shovels, and 2 rakes. To say the least, we were burnt out. We will go back to the house tomorrow and try and finish, the sad part is that I don’t think that we have enough sand to finish. It was a good day and I look forward to tomorrow and what adventure lies ahead. Love you Bron, my boys and my girls.

Day 1 | Contessa Morlan

We had a very interesting drive down the first thing I learned about Taxes is that they are not very good driver. It was the Lords blessing that we made it down her safely. Today was the first day we got to work on the house and it was a really good day. Cowboy Joe was our home owner today and he was a giant Taxes cowboy’s fan. He informed me that he painted his house the cowboy blue color. We are not sure if we will end up in the same group or at the same house so it will be a chance to meet more people tomorrow maybe that would be nice. That is all for me tonight.

Day 1 | Buster & Thelma Hamric

Hey we are so glad to be here with the youth. God is so good and gave us a great trip. We got to Work for a man that will have a new house in a few weeks. He had a great view of the gulf, so that WAS A PLUS. PLEASE PRAY FOR EACH PERSON AS WE SERVE GOD AND TRAVEL THIS WEEEK…. IN GOD’S SERVICE

Day 1 | Mickey Skeens

Our day work day in Rockport Texas. My work group consisted of painting rooms, measuring for moldings and installing the kitchen cabinets. The house was located right on the water so there was a constant breeze. It was still very hot, in the mid 90’s. It didn’t feel too bad since we had the wind blowing but you could tell how hot it was. Just standing there holding the cabinets we would stick to the walls and everything we touched seemed like we had to wipe off due to the sweet. Overall it was a good day and I had a great group of people to work with. I was even impressed with Riley, Adison, Camylle, and Jordan. They got more paint on the walls then they did themselves. Normally it is the other way around.

Day 1 | Paul Summers

When I was planning for this trip, I was expecting something similar to Montana: a long van ride with my knees tucked up beside my ears, scorching heat, and jobs like rock landscaping and/ or roofing. So far for me, only the heat expectation is accurate, yet there is even a cooling sea breeze that takes the edge off. I still drunk about twenty bottles of water today. I was assigned to a group that is on finishing side of house building; cabinets, floor trim, caulking, and door-painting were the items of the day. Me and Hunter Mitchell—and Tate Roach when Hunter was reassigned—put the spackling into the nail holes. Hunter and Tate packed the holes, and I sanded the putty. I sanded the floor trim all day. And drank lots of water (thanks, BSA). It is amazing being here and hearing the stories that the landowners tell, of where they were when they lost their home, and how they are recovering, and what Christ has done both for and with them. Please continue to pray on their behalf.

Day 1 | Vicki Groff

This trip has been an blessing from the time we left the church. today i was painting at a house on the bay and looking around i wonder what it would have been like to be in this storm. the house moves with the air so how would move in the storm???? I have been looking for an alligator haven’t seen one yet but i did see an snake today. Please keep praying for all of us .

Day 1 | Brett Chapman

I really don’t know where to begin, this trip from the start has been such a blessing. Being my first mission trip I had no idea what to expect or what was expected of me, it was a little scary. What I soon learned and what I will never forget is how the power of Christ can guide a group of people/disciples to make an everlasting impact on others, most of whom are strangers. I say most of whom, because I am one. I soon found out that all the was expected of me was to surrender to Holy Spirit and to trust in the Lord, for he has laid out our path for this week and all we have to do is trust in him. From Sat. morning to today I have learned so much about other people of our church, I have learned their names, their interest, their stories and from that it has grown my faith more in short time than ever before. This morning I got to meet the Samaritan’s Purse staff, I got to hear their story and mission, it has left me in awe. The pride they take in the work they do is second to none and they give all credit to our main man upstairs. I have been inspired, and its only Monday. As for the work, I helped hang kitchen cabinets, it didn’t go as easy as what everyone expected and it was seven kinds of hot and humid but it was just a side note to the fellowship I had with those around me and the first hand witness of what is possible through our Lord. In closing I can’t wait to see wait tomorrow has in store.

Day 1 | Andrew McCallister

Today I was painting, it was hot and i sweated a lot. I’m not good at keeping the paint on the walls, and it was all over me even after i got in the shower. Outside of where we were starting there is a volleyball net. there were some other kids from Texas out there so me Matthias Hunter and Avery challenged them to a game. we only lost by two. there will be a rematch tomorrow.

Day 1 | Matthias Garavaglia

Overall it was a good day. We got a lot of work done today and were worn out. Probably the highlight of my day was when a lady came up to our work site and said we were working really hard. That sort of gave me motivation for the rest of the day. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week and getting a lot of work done.

Day 1 | Avery Chapman

Today on the work site i saw lots of wildlife. I saw a snake, bird and a lizard. Today i painted a lot. I also helped pick up trash. The cooks cook a very good meal for dinner. After bible study we played another church in volleyball. We lost by 1 :(. Hi mom and grandma

Day 1 | Emily Frame

Today was my first day of working after two great days of traveling. The work is challenging but I got put with good people that are doing something every minute to make me laugh. We moved a lot of sand with only two wheelbarrows, four shovels and two rakes. I also installed covers over outlets. We sadly did not meet the home owners today but I hope to. But tomorrow is a new day full of opportunity.

Day 1 | Adison Garavaglia

After two long days of traveling, we finally made it to Rockport, Texas! It was a long trip, but the company made it all worth it. Today, we worked on a house along the beach, painting and putting up cabinets. I was taught a new way to use a roller to paint a wall and possibly got a little loopy on paint fumes, but it was a fun day. Many good conversations were had, and I learned a little more about the others I was working with. There’s something about looking out at the ocean view from a beach house, covered in paint and surrounded by good people, that made my first day working on a Samaritan’s Purse trip even better and more satisfying.

Day 1 | Camylle Leake

Well today was my first day working with Samaritans Purse, I must say it was an exciting day. We worked on a beach house right along the water. It was a beautiful view and there were many laughs and great conversations held in rooms we painted. We might of used the wrong color paint the first time we trimmed and rolled the walls in the rooms but we got in right the second time around. Jordan and I got the pleasure of picking up all the paper on the floors in house and man was that an adventure. Sadly we didn’t get to meet the owners but it was still a good day of work!

Day 1 | Becka Campbell

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog, this has been such a wonderful time so far. I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve God in way. I’m already missing my boys though! The van ride was very long; a few close calls but we made it safely! Today our first work day went well, we spent the day at the Garcia’s home. Their home is almost ready for them to move back in, so our task was the ‘punch list’. Lots of touch-ups, sweeping, painting, and cleaning up. I’m praying that their home will be finished soon so that they can come home. They are currently staying in Corpus Christi, about 30 minutes away, and the wife is disabled. She had a severe stroke five years ago and is unable to speak. She is able to sing! She is able to sing “hallelujah”. We have not had the chance to meet them, but I pray we will be able to this week. They sound like a really sweet couple. Mr. Garcia spends much of his time caring for his wife, their home is now equipped with wheelchair ramps. I’m looking forward to a good nights rest tonight! More adventures tomorrow!

Day 1 | Tracy Garavaglia

The past 3 days have been a true blessing. I’m thankful for time in the van to rest, talk, and laugh on the way here. I’m amazed by the people around me and all that God has done, is doing, and I’m sure will continue to do in and through them. Today, we worked hard painting and then shoveling, moving, and raking sand. The youth did a great job! Thankful that God has brought me here with Adison and Matthias.

Day 1 | Jeff Skidmore

I am blessed to go an another Samaritan Purse trip and this time with Jordan. The two day road trip was long but lots of laughs, even tho I got a flat tire just before arriving to our destination. Today I got the tire fixed on the van and worked on Cowboy Joe’s house. Before I got to his house he was showing me pics of before and after Hurricane Harvey. He lost everything but is so grateful to everyone who has worked on his house. He can actually see the light and the end of the tunnel. His house is close to complete and I am glad to be part of the rebuilding process. It was a blessing for me to work with him and exchange a few fishing and hunting tales. It was a great day #1.

Day 1 | Polly Gerwig

Today, we worked two teams in one house that was built on stilts. I am used to beach houses swaying a little but get 10 or 12 people moving around and painting and putting in cabinets , it was really a moving experience. I was proud of the kids on our teams today, they worked hard without complaining, it was hot in the house but there was a good breeze. I like to think that we got as much paint on the walls as we did on ourselves.

Day 1 | Tate Roach

Today started and had a little paint fiasco in the beginning. After that disaster, everything went smooth sailing and everyone got a lot of work done. I filled nail holes and used some sandpaper. We had a good leader, Tim. He was strict, but good and exactly what we needed to be motivated and get the job done. Joe T., the homeowner worked with us as well. He was a lot of help and a lot to handle, he was a real character. We also met up with those from the Billy Graham Foundation. They talked to us some about different things including Christ and problems in our world. All around, everyone that I worked with was supportive and a great co-worker.

Day 1 | Hunter Mitchell

This morning we started rebuilding a house that was partially done. At first I was helping fill nail holes. Next I helped Thelma finish painting doors. After that I sealed cracks in the trimming. After we were all done working, we came home and played volley ball. Next we ate and had a bible study. After that we went outside again and played a Texas team vs. a West Virginia team. After going back and forth we lost by 2 at the end.

Day 1 | Logan Morlan

Today was day one of actual work and I’d have to say that it went very well for our group. We went to a house that was down by the bay (there were no watermelons growing there my childhood was a lie) and we worked for a man we called cowboy. His story was very crazy he had moved into that home three years ago just before the storm and while the storm was on its way he had thought about staying and trying to stick it out but then the cops showed up and informed him to write his social security number on his arm because they would need a way to identify the body. He chose to leave after that. He went to Austin and a few days later he saw his house on TV and couldn’t believe what had happened. He later found out that people were using a picture of his house to run scams to several different agencies. He had a lot to talk about and he said the even though he lost a lot he gained so much more through all the people he had gotten to meet. Another thing that happened today was the chaplains visited our site and one of them talked to me for about a good thirty minutes about God and salvation. He then tested me to see if I knew how to lead someone to christ, I passed his test and he began to tell everyone else that I had lead him to christ and how I should be wearing a chaplain shirt. I then gave him a hard time about how I thought that chaplains should be saved as a job requirement. I also found out why people don’t eat armadillos and wild boar this time of year and if you want to find out why then I guess you will have to wait until tomorrow.

Day 1 | Kalyn Harris

These past three days have been a lot of fun. Everyone on my van slept most of the first and second day, but when we were awake there were a lot of laughs. The trip down was fun and interesting to say the least and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Today we worked on a house for a couple whose wife was handicapped. In the morning, we touched up paint, put covers over outlets and light switches, and cleaned up. In the afternoon we spread about 12 tons of sand with 5 shovels, 2 rakes, and 2 wheelbarrows.we all drank lots of water and although the work was hard and hot, I really enjoyed it. I loved the opportunity to serve today and am looking forward to the rest of the week.

Day 1 | Riley Skeens

Over the course of three days I have learned more about our church members than I have in the 15 years I have attended Gassaway Baptist. I have slept and laughed more than I probably should have, and I have been so blessed with every person I have come in contact with on this trip. To hear the stories of the past before I came along has been such an amazing experience. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be around such humble people and am excited for the days to come.

Day 1 | Jordan Skidmore

In the last three days I have learned so much and had so many laughs with all of the people I am surrounded by. We have seen so many different views and met so many new people already. I am thankful to share these memories with everyone and I am looking forward to making more in the next week.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

2019 Mission Trip Begins

We are firing back up the GBC Mission Blog for our 2019 Mission Trip! We are headed to Rockport, TX to work alongside Samartian's Purse in recovery efforts for Hurricane Harvey victims in 2017. We will be working on building new homes for families that lost their home nearly 2 years ago. We left Gassaway this morning around 5am and arrived in Mobile,AL to spend the night. There are 31 people from GBC, here to serve others but most importantly to serve Christ by being His hands and feet over the course of the next week. Come back here for updates from our trip. We will be posting video updates as well throughout the week.