August 9, 2009
Hyaets week wrap up
Due to limited internet access this past week, we were unable to give you “real time” updates from the Hyaets mission. However, we still want you to know our story. Listen in below as some of our students and adults share from their experience…
From Olivia Branch on 8/6/09
Today we took the kids on a field trip to the gym. There we played lots of fun games and crafts. The home made ice cream was the best part! I enjoyed spending more time getting to know the kids. Later we went on a “walk about” advertising the VBS at Hyaets and handed out popsicles to the neighborhood. I had a lot of fun living for God this week at Hyaets and I will definitely come back again next year!
From Catherine McMullan
Working with Hyaets has really opened my eyes to a very different lifestyle. Not only does the Hyaets team care for others but, they also open their homes to those in their community that have needs they can’t meet, to come in and find a safe place to retreat to. This week I was working with Greg and Helms and helped them in their ministry for the children of the community. Each day we made lunches, fed the kids, played with them, and then went on a field trip. At first, I had a hard time being strict with the kids but, I soon found out that the only way to really get your message through to them is to use a stricter tone that tells them that you are the boss. All of the kids are very loving, but you can still tell that there are some troubles at home. On Tuesday, after a community dinner, I was walking a couple of kids home with Carrie Johns, Olivia Branch, Emily Branch, Kate Withers, Valerie Lott, and Molly Carr. Carrie and I were giving them piggyback rides, while everyone else was walking beside us. When we got to the house of the boy I was carrying, I bent down so he could go home. That boy wouldn’t get off my back and I couldn’t quite understand why. When we finally got him off my back he refused to go up to the house. He just stood there holding on to Valerie, resisting with every thing he had. One of the men sitting on the stoop of the house said to Valerie “Just let go of him and let him fall into the dirt, he’ll be fine.” Valerie wouldn’t let go, but after that statement the little boy stopped resisting and let go of Valerie. At that moment it seemed to become very clear why he wouldn’t let go. To me it seemed that that one little boy wanted to stay just a little bit longer away from everything at home. He wanted to be somewhere where he doesn’t ever have to doubt the fact that he is loved, where we can give him a meal when he needs one and can meet his needs. This one little boy wanted to be in a place where there is a light that is different, a place where that light isn’t just a different color, it’s God. I have seen God work in many ways this week. In the friends we have made, and every song our hearts sing. I love being here helping Greg and Helms, and I am so looking forward to helping them again.
From Cole Withers
This week was my first time at Hyaets, and it was AMAZING! My job for the week was to help out and an elderly lady named Rosetta. The way we helped was we worked on her house because many people had broken into it. It was in VERY bad shape, it had two holes in the floor, one in the kitchen and one in the living room. Our mission for the week was to break down the kitchen then put it back together. That included getting out all the cabinets, taking out two walls and the floor. My favorite part was getting to destroy the wall with a hammer, but even more spending time eating on the porch with Mrs. Rosetta.
From Susan Prather, Minister to Youth and Children at Mt. Hermon Baptist Church
Thanks Huguenot Road for allowing my group from Mount Hermon Baptist Church to come on mission with you to Hyaets Community. I’ve known Helms and Greg for a number of years while they lived in Richmond, Va and went to school. Helms Jarrell was also the youth minister at our church for 3 years.
This has been an amazing week of living and working in a very unique community. Our church worked with Cole and Emily on the Rosetta house, we took out cabinets, removed walls, took out a kitchen floor and cleaned the attic. The best part of each day was sitting on Ms. Rosetta’s porch and eating lunch with our team and Ms. Rosetta and her family. They shared so much about their lives and how our work was such a blessing to their lives.
Friday when we were preparing to leave we were loved on by Ms. Rosetta and she told us that when her house was back in good condition she was going to prepare a room for us so we could come to visit often. Isn’t it amazing in one little week that our lives could be so affected and changed. Our lives have been!!!
Our prayer is that someone will follow us and join Christ in his work in the life and home of Ms. Rosetta and family.
From Emily Branch
The week has been very tiring but enjoyable. There was one day when Valarie, Carrie and I were dropping the children off at their homes. As we were dropping of one of the little girls she ran to her cat. She picked it up by its hind legs and said, “You wanna pet my cat, its name is Tink.” We were laughing so hard after she went inside with Tink about how it was probably in a coma by now. But although there are funny stories there are sad stories too. Our group was told that one of the boys was punished by his guardian by his fist. It made me realize that we are so fortunate to have positive discipline. This trip has opened my eyes to some of the sad and funny circumstances of the Hyaets community.
From Carrie Johns
When I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was go on missions for church. I had watched my older brother go on mission trips, we talked about missionaries in Sunday school, and talking to my friends about Jesus as a “missionary in my own neighborhood”, as my Sunday school teachers put it seemed virtually impossible. Then last year, I went to Hyaets for the first time, and experienced a real mission trip. I learned a lot from the trip that year, but somehow I didn’t understand the burning feeling that I felt when I was deciding whether or not to go to Hyaets even though I would be going to the beach the very next week with my family. I thought I just didn’t want to miss out on a mission trip because it was my dream come to life, but as the week went on, I began to comprehend the feelings burning inside me. We had devotions every night, and one night we talked about one of the beatitudes in Matthew 5. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” I had blown that off as just another kind thing that Jesus said in the Bible when I first read that, but when we talked about, I learned a new understanding of that. As Christians, we strive to be holy like God, and to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. In the neighborhood in which the Hyaets community lives, basically everyone is poor, and half the families can barely pay rent, but as we walked from door to door picking up kids and handing out flyers, there would be people on their front porch or walking. We would be friendly and wave hello, and more than likely, that hello would begin a small conversation. The people here are so neighborly, and grateful, that here is the kingdom of heaven. We give what we can give here, like Jesus did, and nothing less, and it is here that we are closer to God, amongst these people. I suddenly understood that burning devotion that I had felt to come back. I wanted to be in the kingdom of heaven. I’m ever so thankful that I came back to be with the children, no matter how they drive me nuts, and to be so much closer to our heavenly Father.
August 1, 2009
Monday Morning Begins a Flurry of Hyaets Activity
Please pray as a team of 11 head to Charlotte on Sunday, Aug. 2. They will spend the week in a variety of mission and ministry activity. Check back for regular updates from the team.
July 24, 2009
The Big Wrap-Up
(Yes, we did go to New Orleans Thursday night. Everyone deserved an afternoon and evening of relaxation and adventure. There was good food and fun shared by everyone.)
It’s now Friday and we’re reflecting on our week. Everyone returned from their worksites and attended the Creative Arts Camp family night. There was dancing, singing, creative movement/sign language, rhythm, handchimes, music discovery and art. But the best part was the smiles and hugs that continued for a long time afterward. Kids didn’t want us to leave, or they wanted to go home with us! Parents were so appreciative and amazed at what their children had learned. We made new friends that we will not soon forget.
Rick joined us during Friday night devotion. He gave many words of appreciation for the work accomplished by our construction teams. The leaders posessed the skills needed to lead their teams. The team members all worked together to complete many tasks.
Friday night devotion was called “open mic night”. As we began to look back at our week, we began to realize that God was at work everywhere. Personal moments spent with homeowners …….. the beauty of God’s creation on the bayou …… joy in encouraging every team member ….. listening to the story of a child …. simple unexpected blessings.
We are excited to return home, rest up and share our stories with you!
July 22, 2009
Monotony Can Be Exciting!
Everyone is working hard and our teams are making progress. Our teams are still working on the same tasks as when we last reported. However, the visible changes and improvements are amazing! The jobs at Whitey’s house are so big that they can’t be accomplished in just a few days. But their efforts are making such a huge difference in getting Whitey and his wife into their new house. Not only are they doing all those construction projects, but they find time to help get Whitey in and out of the truck so his wife can take him to the doctor. The greatest Whitey story happened early in the week. Several of the team went into the house to meet the Brignacs. They noticed a TV in the corner, however, the picture didn’t change. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a view of the yard! Whitey has his home under video surveillance! He assured us that his surveillance equipment, and his trusty rifle, would keep all our tools and supplies safe over night!!
Greg H and his team continue to master the punch list. Screen doors, storm doors, paint clean-up, plumbing, electrical, mudding/sanding, wall texturing, painting, trim work and anything else that could possibly be on a handymans list. The great part of their work is that they get to meet most all of their homeowners! You’ll want to hear their stories when they get home.
The Creative Arts Camp is going strong. Day 2 almost doubled in enrollment! There are lion masks, bird puppets, ballerinas, rhythm games and chime players galore! The smiles, laughter and hugs are fabulous! We’ve discovered that it’s real hard to play a cazoo when you’re laughing!! Several of the students have brought their own personal instruments to share with everyone.
Tuesday evening was the night for a much anticipated trip to the Grand Bayou. We toured the Sylve’s new home. (Jeanne Marie is the daughter who just visited HRBC.) We all boarded a large shrimp boat and set out for a tour of the bayou. One of the Sylve’s good friends, Bimbo, who we’ve met in the past, treated several of the college guys to a small, flat boat ride out ahead of the shrimp boat. Bimbo took them to some smaller waterways and gave them the ride of their lives! Upon their return it was time for the next few to experience the same. If you’ve looked at our photos, you’ll know that their experience was much wetter!! The fact that too many of them entered the front of the flat boat, and the timing of the side wake from the larger shrimp boat, was an instant recipe for disaster! The flat boat took on LOTS of water, and in a few seconds began to capsize and sink! There was hilarious laughter and screaming from everyone — everyone rushed to get out the cameras! We soon learned that these kinds of antics and water play are common entertainment on the bayou! It was an evening no one will soon forget!
We were treated to a superb shrimp boil on Wednesday night. Bruce LePoint, the volunteer coordinator, got out the BIG pot and filled it will potatoes, corn, sausage, garlice, onions, celery and 32 lbs. of shrimp. In a matter of minutes, it magically disappeared!! Good eats!!
July 20, 2009
And The Work Begins ……
Sunday night, after settling into our home-for-a-week, we began our time with job assignments and devotions. Dwayne divided us into work teams for the week and told us briefly about our jobs. We then got with our new groups and worked on a team building devotion. The team that finished the project first was promised a reward. So the competition was fierce! Check out the pictures of our jigsaw puzzle project in the photo gallery! Have you ever tried to work a jigsaw puzzle, with a group of people, in complete silence?
Monday morning came bright and early. But everyone was full of energy and ready to leave.
Tom, Dwayne and Greg C are successfully working on 3 different jobs at the same house! So far they haven’t been tripping over each other too much! They are all at the home of Whitey Brignac. (Our May team worked with Whitey just a few weeks ago!) Whitey’s house sits just a few feet from a canal. We’ve been warned of alligators, snakes and the like! Their jobs include siding, interior sanding, porches and more. Don’t miss the awesome photos of their first day of work.
Scott and Terry found their team traveling across the Mississippi to their site. They know they’re starting with a soffett job. After that they’ll be facing a large sheetrock job. Good luck guys!
Greg H has been assigned the “punch list” team. There are several houses that are sooooooo close to completion. With just a couple of small items completed, these folks could have their homes inspected and ready to move in by the end of the week. How exciting that we can make that happen for them! The team gets to spend time talking to the homeowners while putting the finishing touches on their homes.
Jill is leading the creative arts camp. Children from 4-13 years old had a blast creating fish, discovering animal sounds created by orchestra instruments, playing rhythm games, learning to play handchimes and dancing to everything from “Revolution” to Michael Jackson!!
All-in-all Monday was a great day in Port Sulphur ……… not to mention that it never got above 90 degrees!! Praise God!!
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers as we continue to meet new people and learn new skills. Blessings to all our HRBC family!
Safety (& Fun!) Travels
We are so blessed to have experienced an uneventful trip to Port Sulphur. The ride is a long, 2-day, 22 hour trip. It includes all the highlights of a good car trip. Each vehicle ended up with a personality all its own. Van #1 was full of crayons, color books and crafts. Van #2 was for “family & friends” as the Parkers and Daileys owned that space. (They let Jill come along for the ride.) Van #3 was the game playing group. Even though Ashlee was the only girl, it appears she has survived the ordeal!! The church bus became home to a lot of college students. And if you could have seen the bus, it looked like they had moved in!
Here are some quotes from the ride down:
Stephen: I only have 2 words to say …… “”whoopi cushion”! (Stephen also says, “Melissa ……. haircut!”)
Molly & Liz: Exploding cokes are just not a good thing in a car.
Laura : Driving the new bus is a lonely job …….. and breezy, too!
Click here to go to our photo album.
June 12, 2009
Team Departs July 18
We’ll catch up with you when we arrive in Port Sulphur.
Thanks for praying for us while we travel, July 18-19.
May 9, 2009
Friday and Saturday….
Our last day started out with the team divided again. Don, Chris and Jim headed up to start framing walls for the new house off Hermitage Road, while Laura and Bob went to our third house to poly the hardwood floors. Part of the other team from Richmond (they are from Lyndale Baptist Church) was there working on the kichen cabinets. We were able to have a good visit with these folks while we worked together. Part of their team was loading up some wood for the new house, so when all was done there, we all headed up the road to unload wood and help with the framing. Our friend, Russell Drewery drove down from NOLA today to work along side us and we were so grateful for the extra set of hands!
Rick had to leave early to go to NOLA to pick up his truck that has been in the shop all week. We were left with the task of putting the plywood sheeting on the two outside walls. Unfortunately, we were not able to raise those walls yet……some other team will get to do that! That will be an interesting job, considering the house is being built about 10 feet off the ground. We felt like we were building a tree house today, we were so far up in the trees!
Friday dinner just doesn’t get much better than what we experienced! Bruce LePointe, Volunteer Coordinator for CPR, served up a southern LA shrimp boil with shrimp, potatoes, corn, and sausage all cooked together. He also grilled red fish and speckled trout on the grill. Needless to say, we all ate and ate and then ate some more!!
Saturday morning ended up being part of a work day for Laura and Rick. Since the electrician was in the third house where we worked on the hard wood floors on Thursday, we weren’t able to put poly on the floor until Friday morning. Since the poly needs to dry for 24 hours, the second coat was going to be left undone. We didn’t want that to happen, so at 7:00am this morning, Rick and Laura headed over to the house to put that second coat of poly on the floors. We were pulling back into the church parking lot at 7:45am!
By 8:45 we were pulling out of Port Sulphur Baptist Church, headed to the airport. We stopped at the little gas station diner up the road for a full breakfast and then on to NOLA! We are now awaiting our flight in the NOLA airport and are anxious to arrive home to family and friends and to share stories that didn’t make it on the blog. It has been a wonderful week of work, fellowship and learning and all are ready to do it all over again! Thank you for your prayers and support for this continued partnership with our good friends of Plaquemines Parish and Port Sulphur Baptist Church.
Mid-Week
Where does the time go……Thursday is already here and it feels like we just got here! Much has been accomplished by our little team in that time, though. Today, Bob and Laura returned to put the final coat of poly on two of the three houses we have been working in this week. We also painted the railings on the porches of one of those houses.
Rick took Don, Jim and Chris and most of the other team that is here from Richmond, north of Port Sulphur to frame the floor for a new house that is just getting started. It’s in a little marsh community called Lake Hermitage and is right on a little canal that looks like something right out of the movies…..Spanish moss hanging from the trees, canopy of trees over the canal…..all that’s missing are the alligators swimming by! We’ll keep watching for those! Rick took these guys there and expected to be there most of the day in order to finish what he wanted done. They were done before lunchtime! The whole team will return there tomorrow to start framing walls for the house.
Tonight is our night off and we’ll be traveling north to New Orleans for the evening. We’ll walk through the French Quarter, have dinner at The Gumbo Shop and then finish the evening out at Café DuMonde with coffee and beignets!! Our friend, Russell Drewery is joining us for the evening. Russell is a former member of HRBC and made the first trip to Port Sulphur with us back in April of 2007. Since then, he moved to New Orleans where he works as a cameraman for one of the local news channels there. We’re always glad to see Russell again and catch up with all that is going on with him.
Sorry….the internet was down at the church!
Just to catch you up since we last blogged……. Tuesday night, we were just getting ready to fill our plates with the spaghetti dinner we had prepared, and there was a knock on the kitchen door. There were some kind folks from the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Belle Chasse that had brought dinner for our team and the other team. We quickly decided that our spaghetti would keep until the next night……Crawfish Etouffee would not!! You would have thought they were feeding an army there was so much food. Let see…..there was salad, red beans and rice, shrimp fettuccini, grilled chicken, bread, cookies and of course, the Crawfish Etouffee! Delicious! This is a ministry that this church started sometime last year, because this is not the first time we have benefitted from their culinary specialties!! What a blessing they were to us. They stayed and visited with everyone while we ate and were all ready to share their stories about life before, during and after Katrina and answer any questions we might have.
Wednesday, we were fortunate to return to the church from working just a little early. We ran into our old friends, Paul and Carolyn Sylve and their daughter, JeanMarie. We ended up going with them out on the bayou to see their new house that has been built for them by the Mennonites out of Pennsylvania. All that remains to be done is for the power to be turned on and then the HVAC needs to hooked up. SO close and yet so far!! Carolyn was so proud to show us her beautiful bathroom. Home Depot made a mistake and sent a jetted tub instead of just a regular garden tub….by the time they discovered the wrong tub had been sent, they said “Never mind…just keep it!” Carol can’t wait to soak in that wonderful, big tub!
On our way back to the church from the bayou, we took a little detour down Diamond Road, so that we could see Miss Leona Bartholemew’s completed house. This is the house that our youth team framed last summer. It’s taken this long to get her in the house! Her house was just dedicated last week and she was able to move in. When we pulled in the drive, she was standing out on her front porch (the little trailer she was living in is gone!). Don and Laura got out of the car and told her who they were and she immediately invited us in to see her house! What a joy and she is soooo proud of her house. She remembered our youth and adults and just kept saying again how the Lord was going to bless us for all we did for her. He most certainly already has!!
