Return to Camp Tanako, Fall, 2017

We have returned to Hot Springs, Arkansas to continue work on the floors of the cabins.

We have a larger crew this trip with 5 rigs present on weeks 1 and 3.  There was a death in the family of one couple so they were absent on week 2 only.

And our crew from the left are Jo and Mark, Stel and Jodi, Joe and Jayne, Mark and Lisa and leaders Linda and Jerrel.  2 couples are new to NOMADS (Mark and Jo and Mark and Lisa) so we gave them a real workout.

As in the previous trip, we tore up tile and subfloor from 6 rooms in 3 cabins.

This particular cabin was more difficult than the others because there were 4 times the amount of nails and an extra layer of subfloor so we had the opportunity to have everyone involved at the same time for tearout.

In one cabin there was a wet spot on the floor so we tore up another layer to see what was going on.  What a surprise!  Squirrels or some other animal had worked up from beneath into the insulation and was using it for a bathroom.  A little extra repair was needed.

Then comes the cleanup.

Thank goodness we had this magnet for Joe to clean up those thousands of nail debris.

After tearout, we installed new 3/4 inch subfloor and put installed thousands of screws to hold it down.

Next came installation of tile with Linda and Jayne on this team,

Stel and Jo installing also,

as are Lisa and Mark.

The trim had to be painted so Joe finds a sunny spot to do so

but rain forced Joe and Lisa to work on one of the porches.

There were leak spots noted in 2 cabins so the crew assessed the problem and installed additional flashing

In another area, the loovers in this roof vent had been damaged by weather and or animals so Mark climbed up to do tear out and asses materials needed.

At the end of the project, we installed new baseboard and trim to finish

and make new thresholds  for each exterrior doorway

and installed them.

Some learned new skills like Joe who learned how to operate the tractor to move the debris to the dumpster.

And in the end, we had a chance to inspect each others work in this beautiful campground.

These buzzards overlooking our campsite are looking way too interested in US so it may be time to move on.

Final week in Chatham, Illinois

As our final week begins, we have been asked to update the brick memorial patio.

These are the bricks to be added, so

Wayne and Bill set out to install them.

Meanwhile, Ron and Bill begin stallation of a replacement storm door in employee housing

and then they set out to repair the front office door.

We were asked to continue filling cleaning buckets and we got two ready and then realized that we did not have the needed supplies ready.

This is the view of the 340 buckets that we filled last week.

Jodi has rolled so many garbage bags they call her the bag lady so she decides to dress the part.

Bill has been fixing all sorts of plumbing around the complex.

The center got the OK to ship Personal Dignity Kits (towels, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) to Puerto Rico so we are called upon to sort, count and pack the kits.  Joyce and Dave on left just joined us for a couple of days and the aid Gary and Kathy in upacking.

Prepackaged items like these nailclippers have to be "unpackaged" so Stel is cutting the packages with Avis supervising.

Avis joins the others in unpacking.

All incoming material is sorted and counted for repacking.

Jim and Brenda are in the back of the warehouse unpacking and sorting incoming donated materials for cleaning buckets.

Gary is sanding a donated flagpole for the Center

and Ron and Bill are painting it.

Outside, Ron, Wayne and Bill have dug a hole for the base of the flagpole and installed rebar

and then the cement is added

and finished off.  This flagpole may be destroyed by a tornado but the base is never going anywhere.

and with our final week complete, it is time to head on down the road.  See you in Arkansas.

2nd Week at Chatham, Ill

 Mulch was delivered over the weekend so we head back to the volunteer dorm to finish the work there.

 

First we add landscape paper and it is so windy Jim and Stel are working together to get the paper down.

Brenda working to arrange the paper around existing plants.

Ron and Bill loading mulch.

Bev leveling the mulch behind the bushes.

Jim and Ron making finishing touches.

Since we have leftover mulch at the dorm, Wayne, Bev, Brenda and Stel clean out the memorial at the campground and prepare it for mulch.

And this is the finished product here.

We move to the front of the warehouse/office complex and Bev and Bill begin removing the stone around the shrubs.

And Jim and Bev and Brenda continue the efforts while

Stel trims the shrubs.

We use the stone to fill in a grass areas between the building and the bicycle storage area and Bill, Wayne and Jim spread it.

We were using the golf cart to haul the buckets of stone but the battery died so it's time out for Stel to hook up the charger.

 Rain moved us back to inside work.

So Bill and Bill begin painting the enclosure they built last week.

Ron and Wayne go back to repairing bicycles.

And Wayne takes out time to realign the mitre saw to insure accurate cuts.

Joyce painting the desk parts with polyeurethene

as are Kathy, Esther and Avis

and Mary as well.

Gary is prepping old bleacher wood for desk parts by plugging the bolt holes with dowell rods.

Stel begins preparing new desk tops by routing the edges of 100 precut sheets.

Jodi is binding school supplies for addition to kits.

Brenda, Joyce and Janann are rolling garbage bags to be added to cleaning kits.

These cleaning buckets are all packed and have been stacked on a skid so Joyce prepares to start the shrink wrap

and then she steps aside to let the machine do it's magic.

A new project came up so Bev, Mary and Brenda join in preparing a mailing for the Center

as does Jodi

and Janann and Joyce and everyone else within reach.

The week is jamb packed with activities but we are called upon frequently for special efforts.

Here, Bill, Bill Wayne and Ron are called upon to unload this incoming shipment from this tractor trailer. 

And here, Stel, Wayne and Ron are asked to unload a 53' trailer filled with cleaning backets prepared by volunteers around the midwest

and here the crew is asked to unload private vehiles that have dropped off empty buckets and filled buckets.

In this case, volunteers are needed to load this trailer with used bicycles.

Although it happens several times a week and sometimes more than once a day, we pause to pray over a shipment headed for the disaster areas.  Next week will provide more opportunities to serve.