We're back!  Which is stating the obvious for many of you who saw us at church on Sunday and heard us share about the trip...but for those of you who may have been on the edge of your seats worrying about our safety, fear not. 

The weather cooperated on our last day in Baton Rouge and we were able to work for a few hours in the morning.  We worked on painting a few of the houses and even got to see some of the cabinetry in one of the houses.  It actually looked like a house!  It was a great feeling to see it really coming together and to know we had a small part in that.  

    

We were also able to attend the dedication ceremony for the house we worked on for Mr. Stewart as well as two others.  The owners were presented large family Bibles for their new homes and we laid hands of blessing on the homes and said the Lord's Prayer.  It was a very meaningful time for everyone involved and an overall humbling experience.  

 

It was a very long week, but now it's hard to believe we're back already.  We met so many wonderful servants who will be impressed on our hearts for many years to come.  So many people were willing to travel to Baton Rouge, not really knowing what to expect, but what we received was so much more than what we gave.  This trip not only involved the seven of us, but all of you as our church family.  We were representing you by our presence there, and not only that, we were being as obedient to God as we knew how.  So much of life is just showing up, being ready and willing to serve and be present.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be the presence of Christ in Baton Rouge.  We are forever changed. 

Continue to pray for the work of Habitat for Humanity in the Baton Rouge area and for the homeowners we were able to serve, as well as those who will be owning homes in the near future.  

This is a passage shared at the dedication of the homes:

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;                                      through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures" - Proverbs 24:3-4

 

P.S. Check out all the pictures on the scrapbook page!  And also look on the links page for the Blitz Build blog. 

"Rain rain go away, come again some other day"- that's what we were all thinking today when we woke up to more rain and crazy severe thunderstorms.  Our work had to be put on hold again because the neighborhood where our house is located was flooded.  Though it was disappointing not to be able to do anything, it also gave us a chance to see what people here have to deal with.  These are some pictures of the neighborhood where several of the houses were.  The water was so deep the cars were halfway covered and the yards were like ponds.  

   

Throughout the week, we were continually impressed with the Habitat staff who did a fantastic job of organizing and encouraging so many volunteers while dealing with all of the many aspects involved in such a large scale project, including the inclement weather.  Erin, the volunteer coordinator (in the orange staff shirt), said that these two weeks have helped them get ahead in their building schedule by several months.  

 

Bob, Mary Beth, Ian, and Mike drove down to New Orleans and through the 9th Ward, the area that was hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina.  Businesses, homes, and entire communities were completely wiped out- it was a sobering experience to say the least.   To know that we can do our part in helping those whose lives were devastated by the Hurricane is humbling.  

We hope to work a few hours tomorrow morning before the dedication of the houses at 1:30 and then we are on our way back to San Francisco.  Hard to believe the week is over already, it has been a learning experience for all of us in so many ways.  God is working in the many volunteers who gave up their weeks, the Habitat staff who give so much of themselves, the local volunteers who spend their Saturdays working, and in so many others we will never see or meet.  We are truly blessed for having been here.   

It rained today.  Really hard.  We played with a kitty.  And took a nap.  And ate beignets...fried dough with loads of powdered sugar.   It was a good day.  Here are the pics.

   

Jen is really tired tonight.  Excuse her ramblings.  Today we finished up some landscaping and siding at our house, but had to put painting on hold since the humidity was making the paint blister.  So we went to another house to help shovel gravel...a job we later realized a bulldozer could do in about 5 minutes, and did after we finished.  Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?  About that time it started pouring down rain and our work day was cut short.  We really did play with a kitty under the interstate overpass where we had our lunch.  

Bob, Mary Beth, and Mike took a small tour of Baton Rouge in the afternoon where they visited a plantation and got lost in a small town.  Mike perfected his Louisiana accent and they got back in time for dinner.  Jimmy, Joy, and Jen weren't too worried- after all, they were all asleep.  Ian relaxed watching a turkey hunting show and whatever else it is Ian does to unwind.  

We had a fun night eating dinner at our new friend Shannon's house.  She made seafood gumbo and jambalaya and took us out to eat the aforementioned beignets.  It was wonderful and we really appreciated her friendship and hospitality.  She is a college minister in Baton Rouge and shared with us about the continuing effects of Hurricane Katrina and the struggle people are having getting their feet back on the ground.  This year will be the 2 year anniversary of the disaster.  It's good that CBF keeps us all updated and involved in needed ongoing efforts.  

 

We're learning some good life lessons this week- for one, sometimes you have to have a do-over and that's okay.  We need to be reminded that we are not professionals and are learning as we go.  For example, we spent the morning redoing a section of siding that we had put a lot of time and effort into yesterday.  It was very frustrating to say the least, but we wanted to do the best job we possibly could in building this home for Mr. Stewart.  And speaking of Mr. Stewart, we actually got to meet him today!  It was so good to put a face to this person whose house we have been putting lots of love, sweat, and tears into.  He helped Joy and Mary Beth work on his flower bed and it's cool to see that he is starting to feel a sense of ownership.  And we realize that as much as we feel as if this house is our baby so to speak, it's neat to step back and let it go to the person who will actually be living there.  It's a labor of love for sure.  

 

Today probably felt like the longest and hardest day thus far.  Every morning it gets harder and harder to get up- Mary Beth and Jen are having to up their dose of Diet Coke daily.  Now we are not only siding experts, but branching out into landscaping and various other construction tasks.  They actually let Jen use a power drill!  These people must really trust us.  We are meeting really great people on our worksite, some from an American Baptist Church in New York who we hope to see at the CBF General Assembly joint worship with American Baptists this summer in Washington D.C.  We also had dinner tonight with CBF friends from Arizona, Jeff and Joyce.  

 
We're pooped- we have to tend to all of our aches and pains!  Goodnight and peace to you.  

We finally started work on our house today, Osceola Lot 14.  Mike is the house leader for our worksite, but since our fearless leader didn't get in until yesterday afternoon, we helped out with another house for yesterday.  Today it was nice to know this was the house we were responsible for and that Mr. Stewart will be living in the house we helped to build very soon.  Mike was a tough boss, but we survived it- he did a great job and we all got a lot accomplished.  

 

It was hard work, but we are becoming vinyl siding experts at this point.  Of course, we make the day fun with random songs, dances, and making up funny names for each other.  I, Jen, am "Vinyl Girl", Bob is "The Moocher" (he kept stealing our siding pieces), Mary Beth is "Asthma Girl" (she'll cough you to death), and Joy is "Persecuted Girl" (because Vinyl Girl and Asthma Girl keep picking on her...yeah right).  We're a motley crue,  but we get the job done in an entertaining way.  

 

We think it's great that our church can play a small part in helping heal some of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.  You at home continue to be an important part in everything that's happening here.  Thank you for your prayers, we're praying for you as well.