It's a sunshine day!

The photo of all the trash strewn on the ground and in the trees is what you see on every street, in every yard and around every house and business. Everyone here feels as though they live in a trash pile. Most of it is too small to really figure out what it used to be. This is one of the things we hope to clean up with our volunteers. We would like to do neighborhood "sweeps" where we go in with rakes and shovels and clean people's yards and maybe even plant some flowers! Something to show life and beauty!

The other photo is our "adopted" son! Allow me to introduce Kevin. He will be graduating high school this June and we are so overjoyed that he has "put his nose to the grindstone" and accomplished what he needed to do to get his diploma. He hasn't had an easy life but he has always had faith in God and has actually been quite an example for us adults at times. We love you, Kevin and will see you soon!

We enjoyed another absolutely beautiful, sunshiney day! It's just amazing to us how warm the sun is here at such an early date. I know the summer will be extremely hot but for now we are really enjoying the warm, especially since we heard it is only around 37 at home! Sorry guys!

We spent most of the day preparing for our volunteers coming in this weekend. We had rooms to clean out and attempt to sweep. Trying to sweep drywall dust is more than difficult! We have 9 room that we use for the volunteers and all of them will be filled after this weekend. There will be a high school senior group from Wisconsin, a college group from Virginia and adults from Indiana, Missouri and a couple of other states! The outpouring of help is still coming and will be needed for maybe years!

I had the opportunity to meet a neighbor lady across the parking lot this afternoon. She has a little dog that I thought was our own dog (Bitty) the other day. They look so much alike they could be from the same litter. Anyway, she lives in her FEMA trailer all alone and is just waiting for the Core of Engineers to come and demolish her house and the attached storage building. She will then start from the ground up and rebuild. Although she is sad to see the house go, she realizes that because of where she lives, this is part of it!

We also learned this afternoon that there will be 3 semi trucks coming to our parking lot tomorrow at 1pm to give out free clothing to whoever comes by! Believe me, we will definitely have photos as soon as possible! What an amazing thing to do and you have no idea how the people will be blessed. We put nasty old clothes out by the road for the trash to pick up and people would stop and go through to see if they could find something usable! I don't know where the trucks are coming from right now but will be sure and find out! It will, no doubt, be an afternoon filled with blessings for alot of people!

Monty loaded a load of greenboard for another family this afternoon. For those who don't know, greenboard is the type of drywall used in bathrooms or anyplace where water may hit the walls. We have not had much of it and it is quite expensive. Wish we could get a semi load of that! Not to mention more regular drywall as we are now completely out! (a challenge to all of you who know people in the drywall selling business!?)

Our drywall finishers who have been working in the sanctuary should be ready to paint it in a couple of days. They are doing a great job and it will be so awesome to see it actually painted and really close to being done and once again look like a church! But we aren't nearly as excited as the congregation who have been sitting on dusty chairs (you should never wear dark colors), dealing with music that echos so badly that you can't hear it (due to no carpet and high ceilings) and walls that weren't walls for quite some time. After the sanctuary is completed we will be moving on to all the other rooms which are used for children's church, sunday school classes, youth classes, secretary's office, pastor's office, nursery and such! This is a big building with so much going on it needs to be completed as soon as possible.

Convoy of Hope, which is another relief organization, blessed us with 2 new wheel barrows this afternoon, his and hers they said! :) We sure can use them. Thanks Steve and Carol!

It sure was great to talk with one of my dear friends this evening, Rick. He called and had no idea where we were or what we are doing! I miss him, and have for a couple of years now! There's no one in this world like Rick and I love him to death!!! Thanks for the call and the support, Rick. Give my love to both Mary and Buff!

We pray God's blessings on all of our family and friends. You have no idea just how much we miss all of you. Sometimes so much it physically hurts! Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Until we talk again....remember God loves you! Susan and Monty

PS We just discovered that if you click on the photos they will enlarge and you can see the details better! We are learning as we go!!!