Construction is just an amazing thing!  We started with a clean, flat surface (the floor!) on Monday.  By noon Friday, that clean, flat surface is a framed house with walls, windows, doors and a roof!  Who would have ever thought this rag-tag group of vounteers could accomplish so much in one week.  ” Hallelujah” and “Praise the Lord” are the only things Miss Leona could say!!  Her house was started 2 months ago — just a floor.  Untikl this week no other work had been done.

On Thursday, while roofing work was being done, a few members of our team were pulled to another work site just a few miles away.  There was a team from the IMPACT group there, too.  Our jobs were to begin the siding on the house.  After assessing the job and waiting for supplies, work began.  Everyone tried their had at the nail gun.  Folks were perched on ladders, and precision measurements and cuts were made.  The siding job was well underway.

Thursday evening was a special treat for everyone.  During a previous trip to Port Sulphur, we made friends with Paul & Carol.  We stay in touch with them, and catch up with them each time we visit.  They live with their 2 kids on the bayou, and offered to take our entire team on a shrimp boat!  They showed us how shrimp are caught.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time of the day, so when they dumped the nets on the deck there were little fishes and crabs flopping all over the place.  (We were in our own episode of “Deadliest Catch”!!)  We were taking pictures and learning all kinds of new things about this culture that’s so different from our own.

Friday night was our excursion into New Orleans.  We experienced this city with our eyes and our taste buds!!  The French architecture is always perfect for taking photos, and the restaurants offer wonderful seafood dishes. 

The team has returned home to share their stories and experiences with you.  Our photos will soon be available at www.hrbcrichmond.org.  Check them out!

You notice this entry is titled “The Rest of This Story” and not “The End of the Story”.  Our work in Port Sulphur is far from finished.  We encourage you to participate in this partnership.  There are lives to touch, people to meet and work to be done.  You will be changed forever.

God was everywhere we turned around on Wednesday.  On our way to the work site, we were reminded that God was watching over us.  As we turned into our parking area, there was a double rainbow directly in front of us.

It wasn’t long before we learned how we would show God’s love.  A young man aproached us to see if we could use more help (if you remember, this is the day we are moving roof trusses from the ground to the top!)  Our new friend, Chip, is from our of town and works for a survey company.  Apparently his job requires him to “babysit” a computer in a van all day! During our lunch break, Chip told us his story.  He was involved in a church as a child, but has had a negative impression of church since his teen years.  He said something drew him to our group.  He proceeded to share his disbelief that youth and adults would be working like this…without pay, and not knowing the home-owner.  He loved the comraderie, humor, and team work we showed.

Chip continued working with us for the rest of the day.  At the days end, he said he was rethinking his opinion of ‘church people!’  Little did we know, we were being the image of the Master Carpenter!  Little did Chip know, his story touched the hearts of many in our group.

After the work day, we experienced the joy of Jesus.  Miss Leona, her neighbors, and family treated us to a Louisiana shrimp boil–complete with shrimps, crabs, corn, sausage, and potatoes! YUM!!  We played games and laughed with these new friends. 

How thankful we are for every experience!!

Our whole team has been fortunate enough to be on the same site so far this week.  We are building a house for Leona Bartholomew.

Leona is a precious grandma.  She welcomes us into her home, introduces us to her family and friends, and shares her story.  She is a delightful lady filled with joy in her heart.

When we arrived Monday morning, we saw a plywood floor built on a four-foot elevated foundation.  Our job was clear!  Doing his best Ty Pennington impression, Dwayne said, “BUILD THAT HOUSE!”  BY the end of the day, three of the four outside walls were in place.  We were learning how to work in teams.  No one can remember how long it took to build the first wall, but the third one only took 40 minutes!

On Tuesday, we looked like a well-oiled machine.  Teams of cutters, runners, assemblers, nailers, and installers were all hard at work.  By the end of Tuesday, the fourth wall and all interior walls were finished.

The big job for Wednesday will be raising the trusses for the roof.

We are putting an 8-5 work day. So you can probably guess that a night curfew is NOT needed.  In fact, youth have turned in long before the adults!

We can’t wait to get back to show our pictures and tell all the stories.  We are so thankful for your prayers as we have stayed healthy and safe this week.

Many on our team are first-timers to Port Sulpher. We asked them to respond to the following:

“You’ve heard about Port Sulpher many times over the past year. What were your first impressions when you arrived?”

BRAD PARKER–Totally not what I expected when we arrived in Port Sulpher. There was a lack of anything, not much debris anywhere. There are alot of trailers on top of concrete pads. Its pretty desolate.

STEPHEN WOOD–Suprised to see buildings that are still caved in. People talk about it and you think you have an idea what its like. But you really have no idea till you see.

HOLLY HEDRICK–When we drove by the school, it was completely gone. I thought about my school and imagined us being the same way.

ANNA FOWLER–I expected alot of what i’ve seen–small houses and trailers. I’m really impressed with peoples’ connection to the area and how badly they wanted to stay even in the conditions they have to live in.

CHRIS MYER–Port Sulpher is way beyond what I ever imagined. It is unfathomable all the destruction that has occurred here. But what has really got me is the amount of courage these people have to return to nothing. I am honored to be around such amazing and humble people.

When we arrived at Port Sulpher Baptist Church, there was alot of activity.  A 100 member team of VA youth had already arrived.  Impact Now is a youth mission program of the VA Baptist Mission Board.  Just like us, they will be rebuilding homes all week.  It is such a blessing to see so many VA baptists working together in one small town.

Exactly what can you say about two days in a van?  Lots of laughter…many naps…and tons of snacks!  We did, however, have one small glitch in our travel plans.  About 25 miles from Port Sulpher one of our trailers “sprang a leak.”  We lost all the grease in the wheel bearings!  If you know anything about that, it ment slow traveling for the last few miles.  But God protected us and everyone arrived safe and in good spirits.  We were just in time to set up camp and head for dinner.

Just like Terri Shea’s April team, we were treated to an awesome sea food/steak dinner at Ann’s Restraunt.  After dinner, we hung around and Ann and her husband shared their Katrina Story with us.  Everyone was mezmerized by the details.

Pray for us as we travel on June 21-22.  We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we arrive in Port Sulphur, Louisiana.

Come back and visit as we share our stories with you every day!

Blessings!!