Tureaud - Marianne Brummett (aka Gilligan!!!!)

Can I just say WOW, WOW, WOW!!!   I totally love doing Mission work and going on Mission trips!!  God has an Awesome way of blessing ME, when I am suppose to be here blessing others!!

 My family has grown by leaps and bounds!!  New daughters and sons!!  Brothers and sisters!!!  It is great being a part of the family of GOD!!!  

 Now, as far as work goes……….HOT, Hard, dirty, sweaty, grungy, grimy and TOTALLY exhausting!!!  I actually learned how to cut tile!  And then I laid tile in a small tiny little bathroom with NO air movement!!!!  ( I didn’t know I could sweat so much!!!)  Let’s see, I also did caulking on ceiling mold!!   Filling in gaps and holes!!  And of course I did a WHOLE lot of talking!!!   Imagine that!! 

I especially wanna thank LAUREN RAMPY for hooking us up and being our “GO TO” girl!!  She is the BOMB!!!!!   I am very proud of her and All she is doing with her life!!!  Awesome young GRACE Presbytery YOUTH—Now Young Adult Volunteer!!!  

Hugs and prayers to you all!!!  See you again soon, one day!!!

Tureaud - Joanna Whipple and Averie Hinchey

Today our group finished insulating an attic.  It was extremely hot and stuffy.  But we got it done.  Averie, Lee, Christian, and Wes, II have been working on this project all week while I (Joanna) have been painting the crown molding and filling in nail holes, but today even Patty and I actually helped blow in the insulation.  After we were done, we went and got another Snow-Ball. Yum!  We arrived back to Olive Tree and ate dinner and afterwards our group had dinner clean-up.  Not so fun. Christina Drake sang several songs for us after dinner while they taped it for an audition for “The Voice.”  She was great.  Worship tonight was amazing.  Lauren gave a very touching message that even made me cry.  She talked about having a “spiritual checklist,” where most of the time we go to church on Sunday mornings and “check,” we go to youth group and “check,” we pray every night and “check,” and so forth.  This is great but your heart isn’t in it.  You have to do it because you love God.  Not just because you should.  Let go, let God.

This week has been a life changing experience for all of us.  We’ve met new friends, we’ve grown spiritually in our relationship with God, we’ve helped God’s children who are in desperate need of it, and we’ve definitely helped ourselves.  We can’t wait until next year.

Eastview - Lucas Spratt

Today my group and I tried to finish putting up the trimming on our house. We went for a couple of hours and got A LOT done. Then right before lunch our trash trailer stopped by and it started to pour down rain, we got about 4”. After it calmed down me Tim Landess and Todd Singleterry went out and started to cut more siding when the rain decided to fall yet again, but we didn’t give up we just pushed through it and got as much done as possible. 

Then tonight after dinner our site manager, Christina Drake, came and gave us a little concert with her pianist/guitarist, Evan. She is auditioning for “The Voice”. Can’t to finish God’s work tomorrow!!

P.S.

Marianne is the best sponsor ever!! (Hey, what about Wes? signed the "Blog Master" ;-))

Eastview - Jonathan Barksdale

Yesterday, Group 3 went to a church, Berean Presbyterian, there were these kids, Broc and Lester, who both had talents that I didn’t think they would have. Broc was a great artist and Lester was a drummer and he showed me that you can be any age to drum. At lunch when the kids ate lunch and we left they thought we wouldn’t come back, but after we ate some delicious po-boys. When we got back the kids were so glad that they can end the day with volunteers. At first, they were playing musical chairs then splitting into groups of ages. When I was with the middle group I learned new dance moves and that kids love magic tricks.

Tureaud - Wes Stiefer, II

I have a new nick name I am called the Attic Gremlin because I can do a good impression of a Gremlin and I went to the attic a lot.

(From Dad): Wes, II has learned many new skills this week, one of which was how to remove and re-install new blown insulation in an attic. From what I'm told, when he came down from the attic today, he was soaking wet. Good job Wes!

Overton project - Pam Hampson

Today was bitter sweet in that it was our last day to work at our construction site. The foundation is strong and will weather the storms of time. Blessings will abound there. But for us, we will leave Chris to continue on with other volunteers over the next several months to complete the new house. Before we left the site, we wrote messages on the middle beam so that as others follow us they will read our messages of encouragement. And, if at any time in the future someone was to work under the house, then they would also see the messages.

Tomorrow we will be going to a new school to have our “community service” day. We look forward to a new day and a continued journey on this mission trip.

This picture was taken as we were leaving the construction site and the rain was beginning to fall. Those in the picture include (left to right): Ken, Rachel, Spencer, Tyler, Kelly, Chris (Site Manager) and Wes.

Eastview - Day 2, by Madison Davis (aka "Wisconsin")

Welp…..it’s day 2 of our project!!!!! We are painting and putting siding on a house!!!! Yesterday wasn’t too productive, but today went by a lot faster!!! Some of us hold up jigs, nail the siding in, drill holes in the siding, painted the siding, while others saw the correct measurements. We have a pretty smooth system and we have almost finished our goal….the last side of the house!! Tomorrow we get to paint rooms in a school, to help them prepare for the fall and then help teachers at a summer bible camp!!! I can’t wait to work with all the little kids tomorrow. Yes, the heat has been horrible, but we can put up with it as long as we are making a difference in someone else’s life. The group I work with is so funny and fun to work with, our team leader, Tim, gave everyone nicknames…..mine is Wisconsin, Madison being the capital of it. Who knows what tomorrow will bring….oh yea!!!!  I can’t wait to see how things turn out!!!