Saturday, November 11, 2006

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Greetings from very cool New Orleans. All of our Dayton group have arrived safely and are now tucked in to their very comfortable cots in their very stylish Cardboard Tents. We were warmly greeted by our camp director Charles MacDonald from Ontario, Canada. We were given a short tour of our camp, then shown where the pizzas were stored in the freezer and where the oven was and we quickly assumed our first duties of preparing dinner. Fellowship at dinner was great. We have a wonderful group of fun loving, Christian friends who have been brought together by the Katrina disaster. We have seen just a small part of the destruction as we drove through the city. Tomorrow Charles will give us a tour. 

Sunday, November 12, 2006

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Glad that you have received my first message. Day 2 was so hectic and I was so tired by the end of the day I could not bring my self to turn on my computer. I should be even be more tired tonight because today we clean all of a family's lifetime belongs out of their house. It was definitely a moving experience. But I did have the opportunity to talk with the homeowner on the phone and she was so thankful.

Day 2 was Sunday and we went to church at First Union Church and then our camp manager took us on an afternoon tour of the devastation. It was overwhelming! Then we had an hour to walk around the French Quarter before returning home (our cardboard camp city) and having pizza for supper and an orientation meeting in the evening. It is still very cool here in the evenings. We are glad to have heat in our tents.

Monday, November 13, 2006

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Today, Day 3, saw us start our true mission experience. We were given a house that had not been touched since Katrina. Day 3 picture shows the home and our efforts to make a difference for 1 family who has been without for 14 months.

In Christ's Service

Linda Wiggers

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

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Hello Southminster!
Greetings from your Southminster Mission Team. We are totally immersed in our house restoration. Today we worked on removing dry wall and floors. A friend of the family who owns the home came and worked side by side with us until we were called back to our campsite because of an approaching storm with possible high winds. Tonight our group is in charge of devotions and our experiences certainly gives us lots of thoughts to share in our time of sharing. We share our sadness for the family as they haul away all of their belongings and lifelong treasures. We pray that it is a beginning for a new life for them and enables them to come home.

Peace to all and God Bless

Your Mission Team

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

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Greetings from New Orleans
Tuesday afternoon and Weds morn were exciting here at work. We were called home early because of a Tornado watch and early Wednesday morn (3am) were were awakened to the alarm of the tornado siren. We then spent the next 2 hours in the fellowship hall of First Union PC.

My battery is low must go.

Thursday, November16, 2006

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Hello from New Orleans

Thursday has been another satisfying day for our mission team. We pulled down ceiling, and pulled every nail from every stud and beam and cleaned our home.  We call it 'our home' because we have made a connection with a home and a family. Our family is Griffin and Linda Nellum, a couple in their mid 50s who escaped through the roof of their home on the night of the Katrina flood. There was no time to get out. When the water started to rise it came so quickly that all they could do was climb through the ceiling and out through a hole in the roof. Linda and Griffin are living in Florida right now because Griffin is suffering with cancer and has just recently broken his pelvis. We have spoken with them daily and feel their joy and thanks for all that we have done. We all were so excited today when we discovered their safe box that they had taken to the attic but because they had left so fast it had been left behind. We have finished our work at this house but Linda & Griffin will remain in our thoughts and prayers forever. We ask that our Southminster family pray for them also.

In Christ Love and Care

Your Mission Team

Friday, November 17, 2006

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Hello Southminster
Picked up our tools this morning and headed to a new works site which is to be a new PDA work camp. There is excitement in the air with the anticipation of a new camp opening in February of 2007. And best of all this camp is in the heart of affected area. Volunteers will be at their work sites in minutes and the camp will be dormitory style instead of "cardboard tents". However our experiences in this camp have been wonderful. Later in the day we attempted to enter another house in order to retrieve documents for a lady but were unable to go in because the house was not safe. We have made many new friends this week. They have given us new ideas and have inspired us. We look forward to coming home to share our experiences with "y'all".

See you soon
Your Mission Team