Using his head !?

If you have small children reading this you might not want to click on the photos to enlarge them!!!

Our morning literally started off with a bang --- Monty had gone outside to shave, yes, with a mirror he can see better than in these trailer mirrors and before one goes to church one would like to look as good as possible in above 100 degree heat!!

BIG -- Mistake!!!

He decided to pick up some trash, or something, and upon raising up he hit the arm that holds the awning and cut his head wide open. I knew he hit it as there were some loud words being "spoken" and that told me it wasn't good. Next thing I know he's opened the door screaming for my help, blood running all over the place.

It only took one look to know we needed an ER and now! I know head wounds do bleed alot but you take a look at the photo and you'll agree with me.

Now the question -- where is the nearest hospital? I knew Texas City had one because I passed it on Friday as I went to the dermatolgist to have a pre-skin cancer removed (ouch). I headed in that direction and thank God for those big blue signs with the "H" on them -- within 15 minutes we were there.

The next couple of hours were quite painful but they did put 9 stitches in it and sent us out with 2 scripts. One script is for antibiotics as the nurse was sure to tell us that staff infections are a real problem here in the south!!! Now we feel better!!!!!???????

We did what we could to explain to everyone, especially the billing department, that we operate without health insurance!! Yes, even though Monty has had a heart attack 5 years ago and has 2 stints -- it's just not financially possible for us. We pray someone in that department will have compassion on us the same way the dermatologist did for me the other day -- he didn't even charge me -- for anything, office visit or procedure!! Please join us in this same prayer.

In the meantime, he will be down for the count for a few days.

It's definitely NOT the way to get ready for church, which we never made! And I don't even think having a head full of hair would have helped this time!

We thank you for your prayers of healing!!!!!!!!

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

Pasadena blesses Rick

Pasadena is only about 45 minutes from here --and this team had never done anything like this before! As you can see by the smiles on their faces the heat index of 113 degrees didn't take away from the blessings they gave out and received in return!

They were here for 8am orientation and from there we took them to Rick's house. As I said the other day, this house still had furniture inside and the mold had taken over. This team of 8 jumped right in and started cleaning . . . and cleaning . . . and cleaning. We were amazed at how quickly they worked and how much they got done. By afternoon they were gutting the sheetrock and had the family room done and were moving into the bedroom!

Some of the ladies were in the out building that had been turned into a bedroom. They worked and hauled and hauled more and got 'er done!

We are so thankful to this team for their hearts of service and their willingness to come and do whatever needed done - and do it to the best of their ability - no matter what the weather! It is our hope that they will decide to return for another day!

Our electrician also made a trip to Mariano's to start preparations for his work on Monday. The house needs completely rewired and we will be getting the materials tomorrow so all will be ready for early Monday. They hope to begin very early as they will need to be in the attic -- not a place to be in this heat!

I am also happy to let you know that my Daddy is doing much better - thanks to all your prayers!

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

BANG!!! It's morning

Yes, the morning started off with a bang -- in the literal sense! As I was beginning to check email we heard the loudest bang I think I've ever heard! Everyone, including the dogs, jumped to the roof and waited for it to come crashing in. Nothing else happened. We checked everything inside and then headed out, only to be met by the neighbors who also thought we'd all been shot! As Monty walked around the back of the trailer it was evident what had happened. The spare tire had blown up -- literally blown up! Now you ask, "how hot is it?" It also managed to rip the rubber trim from the side, blow the tail light cover to kingdom come and open the locked water access on the back wall! Atleast the sky was not falling!

The rest of our day was more than busy -- everything involving being outside in the extreme heat warning alert for the day. We met up with Darryl who is doing estimates and managed to get estimates on 4 of the 5 houses we needed. We started with Vicky, moved on to Walter, then dropped off a dining table and chairs to Art, went to Rick and Nelda's, then to Paul and Linda's and ended up at Regina's where Darryl will return next week to finish hers. Each house required us to be outside and inside, both equally as hot. We did get some relief at Paul and Linda's since they are the only ones still trying to live in their home.

The photos you see here are of Rick and Nelda's. I spoke of them a couple of days ago and here you can see the results of nothing being done since the storm. The refrigerator was tipped over and it will be wrapped with an entire roll of duct tape before even attempting to upright and take to the curb for trash! You just don't want to know how bad it smells and what drips from the doors! You can also see the water lines on the walls. We hope to be able to remove the sheetrock walls up to the 4' line but won't know for certain until we get them torn out and see how they look. It will take more than a bit of work but we are going to start the process with our incoming team this Friday. Pray for them!

By the time we arrived back at the trailer I felt like Lot's wife who had looked back and turned into a pilar of salt! I had salt deposits on my legs that could easily have been mistaken for sand --- and believe me --- we had not been to the beach! The shower, complete with it's luke warm water coming from the cold tap were life saving!

On a side note -- I would like to ask for prayers for my Daddy! He had a medical procedure done a couple of days ago and has had some rather nasty side effects from it and will be returning to the doctor tomorrow. The side effects are extremely painful and I would ask for prayers of healing and restoration and good results from the procedure results. I know the power of prayer -- especially when I have all of you praying for him!! Thank you!

Until next time . . . stay cool and be blessed. Susan and Monty

Over and Back

Pitiful -- just pitiful!!! And so many people actually feel sorry for our dogs -- living in a camper trailer day in and day out -- seeing these just might change your mind!! Oh for the life of our dogs!! :)

Yes, we made it back to Texas late this afternoon. The donated pickup truck for UMCOR will be a great working truck for everyone -- but -- the air conditioner does not (repeat - not) work! Monty found out all too well as he made the over 7 hour drive with the thermometer outside reading 101. Having all the windows down just isn't much of a help. But what a work truck it will be! We all thank the Biloxi United Methodist Church for their donation!!

Yesterday we were able to attend Pastor David's church service and also share in their potluck afterwards. Pastor asked us to say a few things about where we are and what God is doing. It felt so good to be back and see friends who turned into family!

Later in the evening we were able to visit with Pastor Lavoy and Tracy. We spent hours just talking about all sorts of things and my side hurt from laughter as stories were told -- the joy of the Lord bursting forth! They invited us to come back and also update folks at their church whenever we have the time. We plan on taking them up on the offer someday!

And this morning we were up early and on the road. Traffic was pretty smooth with most weekend travelers already home. Interstate 10 can be extremely dangerous and we thank all of you who kept us in your prayers.

Tomorrow has us going and coming, here and there, back at it once again. Materials to get delivered and/or picked up, electricians to meet with, homeowners to check in on, another home to look into and prepare for gutting with our incoming day team this Friday -- "and the beat goes on" . . .

Once again, thanks to everyone for your prayers.

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

Rain?

We headed out first thing this morning and as we traveled we ran into some pretty hefty storms. Now understand that we have not seen rain the entire month of June in Texas so it almost seemed strange. The rain is one thing but downpours where you can't see, even with the wipers on high, complete with lightning and thunder aren't something I like driving in. But . . . it did drop the temps nearly 20 degrees here in Mississippi so I'm not going to complain.

We arrived late this afternoon and had fun driving around the city this evening checking on some of the homes we helped rebuild. Of course the first one we went by was Ms Faye. (for those of you who are new to this blog, go to March of 2007 for Ms Faye's story). Her home is beautiful and to our surprise she has added on to the master bedroom end! Whoever did it did such an amazing job we could hardly notice it except she now has a bay window in that bedroom! It's absolutely beautiful and we plan on calling her tomorrow and maybe getting over to see her! God has truly blessed her and blessed us by just being able to see that she is doing okay.

From there we drove by quite a few: Ms Ollie's is also beautiful, looking brand new. She did manage to enclose a small section underneath for a storage area and it looks great. Ms Darlene's is fabulous, complete with new siding painted a wonderful light green. The city of Pascagoula looks so good, people were packing the local park on the beach (they rebuilt the beach itself) for tonights fireworks show. Pastor David's house is in the construction process and looking good also. The trees are fuller than ever, city streets are cleaned up and old damaged buildings have been demolished and removed. There are so many homeowners that we would like to see but time just doesn't permit it on this trip. None the less, it did our hearts good to see the ones we did and feel the blessing of being able to be God's hands and feet and heart to so many families!

Thank you -- all of you who have helped us on this mission! We are forever grateful and pray you will continue doing so, no matter where we are!

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend! Susan and Monty

Material Day

I realize this photo is a bit fuzzy, not too clear. It was taken through the closed window and screen. Meet Rick and Nelda's house here in San Leon. Not one thing has been done since the storm -- nothing! Why? you ask.

Listen to their story.

They had over 5' of water inside their home. They live just down the street from Pastor Bob and you know how their church was nearly destroyed -- same thing here. The outside actually looks pretty good, considering.

After the storm they did receive some FEMA funds to help out. They lost vehicles so they purchased a used car to get back and forth. They also managed to get an old RV to park on their driveway so they could be close to home and get repairs started. At the same time Nelda started feeling bad, really bad. They made a routine visit to her doctor only to discover she has lung cancer, late stages. Within a very short time it had moved to her brain and she has already had surgery to remove the portions in her brain. She is also undergoing fierce radiation and chemotherapy. They were forced to relocate to the southern part of Houston where the cancer center is. FEMA even agreed to put a trailer there for them instead of on their property. Rick was scheduled to have major back surgery and now that has been put on hold indefinitely.

Understand why nothing has been done?

How did we find them, you ask? They found us. God directed them, as always.

Rick went into Lowes to ask the gentlemen to design some sort of apartment that might possibly be built over their existing garage as they felt their home was beyond repairs. Rick proceeded to tell Michael his story and all Michael could do was ask Rick to call me. And he did. We went to look but everything was locked up. Today Rick left us a key. Next week we'll go inside and next Friday our one day team will be going in to mud and gut out the house. From there where will we go? One step at a time. We pray to follow God's plan and do what we can to bring Him the glory through our helping Rick and Nelda. They could surely use all the prayers they can get!

Our day today was spent getting materials and work lined up in all sorts of directions for homeowners. Art can now schedule his air conditioning work to be done. We also took him some inside ceiling fans and a couple of outside light fixtures that were donated. He leaves this next weekend for a stay in the hospital himself and could also use some prayers.

Garaldeen and Joe can also schedule their electrician and plumber for their mobile home that replaces their home. Once that is done the skirting will be done and they will be ready to finally move home.

Hank and Cherie got their kitchen cabinet order straightened out and will be working on getting more materials in over this next week to prepare for their next team of help.

I placed the order for Butch and Teresa's carpeting and pad. It will take a few days but should also arrive just in time for a couple of extra hands to help Butch do the installation.

Mariano continues working away with his house. We have enough materials on site for the next team to get to work. It sounds like Mariano might have found a job -- but it would require him to go to Louisiana and be away for a month at at time. Once again, prayers!!

Tomorrow Monty and I will be heading to Mississippi for a couple of days. A Methodist church near Biloxi has donated a used pickup truck to the disaster recovery here and Eddie asked us if we would like to go and pick it up. We are very excited as we will be able to see some old friends and will spend Sunday morning in one of our favorite churches with Pastor David. It will be a very short trip but good to see some "family". We would appreciate prayers for protection while we travel.

Once again, a day spent here and there, this family and that. All waiting patiently for their prayers to be answered and all realizing that God is answering them -- in His perfect time!

We pray all of you thank God for those men and women who have fought for and given their lives for our freedom, our freedom to worship, our freedom of speech and all the freedoms we are privilaged to have here in the USA. I received an email today asking all of us to mark each Friday as "Red Friday." This means wearing something red each and every Friday to bring awareness to the world about our current troops and those past troops.

How about it folks? Red Friday sounds great to me!

Until next time . . . be blessed in your freedom! Susan and Monty

Christmas in July

Yes, Mariano and Maria and family enjoyed a huge surprise this afternoon. Thanks to the Today Show and JC Penneys we were able to bring a truck load of kitchen supplies to them. When I say a truck load that's exactly what I mean!! The boxes were packed into the bed and behind our seats! The kitchen included everything one might dream of; can opener, toaster oven, toaster, canister set, pots and pans set, dishes, silverware, glasses, heavy duty mixer, coffee maker, blender, oven mitts and pads, dish towels -- you name it and it was in there. The first thing Maria opened was the dishtowels and she was all smiles as she found them in her favorite color, dark red!

As I watched all 5 children, mom and dad open box after box and break into an even bigger smile each time I could see Jesus smiling in the same room! These are kitchen things that one wouldn't buy for oneself, especially if you are raising 5 children and are working day and night to rebuild your home and you yourself are without a job due to the storm! What an amazing blessing and we are deeply thankful to JC Penney's for their generosity and for the Today Show for the same.

The thought crossed my mind --- what if we could do this all the time? What if there were enough donations that this kind of thing could happen each time there was a need?

Today while pumping gas the lady in the spot next to us was reading the signs on our truck. She walked over and wondered how we could help her and her husband have a "house." They have lived in a mobile home for over 10 years, have their last daughter graduating from college and just want a "home" to live out the rest of their years! No, nothing from storm damage, they just want a home! It broke our hearts to tell her there wasn't anything we could do. As we drove away Monty and I both wondered what it would be like to be able to just look at her, smile and tell her we'd start her home tomorrow! (not to mention her old car having no air conditioner in the above 100 temps). Okay, some of you might think this is ridiculous, "you can't help everyone" or "you know nothing about them" . . . all sorts of things, all sorts of reservations. Look closely at the eyes, the smile, the entire face of that little girl and then of the entire family and feel what I felt!!! It's miraculous!!!!

But . . . I can still dream, I can still have faith, I can still pray and ask God to care for them and maybe someday . . . maybe somehow . . . "with God all things are possible" and I choose to hold on to that! Delivering that kitchen package today helps me hold on to that promise!!!

I pray I never loose that heart that God has given me - that intense love for people, especially those who are hurting - I am certain that is a special gift He gave me and I intend to treasure that gift for as long as I have breath!!!

What about you? What if you had the ability to change someone's world? Would you? If you did, it would change your own world -- for the better -- it's a promise!!!!

Until next time . . . try it!! And then be blessed! Susan and Monty

Preparing

Another shot of Mariano and Maria's new pantry addition to their kitchen. This area had been closed in with a water heater inside. The floor had completely fallen through after the storm and after Mariano getting in there and doing his own framing it was ready for the pantry and the refrigerator. What an improvement and what a smile it brought to Maria's face!

This week we do not have a team! Seems amazing but it's turning into a week of preparation for next week and all the weeks after. After this weekend we have teams every single week for as far out as the calendar goes! And each weekend is packed with the one day teams. So we need to get materials on site at all the homes. This sounds like quite the easy task but we have to keep track of those who we have received funding for and those who have their own funds to work with. It's quite the checks and balances record keeping and I am thankful for the old pencil and paper methods!

I've been working on getting the entire estimate ready for Vicky. She sent me photos of what her kitchen cabinets looked like before the storm as she wants them back as closely as possible. Those are what I will take to Lowes and have them go from there. The rest of the estimate is nearly complete. I had to add a refrigerator and that is done. We always go "mid-range" with prices, not the lowest and not the highest. With homes like hers that needs some of this and more of that it can get quite detailed and getting all the parts and pieces together takes some doing. She did tell me how extremely happy she was when she drove up late Saturday and saw all the work the team had done! The cleanliness of her stove nearly sent her into tears! She asked that I pass on her deepest thanks and she hopes to get to meet them on their next trip!! So thanks team -- awesome job and more awesome blessings!!

Monty has been working on the tool trailer getting the shelving built and installed. When he came in this afternoon the sweat was dripping as though he'd been underneath the water hose. I know he wished that had been where he was! The thermometer read 104!!!! No end is in sight and it definitely has the locals worried as it's way too warm way too early and the waters are also way too warm way too early which all spells "hurricane" weather!!! All are talking about it and none are ready!!!

We made a visit to Hai last evening and she also mentioned the weather. Her oldest 3 children are spending the summer with her inlaws in the northeast and she has the youngest 2. She is anxious to have her house done and be able to move in. But she is also patient and continues working inside on her own. Quite the worker!

We hope all of you are doing well and are enjoying the beginnings of summer.

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

Vicky's blessed

They didn't have a dry stitch of clothing on them when they left. They were covered in dirt and had cleaned things I never dreamed they would get clean. Their clothes might never look like they did at the beginning of the day when we met at the park for our orientation. They probably have blisters on their hands from pulling weeds. And yet they were beaming, smiling from ear to ear as they wrapped up their day, loaded back into the church bus and headed home. All were talking about their upcoming return trip next month! That Joy shining throughout the entire neighborhood!

They came from about 90 minutes from here and were such an awesome blessing to Vicky. Not only did they clean the inside of the home in preparation for us to come in and finish the construction that was started by someone else months ago, they returned her flower gardens to flower gardens! The weeds had completely taken over and there would be no way Vicky would be able to bring them back herself. This team came prepared with every garden tool imaginable and got the job done. They even made the stove inside that I had thought we would have to throw out look almost like new! THAT will really bring a smile to Vicky as she loves !!! that stove!

We are deeply grateful to this team for all their hard work and look forward to their return. Their church has set aside the 4th Saturday of each month to come here and do whatever needs done. Who knows, they might even get to take part in the construction side of Vicky's home!

Yet another day of record breaking temps. Today was 104 with heat index at 110! Any way you look at it --- it's just plain hot!! I wonder if one can ever get enough water in these temps? It's the only, and I mean only, thing in our refrigerator and it seems to be constantly running out!!! And who needs even warm water in the shower!!! We humans sure are adaptable!!! :)

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

The blessing of a kitchen

Everyone realizes just how important the kitchen is in a home. For most women, and some men, it's the main room of the house and the place where all sorts of good things come from. Maria and Mariano and their family are a huge step closer to having a kitchen back in their home. Bart, from our Katy, TX team was here Monday, took measurements and headed back home where he spent 2 - 12 hour days and 1 - 18 hour day building the kitchen cabinets. He did an outstanding job as you can see in the photos. Solid wood, no partical board here. Complete with an extra large pantry for a family with 5 children! The team even took Mariano and Maria to the store to pick out their laminate for the hand made counter tops! What a blessing for everyone involved in this project! The team brought them the stain/poly they will need to finish the cabinets and we will be getting the sink and other items next week! Our heartfelt thanks to all of this team as they did come and go throughout the week and each one brought lasting memories for all of us!

We also had a team come and work for one day today. They are from the Jacksonville, Florida area. They came to Houston and decided to come here and spend a day blessing a family. Hank and Cherie were that family. We got materials for them yesterday, they were delivered and by early afternoon those materials were all used! This team made it possible for Hank to tear into their bathroom, put in a new subfloor and do all the things he's been waiting to do. They also learned how to spread roof sealant on a mobile home! We are so thankful to them for coming and blessing this wonderful family.

Even though it was Friday and we were saying both hello and goodbye to the Florida team and goodbye to Texas we are preparing for yet another local team to come and spend the day tomorrow. They will all be working in Vicky's house, cleaning inside, cleaning outside and generally preparing it for rebuilding.

The outside temps are rising, we broke all records yesterday with 104 degrees and no end in sight. The teams still come, the sweat pours down their faces and still that joy of the Lord shines through and they bless others and in turn are blessed themselves! I just love how God planned it that way!!!!

Until next time . . . Thanks Florida and thanks Katy, Texas!!!!! Susan and Monty

New Records for Today

4:00am came the sound of the alarm and we were out the door an hour later, headed to Galveston. I hadn't driven in the dark for who knows how long and found it the only time it was border line cool.

Monty and I were stationed at the check in booth where everyone had to be checked in making sure they were on the list of those invited. NBC had asked that the crowd be kept to a minimum and my guess is there was around 150 people. It was easy to see where everything was located, the streets were blocked off and the lights shown high above the homes. I know the neighbors were glad they had ring side seats.

It was amazing to see everything that goes on behind the scenes. Al Roker was kept inside an air conditioned van until just a few minutes before each time he went on the air. He told everyone this was the largest give away ever -- the first and only time where both Lowes and Home Depot were involved in something together! Ethan Allen brought furniture, tons and tons of furniture. Webber was there with more bbq supplies than imaginable. John Deere was there with a tractor . . . it was quite the scene. Al started off with the interview with Erin who started this whole thing and did a wonderful job! From there they switched between donors and ended the show on Marie's front porch with her family by her side and a beautifully decorated porch complete with food prepared by one special chef! It was beautiful and an honor to be a part of.

As soon as it was done Monty and I were asked to be interviewed by one of the local schools that has done a documentary on Ike, it was even featured on Good Morning America a couple of weeks ago. They got what they needed and Marie was the star she always is -- praising God all the way! Tomorrow we will be honored to attend the screening of the video tomorrow at Texas A&M University on the island.

Meanwhile our teams continued working away. Mariano's kitchen is being sheetrocked and finished. They are putting a subfloor in his soon to be pantry and working on siding on the back of the house. And of course, Mariano is right there with them. The team leader speaks Spanish so there's quite a bit more conversation going on!

Archie now has bedroom walls, standing up walls. He is thrilled and the team was continuing to build more. Archie said it's just too hot to do anything!!! (We agree)

Speaking of the heat --- we broke all records today. The actual thermometer reading did reach 103 and was climbing!!! No clouds, full sunshine that will scorch you clean through your clothes! And no end in sight!

Anyway, Monty and I then headed back to Donnie and Sissi's house for a special house blessing program where they both had their hands flying with sign language trying to thank everyone there and everyone involved. They were presented with some gifts and the kids were especially happy with the hand made bluebird house. We prayed over the family and the home and were sad to say goodbye but know they are now fine and ready for a new start in their newly rebuilt home!

By the time we were finished we were wet to the bone and ready to hit the shower -- cold water is also something tough to come by when your hose runs along the ground! No need to turn on the propane for the water heater!

Again I think back over the events of the day and it was one of those where God was nearly "visible" in the literal sense. I could see His "hands" all over the place, His hands of love, of peace, of joy and of verification that Monty and I are right where He wants us! I like those kind of days!

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

It's so hot that . . .

Yes, the heat is truly on. It's so hot that my rear view mirror fell off the window, the GPS fell off the window, Monty's rubber gloves inside his truck melted and I know I've wilted and just don't realize it because it's so dark inside the camper with the insulation at the windows and the blinds and curtains closed! :) And they say it's only going to get hotter tomorrow?

The heat didn't stop the teams from working away, just at a bit slower pace. They reminded us that they are from Texas and know that in order to get anything done you must go slow!

Mariano's siding, insulation, house wrap, electric, kitchen cleanup and you name it continue going forward. We have run into some deeper electrical issues that must be addressed but for now the team is working around it and going forward. You can see one of the women caulking the seams in the siding. She found some shade!

Archie's team had more walls framed and were bringing in the tub/shower as we pulled up. They were hoping that the framed walls looked as good standing up as they did laying on the floor! Archie has built what must be one of the largest fans I've ever seen and has it blowing through the house to help move some air. And move some air it does!

I met with Bruce and Kenny this afternoon to start getting an estimate together for Vicky. We have been working with Vicky for months just trying to get all her paperwork in order to apply for funding. The estimate and her getting current on her property taxes are the last 2 hurdles. The estimate is so widespread as she did hire a contractor who did a little of this and a little more of that and yet left so much widespread work to be done that it will take a qualified estimation program to come up with a dollar amount of the work still needing done. We are going to put our local Saturday team in and outside of her house this weekend. They will be cleaning up inside, trying to prepare for our coming in and doing work. They will also need some gloves and gardening skills to clean up outside as the weeds have nearly taken over. It should be transformed after just one day. Thank goodness for these nearby teams who come for a day and do the work of days!

Remember that tomorrow morning NBC Today Show will be here in Galveston at Marie's and we hope to have some good photos for you. We need to be out of the trailer by 5am so it might be a short night! I just know God will be smiling as he hears Marie's testimony telling everyone she was never afraid as she knew God was watching over her! She had the news crew in stitches as they tried and tried to get her to admit she was afraid -- never happened and they gave up! Be sure and stay tuned!

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

The Today Show

There were a few "difficulties" with blogger this evening so I'm hoping all this comes through the publishing okay?! The first writing was completely lost in never never land? Let's try it a second time!

Our local Texas team arrived bright and early for orientation at the park this morning. They are from Katy which I understand is about 90 minutes away. They are a team of 12 with more arriving during the week. It's always nice to welcome locals helping locals.

Part of the team headed off to Archie's thinking they were going to finish hanging the sheetrock on the ceiling. Seems their daughter's friends had finished that task over the weekend so they were able to start framing in the interior walls. They are putting them together, leaving them lay on the floor and will lift and set them tomorrow when they have a few more folks there to help. Looked like a smart plan to me.

The rest of the team are working both inside and outside at Mariano's. I guess the family had a rough night as their daughter wasn't doing well. She had foot surgery last week and was in quite a bit of pain throughout the night. None the less, Mariano was out and worked with the team all day long. They are putting the insulation and house wrap and siding on the last wall. One of them knows electric so he's wiring the kitchen for incoming appliances and cabinets. Bart, the cabinet maker, came and planned everything out, took his measurements and headed home to build them all. They will be plain wood and will need painted when he returns at the end of the week to install them. And . . . our incoming team for Friday has painters! God never fails!!

Now I suppose you are wondering why this entry is titled as it is. BIG news!

This Wednesday (day after tomorrow) the NBC Today Show will be have Al Roker placed at Marie's house throughout the entire 3 hour show!!! Yes, Marie was chosen to be the one to show just what has happened and is happening in Galveston County. And yes, Monty and I will be there the entire time. This has been in the planning stages for quite some time but we couldn't "let the cat out of the bag" until now. We are really excited that Marie was chosen and know she is perfect! Be sure and watch, or have someone tape it if you can't see it live. I have a strong feeling that God is about to show up for all to see!!!

Until next time . . .be blessed. Susan and Monty

Saturday TX team

Katy, Texas. I had a boss one time who was from Houston and he mentioned the city of Katy many times over the years I worked for him. Today we met this team from Katy who braved the heat, made the drive and were quite the blessing to Mariano and Maria.

Once again we used the shelter at the local park for our orientation. The picnic tables under the shelter with the winds blowing through make it almost tolerable.

We took them to Mariano's and they did great. They even needed more materials to add framing studs to the outside in order to hang the siding. Mariano was right there with them and pleased that yet another team came to help him and his family.

Monty and I ran materials and also got things we need to remodel the tool trailer we will be using for teams. It needs shelving and just a general organization and hopefully we'll get to that sometime next week.

I know most of you have been seeing the weather from here, same forecast every day; sunshine, high temp of 99 and no rain. And there is no end in sight. As I was outside this afternoon around 2pm bending over working on something I could literally feel the sun burning my back through my tshirt! There's just no way to avoid it.

We had to take some extra measures with our own camper trailer today. All these windows are really nice when you can have them open and the breeze coming through. When you sit directly out in the sun, sort of like baking in an oven, those windows aren't so great. We got some foam insulation with foil reflection on one side, cut it to the shape of the windows and installed them on the inside of the trailer. We also installed them in our portholes out the top of the trailer. It made an immediate difference. Yes, it's more than a bit dark in here but I'd rather turn on a light and keep the intense heat out!

Tomorrow is Father's Day. I want to send out a very special Happy Father's Day to my Daddy! I sure wish we were there to celebrate with you, even though I know the word celebrate isn't what you ever expect! :) I will be thinking of all of my family, sitting around the kitchen table enjoying the feast my Mom is famous for! Daddy, I love you and miss you. Bless you!

Bless ALL Father's, tomorrow and everyday!

Until next time . . . hug your daddy tomorrow! Susan and Monty

Ouch x 2 -- and their last day!

Can it really be Friday and are they really leaving us? Where did the week go? I still can't believe we had that many team members and it all went so smoothly. BUT . . . we did have 2 injuries -- in 1 day! When we arrived at Trang's house to see how the team was doing in clearing her yard and surrounding lot we saw the bandaging going on in the photo above. Seems he found out that bamboo can be quite sharp, especially when it hits the back of your head. A quick disinfecting, a bandage tied around the head and he was good to go. And her yard was incredible! Then this team reached out even farther -- to the neighbor. Seems he had lived a few blocks down the street and had been evicted due to lack of rent payments -- he's a fisherman and gone for extended periods of time and the landlord just couldn't work around that. So Trang allowed him to move his trailer onto her property, even though he's living there with no power and no water! That is hopefully coming soon. In the meantime this team agreed to go to his old location and clean things up for him -- "love thy neighbor" coming to life! At the end of today his old location was all cleaned up and a local Vietnamese association is coming to offer him help.

The other photo is Butch and Teresa's new deck at their house. The team, along with Butch, did a fantastic job and by the end of the week thought we might want to wait a week before sending another team as Butch was completely worn out!

Monty got in on the act at Archie and Nina's showing some shortcuts in handling 12' pieces of sheetrock when trying to hang them on the ceiling. Archie and Nina cooked up what sounded like the biggest barbeque in Texas for the team today! They all looked like they needed a 2 hour nap after eating! Archie also admitted to them that when they pulled up on the first day he figured they were all too young and inexperienced for any real production to get done -- and he found out he was oh so wrong! The second accident did happen here -- one of the boys was using an axe to chop down a tree and found out what happens when one axe mixes with one leg -- the axe always wins. Just 4 stitches later he was good as new and back at it again today! Oh to be young again?!

The next photo with all the people on ladders leaning up against the house is at Mariano and Maria's. Mariano and his nephew, Nelson, were both working along side the team all day yesterday and today! This is what we love to see -- enough hope coming to the homeowner that what used to seem like a job just too difficult to ever get done now changes into something they can see the end to and something they put their own sweat into! Jesus at work! There was an added blessing today for this family --- the incoming team for next week called to ask if we had a kitchen someplace that needed cabinets. Of course we do -- right here at Mariano's. The deal is this -- the team is bringing a professional cabinet maker (he does this for a living) and he will come down the first day, do the kitchen measurements, return home to north of Houston, make the cabinets in his shop, return to Mariano's and install them by the end of the week -- all as his donation to the cause!!!!!!!!!!! Did I mention seeing God's hand lately? When I told Maria about the news she immediately broke into tears, folded her hands and thanked God for answering her prayers!

The last photos are of Victor's new kitchen, cabinets and walls. This Maryland team went the extra few miles and stained the wooden walls Victor had installed, painted the trim and also stained the cabinets to match the existing ones! It transformed the dining room and kitchen and Victor had a smile from ear to ear. He had donuts waiting for them this morning and was richly blessed by the wind chimes the team hung on his front porch as a small gift for he and his family! All who enter will know the love of Jesus as it spills from the kitchen!

Art also bid farewell to the team who have been at his place all week. And he also is exhausted! They got all the plumbing roughed in, the insulation in the flooring and that insulation covered with additional supports of plywood. Art will now take next week to get the rest of the plumbing installed, the electric roughed in and then we will come along and start with interior insulation and walls. He also was amazed beyond words at what volunteers do when they come to help!

The last part of the Virginia team worked at Donnie and Sissi's today -- not doing construction or rebuilding but moving the family into their newly rebuilt home! They carried things from the FEMA trailer to the house probably a hundred times over and were that added blessing that I spoke about earlier. That wasn't in our schedule for this week -- but it was in God's schedule and as long as we are obedient to follow His -- love and joy and peace follow!

As I sit and think about this week I feel both joy and sadness; joy at the way these teams came -only to serve and do whatever needed to be done -- and more. There were no problems, no real confusion, just willingness to do and go above and beyond and to take the extra step into the unknown. The sadness comes from realizing we won't see them tomorrow.

But . . . we will be welcoming a local Texas team tomorrow morning. Once again we will adopt the local park for our morning orientation and welcome those who have also come to do whatever needs done. They are a smaller team and will all be continuing the work at Mariano's. Seeing locals helping locals -- I think God had that sort of thing in mind!

What a week! Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Last night we attended the church service that UMCOR holds every Thursday night for all volunteers in the area. We had been asked to speak and share our story quite a long time ago. It was amazing --- over 200 volunteers gathered outside, in the heat, and worshipped God! We shared our story, prayed with some, talked with more and had a wonderful evening. Lives were touched and changed forever! God at work!!!

Until next time . . . THANK YOU MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA!!! Susan and Monty

How many homes?

Donnie and Sissi are 99% complete. The Texas team had to leave by noon today so tomorrow part of the Virginia team will return to wrap up the final small details. It is absolutely beautiful, you can see the girls painting the bookcases (which barely survived) above. We are so thankful to this team as they were completely prepared, took on the project and did what needed to be done! We hope to see them return sometime soon.

Butch and Teresa are getting help in replacing their deck that was lost in the storm. The team painted inside, cut down a tree with a sawsall ??!! and generally fell in love with Butch. He's an amazing teacher and has patience that put us all to shame!

Art has all his rough in plumbing underneath the house and is getting the insulation under the flooring (see the "muscles" on the guy above) and is ready to bring in some sheetrock to be carried up the steps and into the house to prepare for further work. The team has done wonders, and they thought they couldn't do what needed done!?

Archie is teaching his team to do things they also thought they couldn't do. When I stopped by this afternoon one of the younger guys was all bright eyed at the thought of all he was learning and that he was nailing in subflooring with a nail gun! Archie also planned ahead and this team will be learning to hang sheetrock on the ceiling tomorrow! This is where the young with strong backs really come in handy!

And yet another team that was working at Donnie's this morning headed to Trang's house to help her get some of her lot cleaned of overgrown plants and mess from the storm. They finished that up and will join the others tomorrow.

Mariano and Marie's house is changing by the hour! The old siding is coming off, the new (first time) insulation is being installed from the outside, the housewrap goes on top of the insulation and then the new cement based siding is put on. Following that the trim will go up around the windows, doors and where the siding meets at the top. This team has quite a few youth on it and I am amazed to see how each one works -- finds something that needs to be done and does it. One girl had her own trash bag and was literally on her hands and knees picking up bits of broken glass around the yard. Remember that in all the destruction and piles of debris there is glass and pieces of material that aren't normally harmful, unless they are broken! When I spoke with Maria today (her daughter interpreting for each of us) she was embarrased when I asked her what color she would like to have her house, she asked me to decide. I returned with the question as to what her favorite color was = yellow. So my next trip to Lowes will be to pick some samples and try and get Maria involved and feeling like she can make good decisions.

Last but definitely not least is our Maryland team. Yesterday they finished up the cleaning underneath Hank and Cherie's trailer (complete with mama rat running out and across the top of Cherie's foot creating a completely new dance for Cherie) and then headed about 30 minutes south to sanitize another home for us. The gutting had been done but the bleach solution needed sprayed and they got the job done. Today they headed to Victor's to start installing his new kitchen cabinets and counter top. They have been all over the place and are quite the awesome team. They will also be doing quite a bit of inside painting for Victor tomorrow - something Victor had not counted on. When I stopped by Victor had them all out under the shade tree eating freshly cooked crab and crawfish -- he loves to spoil the teams!

Now, just in case you are trying to keep count of the homes being blessed this week -- if you can do it please let me know so when I do my weekly report I'll know myself! Just trying to get to each home each day can be quite the task but we love to stop in, answer questions and just sincerely thank each team member! THEY are what makes all this work and we are so grateful to each of them. Especially with the temps touching 100 degrees, full sunshine and no rain in sight!!

Tomorrow is Thursday, the day where each team must evaluate where they are and just how much they can get done and also clean up by the end of Friday. It's the day where it starts to sink in "we won't get done" and that can be tough. What they must realize is that what they did makes it possible for the next team coming in to pick up behind them and with team after team the job will get done -- in God's timing! And that is always perfect!

Until next time . . . be blessed. Susan and Monty

Starting with a bang!

This Monday sure started off with a bang -- a good one!

We had our team from Virginia and our team from Maryland both come to San Leon where we had their orientation in the park shelter along the bay. It was a perfect spot and with the breeze and shade no one could have believed that the actual temperature would hit the 98 degree mark! Both teams totaled 53 people and that doesn't count our team from Texas who went back to Donnie and Sissi's first thing! Do the math -- amazing!!!

The Virginia team is divided into 4 teams. One started at Mariano and Maria's where they are removing the damaged wood siding, will be installing insulation from the outside and then putting up new siding. You can see them in an above photo. Now we all know this isn't going to happen in one week so any incoming teams that might be reading this . . . guess where some of you will be and what you will be doing!!

Another team went to Art's, also being the first team to help him. With his house being nearly 13-14 feet in the air it's a bit easier to install plumbing lines. The team will also be installing insulation under the floors and be able to stand up doing it! Art was busy trying to get the electrical materials straightened out for the days to come. He also is quite amazed at the way the volunteers work! And in this heat! You can see them digging plumbing lines and see a good picture of Art and Monty.

Another team went to work at Butch and Teresa's where Butch had a full days work lined up for them. They are getting so very close to having it all done and being able to move back in.

The last team from Virginia went to start yet another new job at Archie and Nina's house. They are the parents of Laura. Their home used to be an army barracks and after having it raised 8 inches Archie is ready to go with the rebuilding of the inside. You can see the team working on a stack of subflooring in the photo above. And yes, incoming teams, you might be here also.

There was one gentleman and his son who were an extra blessing to Donnie and Sissi and the Texas team today. This gentleman knows sign language and took his son and another team member and worked in their home. He told me late in the day that he spent most of his time talking with Donnie and Sissi and I can't imagine how awesome that must have been for them! He will be returning there tomorrow and we just might be having a house blessing before this week is over.

The Maryland team headed to Hank and Cherie's home. You can see one of the gentlemen underneath the trailer and no, he isn't taking a nap! Imagine working in this heat and having your job being cleaning out the debris and damage from underneath a mobile home! They didn't bat an eye in the least, just got to work and should be done by mid day tomorrow when they will travel to another home to spray for mold. It will then need to sit for about a week to dry thoroughly. They will have another job behind that one -- stay tuned to see who and what it is.

We also stopped in to see the another local team working on Mercy's house. She is getting a new tin roof on her home along with a brand new shed built in back. I wrote about Mercy quite some time ago, she is the single mother of 5 who has cancer and is fighting for her life. The team told us she passed out during church yesterday morning and was taken to the hospital but is fine after having some fluids. Please keep her in your prayers. This team came to the area specifically to help rebuild her home and they are doing incredible work!

We also stopped by Laura's house to see Stevo and his buddy who have returned to work with Mercy Response for the next 3 weeks. It was good to see them. They were finishing her skirting with plans to get her flooring done and hopefully have her move in real soon!

There was a nice surprise with the Virginia team --- their leader, Forrest, took a road trip to Lowes with me and purchased a handicapped size shower for Art -- where Forrest is working! Blessings like this are the visible hand of God showing up. Art's funds are really tight and having this shower gifted to him not only blesses the funds but what is shows -- the love of Christ -- is priceless! We thank all those from this Virginia team and their church who made this possible! And they gave us a hint that they aren't finished yet!

All these jobs going on along with providing materials and being offered a storage space for UMCOR to store some things . . . plus more . . . makes for a wonderfully blessed beginning to a week that will be filled with awesome wonders!

We are thankful to all of you for your prayers, Monty's step father is out of the hospital and doing much better. My daughter, Lindsay, arrived safely in Boston after traveling through 12 states to get there -- all done in 2 days! Thank you Lord!

Be sure and stay tuned this week. It's a great one and you won't want to miss a day of it!

Until next time . . . be blessed! Susan and Monty

Texans helping Texans

Late last night the team from Homa, Texas arrived. They are staying at the Methodist church in Santa Fe and working in Donnie and Sissi's house.

This morning started with us meeting them at the church for a short orientation and then off to the job. They were thrilled to meet Donnie who told us he had fallen asleep at his computer last night and not woken up until 6:30 this morning. Both he and Sissi are deaf so we do alot of communication via a pen and paper, or anything else we can find to write on.

The team jumped in and started getting things cleaned up and organized to finish installing the flooring and doing all the other jobs needing done to be able to call this house done by the end of next week and allow Donnie and Sissi and their 3 small children to move back home!

This afternoon the Houston newspaper sent a reporter out to get a story on this family, what they have been through and how they have received help. There were 2 other women there to speak back and forth in sign language and it was quite amazing! What a blessing to be such a small part in this recovery!

We also made sure the material deliveries for next weeks jobs were on site and ready for the rest of the incoming teams. All has landed and is in waiting.

We will be traveling to Galveston tomorrow night to orientate another incoming team and then one more on Monday morning. Get ready for an amazing week!

An update on Monty's stepfather --- they thought he was doing better until this evening when the results of more testing came back showing a staff infection in his bloodstream! Please keep him in your prayers.

Also -- my 96 year old grandmother was moved to a new nursing home yesterday. The care she was receiving at her other one was terrible and my mother had enough! It's been traumatic for everyone, especially my grandmother so please keep her in your prayers also.

Blessings to all of you for a wonderful Sunday!

Until next time. . . Susan and Monty