Fall 2015 - Arkansas, Week1

Here wer are, back in Arkansas with a totally different crew than last winter/spring

From the left seatedwe have Ginny, Bob, Sue, John & Jodi and in the back from the left are Jim, Shirley, Sarah, Larry and Stel.  (As an aside, Dottie was not present as she returned to PA for a family emergency.) 

Here is our campground at the rear of the Wesley United Methodist Church parking lot.

Again, we are sharing the campground and facilities with the Christian Aid Ministries of the Mennonite Church.

This house was worked on last winter/spring but has some problems and was never finished.  Our job is to fix all the problems and finish the inside so that the family that will own this home can move in.  They have been homeless for 18 months since the tornado and they had lost 2 previous mobile homes to tornados.

The kitchen was nearly completed, needing countertops and baseboards and some of the cabinets needed repairs.  We started working on these items but the disaster coordinator asked us what we thought about the cabinets.  We told him we did not like them because the quality was very poor and he said I don't either.  Tear them out and I'll get new ones.

Some folks (Jodi and Jim) were way too happy to accomodate the tearout.

Here Bob, Jim and John continue the tearout.

The new cabinets are on the right and the old cabinets are being loaded in the trailer for return to the warehouse.

After the cabinets were removed, the process of repairing the walls began.

Actually all the walls had to be repaird.  Unfortunately, some previous volunteers put texture material and paint on the walls thinking that would cover the tape and seams without recoating the seams.  WRONG!  So seems and joints and screw holes have to be repatched all over the house.  Ginny patching around outlets.

More patching by Sue.

And Shirley gets into the act.

Do you get an idea that there is a lot of patching?  Her Sue continues the efforts.

Patching, patching patching. 

John and Bob prepare to hang a bedroom door.

Bob measuring for the process.

Bob and John are making a door for the furnace room.

and now they are installing it.

The laminate floor was coming apart in this room so Stel and Sue tore out the baseboard and several rows of laminate and are in the process of reinstalling it.

Jim is adding quarter round because the baseboard did not quite cover the edges of the floor.

Stel is removing baseboard because the wall is bowed for some reason and the baseboard does not line up.  After cutting a small opening, she was able to push the drywall tight against the studs, refasten it and after remudding the screws and the patch, She reinstalled the baseboard and lined it up so that it fit

Many of the closets and bathrooms were missing baseboard and Stel was charged with fixing all those areas

Sarah is a life saver for everyone.  She has the caulk gun and is fixing a world of "oops'" and that was a sample of our first week.  The bathroom in the hall was also a "fixer" because the door opened into the hallway.  Not the way we would want it but there is no more money for a new door that swings the correct way.  Sooooo, we took the door off, moved the hinges and door latch, patching the old hinge areas and now it is ready to sand & paint.  No pictures to show for it, you'll have to take our word for it.

Next week, we continue the repairs and reinstalling of cabinets.  See you then.

Michigan - Vacation at Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island and NOMADS Annual Meeting in Kalamazoo, zoo, zoo

On our way to the annual meeting of NOMADS, we detoured to Mackinaw City and were able to get a campsite on Lake Huron.  The weather was unseasonably warm and the area was truly beautiful.  This was our view just behind a few trees on our campsiste.

Another view of the campground along the shore.

A view of the campground from the beach.

Resting and enjoying the sound of the waves hitting the shore.

Next day we took a ferry like this to Mackinac Island.

One of the lighthouses approaching the Island.

Approaching the wharf on Mackinac Island.

No motorized vehicles on the island, only bicycles and horses.

Fort Mackinac on the hill above the village.

The horses getting a rest on the carriage tour.

The arch in the rock  on the north of the island.

Inside the fort.

The Mackinac bridge from the ferry.

Back at the campground looking toward the bridge.

The bridge from the campground.

Mackinac Island as seen from our campground across the sound.  

We headed south for the NOMADS meeting.  This is a view of the crowd on the first day of meetings.  Over 300 NOMADS attended the meeting.  One our the largest crowds ever for the meeting.

Everyone canvassing the silent auction entries which is a part of our fund raising events for the work on the projects.

The Board of Directors bringing us up to date on events, finances and other pertinent info.

The lady at the podium made this quilt hanging. It is made out of NOMADS Annual meeting T-shirts from the last 10 years.  The lady to the left of the podium is Carla, our Director.  She has been with the NOMADS for 10 years and this quilt is being given to her in gratitude and love for her service.  

A close-up of Carla with our Board Chairman, Perry who is announcing the monetary gift which was raised from all the NOMADS contributions to celebrate her anniversary.

Each AM we had devotions presented by prominent former pastors, District Superintendants, Bishops and on this day, pastor of the largest UMC in Kalamazoo

Several evenings we shared meals together and followed with entertainment.  This evening's entertainment is a local Gospel Quartet.

This evening, we are entertained by a choir comprised of NOMADS from all over the country.  A couple of these folks are actually from Pennsylvania

Our final evening's entertainment was by this Chritian comedian/magician.  This gentleman is just recovering from hip surgery.  After his performance, we also learned that he had lost his wife the previous weekend but since he had committed to this performance nearly 2 years ago, he refused to cancel dispite his heath, both physical and emotional.  We were very touched.

We also had various seminars at the meeting.  This one is on drywalling and it is being taught by Larry Mathias.

Thats the overview of the first two weeks of our trip.  From here it was off to Conway, Arkansas where we return to help with the Disaster Reovery Project there.  More on the next blog.

3rd Week, Conway, Arkansas

We began our third week in Conway with the additon of two new couples.  Our group shared a lunch table after church.  From the left are:  Gary, Gwen, Jodi, Stel, Nancy, Dennis, Sue, Chic, Jim, Virgie and Dan.

On Monday, we all headed to the warehouse to load supplies for our work project including laminate flooring, underlayment,  Doors, and trim.

And then, we headed to "our house".  This is a Habitat for Humanity house constructed by the Mennonites in Christian Aid Ministries.  They have now left Conway for the season and we have been asked to finish this house so the family can move in.

The house has already been dywalled and mudded and even the first coat of paint is done.

Several of the group began by second coating the paint on the walls.

Some installed window sills.

Some painted the closet doors which we just received.

Some installed the doors we had painted previously.

After work, on our way home, we stopped at the house we "decked" two weeks ago to present the owners with a Bible signed by all the NOMADS.  Our leaders, Dan (far right) and Virgie (far left) made the presentation to the new owners.

All the NOMADS joined the group for a prayer of dedication for this home.

Wednesday, more doors to install for Gary and Dennis

 and Jim and Stel.

More doors to paint for Gwen ...

 and for Virgie.

More window sills to cut for Sue.

 Nancy begins laying the underlayment for the laminate,

 with the help of Chic.

Sue and Virgie also installing underlayment and laminate

and the finished product of their combined labors.

 Stel, Dan and Sue began laying the backer board for the ceramic tile in the laundry and 2 baths.

 and Sue, Dan and Stel installed the vanity bases in the two baths.

and Stel cut the door frames to accomodate ceramic tile.

 During the whole week, Dennis has been installing outlets & switches ...

 fixtures and ceiling fans.

 Gary and Gwen installing door trim.

 At the end of the week,  the house is beginning to come together.

Next week, Stel and Jodi will begin the treck homeward and 3 new rigs will replace those leaving.  It is hoped that this house will be ready for the new owners by the end of the week.  Sorry we won't be around for the celebration but we are blessed by being a small part of the project.