It's New Year's Eve. We have finished 3 pretty full days and just plan to relax a little this evening. Several big groups of volunteers either headed home today or will leave tomorrow.
One group is working some tomorrow, and then heading home. There are only a few volunteers here until Tuesday, then a couple of big groups are coming in. Sunday and Monday will be catch-up time for the long-term volunteers - clean up paperwork from the last group and start lining up work orders and work teams for the next group. By mid-week, we'll have another 100+ volunteers to keep busy.
Happy New Years Wishes from Ray and Ruth Ann!!!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
So tired...
Today is over. It's Friday, but we still work tomorrow. We really started our new jobs today - I spent most of the day cleaning and checking tools, rounding up additional tools, repairing chain saws, and patching flat wheel barrow tires. More of the same tomorrow, as about 100 volunteers are heading out this weekend and about 150 new ones are due Monday and Tuesday.
Ruth spent her first day at the distribution center, learning her way around so she can take over for the next few weeks. The current manager has not had a day off for almost 2 months, so Ruth will relieve him and then he will move to other work.
One of the great things we have seen here is the diversity of groups - there are Lutherans, Presbyterians, Moravians, Episcopalians, and Amish all here this week. There have also been Mormon groups, Baptist, and many others over the past several weeks. Here at Christus Victor, they have a chapel service each morning and each evening, with the various pastors taking turns.
As you can see from one of the comments, we just found out that one of our classmates is just across the bridge in Biloxi. In fact, I spent this morning rounding up supplies and was talking with one of the volunteer coordinators from Bethel Lutheran in Biloxi while at the LDR warehouse. Many people from many places are here, and more are coming, but even more are needed.
Ruth spent her first day at the distribution center, learning her way around so she can take over for the next few weeks. The current manager has not had a day off for almost 2 months, so Ruth will relieve him and then he will move to other work.
One of the great things we have seen here is the diversity of groups - there are Lutherans, Presbyterians, Moravians, Episcopalians, and Amish all here this week. There have also been Mormon groups, Baptist, and many others over the past several weeks. Here at Christus Victor, they have a chapel service each morning and each evening, with the various pastors taking turns.
As you can see from one of the comments, we just found out that one of our classmates is just across the bridge in Biloxi. In fact, I spent this morning rounding up supplies and was talking with one of the volunteer coordinators from Bethel Lutheran in Biloxi while at the LDR warehouse. Many people from many places are here, and more are coming, but even more are needed.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Safe Arrival!!
We got here! We got up about 4 a.m. and were on the road by 5:15 - 9 1/2 hours later we pulled into Ocean Springs - just in time for a volunteer coordinator meeting. Driving in through Mobile, the damage is not obvious. Once you get to the Ocean Springs exit, you start seeing signs that are torn down and some debris. As you get off on the Ocean Springs exit, you start to see more damage. By the time you get into town, you have passed some buildings that have been restored; others that have not been touched; others that are in various states of repair.
I have been assigned the tool shed - sorting tools, repairing as needed, and making sure all the crews have what they need for the days work. Ruth will be working in the distribution center - since she used to manage all the parts and shipments for her company, this should be right up her alley.
We went out today to work on a couple of houses - bleaching them. Before construction can begin on a house, it must be stripped down to the stud walls - all sheet rock and insulation and carpet and flooring removed. Then, all of the studs have to be sprayed with bleach to remove the mold. While there are many groups working on the Gulf Coast helping tearing out sheetrock and even rebuilding, many of the groups won't do the bleaching. LDR is one of the few who will - and has the equipement to do it.
There are about 250 volunteers here this week, and about that many expected for next week. It looks like we'll be quite busy.
I have been assigned the tool shed - sorting tools, repairing as needed, and making sure all the crews have what they need for the days work. Ruth will be working in the distribution center - since she used to manage all the parts and shipments for her company, this should be right up her alley.
We went out today to work on a couple of houses - bleaching them. Before construction can begin on a house, it must be stripped down to the stud walls - all sheet rock and insulation and carpet and flooring removed. Then, all of the studs have to be sprayed with bleach to remove the mold. While there are many groups working on the Gulf Coast helping tearing out sheetrock and even rebuilding, many of the groups won't do the bleaching. LDR is one of the few who will - and has the equipement to do it.
There are about 250 volunteers here this week, and about that many expected for next week. It looks like we'll be quite busy.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
December 27, 2005
Getting ready to go has proven more difficult than we expected. Instead of driving part way today and the rest tomorrow, we have elected to leave about 4:00 a.m. tomorrow and make the 10 hour drive in one day. Oh, well.
Blog now has our picture on it, so you can be sure you are in the right place. You will notice that we are intentionally not publishing things like our full names and addresses, etc. A little privacy seems to be a good thing. If you are reading this and don't know who we are, you'll just have to leave a comment and we'll contact you.
Christmas was great - got to see lots of family. It snowed yesterday morning as we left Mom's - made for an interesting drive down the mountain. It was about 50 degrees by the time we got home.
Blog now has our picture on it, so you can be sure you are in the right place. You will notice that we are intentionally not publishing things like our full names and addresses, etc. A little privacy seems to be a good thing. If you are reading this and don't know who we are, you'll just have to leave a comment and we'll contact you.
Christmas was great - got to see lots of family. It snowed yesterday morning as we left Mom's - made for an interesting drive down the mountain. It was about 50 degrees by the time we got home.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
December 22, 2005
Finally! Christmas newsletter are in the mail and our email update has been sent. We might get ready for Christmas yet!
For those of you who would like to leave comments, please do so. We have allowed anyone to post comments, but they are moderated (they are only seen after we read and approve them). This way, you may leave us comments, including personal comments, but if you tell us they are personal, we will read them but not let them be posted.
If you would like to receive our email updates also, please post a comment with your email address. We'll add you to the list but won't publish your email address.
We probably will not post anything else here until after Christmas, so this is our last chance to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. Come, Lord Jesus. We await your birth!
For those of you who would like to leave comments, please do so. We have allowed anyone to post comments, but they are moderated (they are only seen after we read and approve them). This way, you may leave us comments, including personal comments, but if you tell us they are personal, we will read them but not let them be posted.
If you would like to receive our email updates also, please post a comment with your email address. We'll add you to the list but won't publish your email address.
We probably will not post anything else here until after Christmas, so this is our last chance to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. Come, Lord Jesus. We await your birth!
Monday, December 19, 2005
December 19, 2005
Christmas is almost here and we might (just barely) be ready for it. Still a little shopping to do. We spent today baking Christmas goodies (mostly Ruth Ann) and doing some other odds and ends in preparation for our trip.
We received a phone call today from Ocean Springs confirming our date of arrival. It looks like we might not have to live in our tent after all!!! Seems that a church member has offered his house for couples who are staying long-term. We don't really know what condition it is in, but is probably better than sleeping on in our tent for a month.
Our Christmas letter is almost ready to send - hopefully we can print and mail them tomorrow (I know - down to the wire again). The good news of the day is that our contract course for our trip to Mississippi has been approved. The dean even suggested another book for our reading list. Four weeks of break, and we have volunteer work to do, plus reading, plus daily journals to keep up with, and notes and pictures to add here so that you all know what we are doing. Sounds like a nice, restfully break from classes.
Jeep is in for some repair work today. The thermostat went out during the summer (stuck open). It was not much of a problem then, but now, can't get much heat on cold mornings. Thought it should get fixed before we go to Boone for Christmas. It is supposed to be in the upper 20's here even for the next few nights.
We received a phone call today from Ocean Springs confirming our date of arrival. It looks like we might not have to live in our tent after all!!! Seems that a church member has offered his house for couples who are staying long-term. We don't really know what condition it is in, but is probably better than sleeping on in our tent for a month.
Our Christmas letter is almost ready to send - hopefully we can print and mail them tomorrow (I know - down to the wire again). The good news of the day is that our contract course for our trip to Mississippi has been approved. The dean even suggested another book for our reading list. Four weeks of break, and we have volunteer work to do, plus reading, plus daily journals to keep up with, and notes and pictures to add here so that you all know what we are doing. Sounds like a nice, restfully break from classes.
Jeep is in for some repair work today. The thermostat went out during the summer (stuck open). It was not much of a problem then, but now, can't get much heat on cold mornings. Thought it should get fixed before we go to Boone for Christmas. It is supposed to be in the upper 20's here even for the next few nights.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Dec 15, 2005 - first entry
The last few weeks of the fall semester were very busy for us. One week we each had six papers due! Fortunately, all of that work is now completed and the semester is behind us.
We are currently working on getting ready for Christmas and packing for our trip where we will be working on Katrina Recovery at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi (http://www.christusvictor.com).
We will return to Columbia just in time for the beginning of the spring semester on January 23. We have already registered for our classes. We will be taking a second semester of Theology, along with courses on Pauline Studies, Theology of the Cross, Luke-Acts, and Pastoral Conversations. In addition, we will be completing some work independently in order to receive course credit for our work with Lutheran Disaster Response.
We also have progress to report on our candidacy process. We have both received positive endorsement decisions from the NC Candidacy Committee. Endorsement is the middle step in the candidacy process and is required before we can go on internship later this year. We should be receiving our internship location assignments in the spring and will begin internship in early August.
Thank you for your continued support. It certainly helps to know that others are thinking of us and praying for us!
We are currently working on getting ready for Christmas and packing for our trip where we will be working on Katrina Recovery at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi (http://www.christusvictor.com).
We will return to Columbia just in time for the beginning of the spring semester on January 23. We have already registered for our classes. We will be taking a second semester of Theology, along with courses on Pauline Studies, Theology of the Cross, Luke-Acts, and Pastoral Conversations. In addition, we will be completing some work independently in order to receive course credit for our work with Lutheran Disaster Response.
We also have progress to report on our candidacy process. We have both received positive endorsement decisions from the NC Candidacy Committee. Endorsement is the middle step in the candidacy process and is required before we can go on internship later this year. We should be receiving our internship location assignments in the spring and will begin internship in early August.
Thank you for your continued support. It certainly helps to know that others are thinking of us and praying for us!
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