All Moved in!

I moved into my little home a couple weeks ago. I failed to post about the move for multiple reasons...but I will say that I am completely thrilled! I finally got everything moved out of the camper and into my new place. I will post a few pictures of the completed inside once I get everything put away. But here's a few pictures of the working in progress

This is some of my favorite girls, Jayme and Liz, working on the tile in the loft. Another favorite, Allison also did a great deal of work with Liz laying and grouting tile. Thanks ladies!

Painting and hook up electrical
A look up into the loft

Big thanks to all the volunteers that helped with every step of the way. And an even bigger thanks to Lakeshore Baptist Church for building this great place for me to stay while I am serving in Lakeshore.

Tiny house nearer to completion

Great things have taken place this week in Lakeshore. We've had about 150 skilled workers that have worked at around 25 different worksites. One place that has been inundated with volunteers this week is my little house, also known as the Missionary House. They have gotten a ton accomplished.

Last week Liz, Jayme, and Allison worked on tiling the house...They did a fabulous job. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the tile yet...Lord willing will post them soon.

Volunteers got the electric up and running in the house...now I just need water and I will be set! Well, I guess a bathroom door would help too. There are a few things that need to be done. I came back and found a very percise listing of those things today.

A Defeated Feeling

It has been a exhausting week physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for me. There's been so much going on. Evacuating really wore me out emotionally, I was unsure and a bit nervous as the first hurricane since Katrina and my first hurricane headed toward the Louisiana/Mississippi gulf coast. We then returned to Lakeshore and when I learned that my cottage had about a foot of water in it, I came away feeling very defeated. We were almost done with the sheet rock and now we are having to tear part of it back out. A great group of guys from Sovereign Grace Church in Slidell, LA came over today and tore the sheet rock out of the house for me.

But it still encourages me each time I hear... the Lord is still ruling and reigning in heaven and was completely in control of the storm, it's path, and the damage it brought.
The Lord gives and takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Gustav clean up

We've got back to Lakeshore yesterday and scoped things out. Returned again today. Things are torn up around here. The kitchen has been destroyed as well as the big storage tent and some of its contents. As far as the Church building, the office and most of the Quonset huts they fared pretty well. We have a few down trees and another that looks like its going to come down. Things are pretty messy around here, though not as bad as it could be.

I went back to my house yesterday and saw that it had been flooded by the marsh water at that time thought it was about an inch. Went back in there today to check on some things and realized there probably was more like 8 - 10 inches inside. Which means probably about 3 to 3 1/2 feet in my yard. I was happy that I hadn't moved in yet. Though there is still a feeling hard to describe, thinking I was pretty close to being in.

I had my first experience going through a Point of Distribution today. That is a place where they hand out water, ice, and MRE's to people affected by the disaster.


Pastor Don also posted more pictures on Rebuildlakeshore.com

And for humor's sake. While we were preparing to evacuate we made sure we had everything...including the blue alien. He's like family and just in case things flooded he was ok. :)

Cottage Rocked

I can't express the thanks that I wish I could to the teams that have come to Lakeshore and gave their time to work on my little home, when there are still so many things in the community that are going on and need to be done. I am grateful for the hard work and dedication to that work that has gone into the progress of my cottage. I am excited as the work progresses and as I am getting closer and closer to getting in.

These guys from Jones County Mississippi worked diligently hanging the sheet rock. The last day they even arrived 2 hours before the rest of the teams got started in order to hang as much rock as they could.
I was surprised this week when I walked out to my house to see that it had been taped and mudded...it looked great. I am not sure when it got done, but I have a hunch it was a man from West University Baptist Church from Houston, TX.

I was able to get out to my house today and sand some of the mud...Hopefully I will have a little time tomorrow afternoon to get back out there.

cottage update

I didn't get too many chances yesterday to get out to my cottage to see how things were coming along, but I was able to get out last night after the teams had wrapped up for the day. They completed the wiring and rough in plumbing, then began inserting the rafter vents then hanging the insulation. Lord willing they will begin hanging sheet rock today. Pictures to come....

Plumbing, wiring, and a clean yard

A large team from the Jones County Baptist Association in Mississippi has been with us since Monday morning scattered all over Lakeshore. I think we have about 150 of them working with us and they have many more at a couple other local churches
The group asked to work on my little house, so excitedly I let them. So the plan is to have the rough in wiring and plumbing done by Wed morning and then they plan to begin hanging insulation and sheet rock.
I ordered the siding Monday and picked up the flooring. I must get the tile for the bathroom picked out from our storage tent to lay in the bathroom!

Back to the grind

I can't say how many times I have opened the dashboard of my blog in an attempt to write something in the past week and a half, but have come away with nothing written or nothing anyone else would want to read. So here I am again...

I'm back in Lakeshore from my extended vacation, which was great. It is great to be back though. While I was on vacation, of course after I left Wisconsin, my sister gave birth to her baby girl Kailey. The baby was a couple months early and weighed in at a whopping 2 lb 12oz. She'll be two weeks old tomorrow. Both mom and baby are doing well, though it will be a long recovery. Kailey's my first niece, so I am totally excited.

We are gearing up for this summer in Lakeshore. This week begins a very busy summer (somewhere around 1500 volunteers in a matter of 2 months!) Lord willing we will be finishing several house and starting several more!

I've officially been approved and have begun my service as a US/C2 missionary. Lord willing, this will extend my stay in Lakeshore until June of 2010. I never would have thought my first summer here would have turned into 4 years, but I am sure happy the Lord has placed me in Lakeshore.

Oh...and my house was begun to be wired! one step closer!

upcoming plans

We've had a couple of great weeks with the volunteers that have been here. A lot has been accomplished in the community and on the homes. But there is still so far to go. Still so many people that are living in temporary housing (FEMA trailers and campers, MEMA cottages, hotel rooms, etc)

It's very hard for me to ask people to work on my little house when there is so many people in Lakeshore that do not have houses and lost everything in the storm. So for now my house is stalled at the electrical and plumbing stages, since I'm sure I couldn't do that. But that's no big deal. It gives me more time to plan what I am going to do. Come the walls and flooring stage though, hopefully I will be able to do some of that on my own and with a little help.

For those interested...I drew up the plans on Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Suite 6.0. My goal was to design a building under 200 square feet. The floor plan is pretty basic and flexible as far as getting up into the loft. Originally I was going to just use a ladder, but I have been talked into building an alternating tread staircase. I will probably build a book case on the back of the staircase and I have an idea for the table, but I'll. tell more about that if it happens. I am also still trying to decide what I am going to do as far as siding. I think I like the idea of a rustic cabin. If I do that I will probably go with T-111 for siding. I intend to sheetrock once things are ready inside and as far as flooring I will probably do some tile since we have a bunch of random donated tile. But for flooring in the loft I'm stuck...any suggestions?

You might notice that there is not a spot of the water heater on the drawings. I have plans for that as well...probably a little shed looking thing just off the back of the house. At one of the houses we rehabbed we did this and it seemed to work pretty well...If it doesn't make sense now hopefully once it is done I'll have pictures to explain.

Thursday...gnat day

Well the clouds and the rain that was in the area Tuesday had passed making today a great weather day with a small passing shower. But the standing water and the warm temperature made it perfect weather for gnats. The little biting bugs that almost no matter what you do you can't avoid them..or..the stop what I'm doing and go inside kind of bug... But the team from Southside Baptist Church pressed on through the gnats continuing on my home. Today came shingles and windows and doors.

Wednesday - Day Three

Work continues on my little chalet in the woods. It's really taking shape. I must keep reminding myself as we tell folks whose homes we are rebuilding - this is the fastest part..then it will slow down. Even still it's very exciting.

Tuesday - Day two

Today the team from Southside Baptist Church put up the floor joists for the loft and started to get things ready to put up the gable ends. The porch is also taking shape. I'm so excited.
The rains came down in the afternoon halting the work, but I was able to go out to my cottage that evening, climb up onto the loft, and get a real feel for how my little house was going to look. This is the view of my front yard from the loft.

Monday..Day One

This week we have a few teams here (2 from Alabama, 1 from Florida, and another will be rolling in tomorrow from Florida) So far they have gotten a good bit of work done, but this week is especially exciting for me. A couple weeks ago when we realized we had a framing team coming in and probably wouldn't have time to get pilings in the ground Pastor Don told me to come up with a set of plans for a house under 200 square feet that I could live in. So I did...This week there is a team here building my little cottage! I know 200 square feet is smaller than my office in the church office - but it will be a place of my own and it will have a real bathroom :) It will also have a loft which isn't counted into the square footage - this is where I'll sleep. I'm so looking forward to the day I move out of the camper and into my cottage! I will admit, last night after the work crews had come in I went out to my little place with the girls and we sat in the house and day dreamed about how things would look in there. I deeply appreciate the kindness the church has shown to me and I'm so grateful the Lord has provided a more "permanent" home to stay in. Lord willing I will be able to show everyone the progress as this week and the coming weeks progress.