Sorry for the delay in writing, the blog had some difficulties last night and I wasn't able to write. Looks as though it's back and running this morning.

Yesterday we said goodbye to our team from West Virginia. They were up and headed out early, notice I didn't say "awake" and ready to go! I think they were a bit on the tired side yet still thinking about the evening before with Margaret and her wonderful prayer. As with all the teams, we will miss them and pray for their safe travel. They should be home by now, reunited with their loved ones and on their way to church to share all of their experiences and no doubt give thanks to God for being able to be here!

Hopefully all of you are also on your way to your home church to give thanks!!!???

Two of the WV team had arrived, and departed, seperately. Marv and Donna were on their way to Florida for the winter and decided to stop and help for a week here. They brought their RV and had to get it all unhooked and ready to pull out yesterday. They took their time and it gave us a chance to visit with them a bit longer. As they were leaving the parking lot our next team from Elkhart, Indiana came rolling in with their RV! This team has 4 staying in the RV and 3 more at a local hotel. They had made better time than they thought and so arrived quite a bit earlier than expected. They busied themselves for the rest of the afternoon getting "camp" set up.

Monty and I took a couple of hours and finally got to the local county fair. It's been going on all week and yesterday was the last day. It's all we heard about, everyone so excited that the fair was happening this year. After the storm last year none of the festivals or the fair came about and all were really missed. The weather yesterday was perfect for an afternoon at the fair. We walked through the midway, saw the smiling faces of the little ones on the rides, the others who were popping balloons for prizes or watching the mouse to see what color of hole he would run into. We also did what we were supposed to do -- the BIG thing to do at the fair -- taste the gumbo!! It nearly becomes a competition between food booths as to who has the best gumbo. They laugh when we tell them we have no such thing "up north". Pastor Ken was there with us and he and Monty both had to taste some. Both agreed it was great and probably would have indulged in an entire bowl if we hadn't been planning on eating with the new incoming team for an early dinner. It made us feel a bit more at home to see the farm animals, although this climate isn't so great for them and thus there were very few there. It still helped me to just be able to see them and yes --- pet the pigs and cows!!!! I grew up on a farm and am still a farm girl at heart and always will be!!!

Dinner with the Indiana team was very nice. It gave us a chance to visit with them and to get to know them a bit more. They should be another great team as they are skilled, have been on quite a few overseas mission trips and have construction skills. But --- we warned them that they have entered a new "territory" and will be working in conditions they can't imagine!! They'll soon discover that we are right!!!

Today the team will be joining us in worship service and then they will load up and travel west for the afternoon. We encourage teams to go west and see more of what Katrina did to the coast. They will come back changed people! You can't see it and not be changed, even after nearly 14 months now! I've said it before and will continue to say it --- IT'S NOT OVER! IT'S NOT ALL OKAY NOW!! They will see for themselves and they will realize the reality of it all. It is our deepest prayer that they will then take that information back home with them when they go! Spread the word that the volunteers are still needed and without them this effort will not be able to continue! THAT is our prayer and we hope you will join with us in that prayer!

It's time for worship, a time I look forward to all week! It's our time to be refueled by the One who has blessed us with the privilage of being here serving Him. It's our time to praise Him for all His blessings and to also ask for the strength and wisdom we need to continue following His leading. Join us in doing the same!

Until later tonight ... providing the blog is working properly ... Susan and Monty