October 31, 2008
The team has completed the bathroom and is installing the vinyl flooring in the bedroom of Bashby Thomas, (daughter of Jody and Michelle). The room will be ready for Bashby to move into by the end of the day. Bubba, the 13 year old boy now has camoflauge wall board / paneling hung in his room. His room will also get vinyl floor. The walls in Jody & Michelle's bedroom are done. The Cornerstone team hopes to accomplish a little more in their bathroom. The family is thrilled to have running water and electricity!
Tim Weibenga has redone all electrical power and Kevin Heemstra did the plumbing!
Mark, Arnie and Gary are going to town on getting the rest of the walls back up.
Merle is continuing to clean up around the yard. There's a rake mark in every square inch of the yard. It looks spiffy!
The Cornerstone team starts the drive back home, today. Please pray for safe travels!
October 30, 2008
New Bibles were presented to family. The team met, Michelle Thomas at the home for the first time. Michelle is Jody's wife. She is not happy with God right now and is frustrated. Her kids, Bashby and Bubba, keep asking her why this has happened to their family, and Michelle cannot answer them. Pam and Deanna ministered to her hurting heart, and loved her like Jesus.
Earlier in the day, Arnie and Deanna used bleach water in a bucket, rags and a hose to wash the entire exterior of the trailer. Michelle noticed that her home sparkled.
The team had dinner with the Rigdon's. In March when the team went to Lake Charles, Anita Rigdon was discouraged and depressed. She was tired after three years of trying to get their home back in order due to damage from Hurricane Rita. Anita is now volunteering at a church in nearby Sulfur, once a month, doing Angel Food Ministries. She told the team she wanted to reach out to others with Christ's love, because she experienced God's love when the Cornerstone team helped her family in March. Praise God!
October 29, 2008
The team has replaced all the floor boards in the three bedrooms and the bathroom. The bathroom is 70% finished with the other repairs. All the insulation is in and all the bead board came in today. Now on to installing the bead board.
Joyce VanNoord purchased Bibles for the Thomas family, to replace the ones ruined in the flooding and hurricane devastation.
Kevin Heemstra and Mark Matus helped a neighbor of the Thomas family, whose bathroom had sprung a leak. God placed them in the right place, at the right time, to help her before her newly renovated bathroom was damaged by water again.
Pam Barlage sat in a Bobcat/earthmover and is hoping to drive one.
The team wants to share the following praises:
Gary feels great and his neck is not bothering him. No injuries. Wonderful weather. The team will reconnect with the Rigdon Family tomorrow!
Prayers for Kevin's mom who will have surgery on Friday and for the team to have safe travel home.
October 27, 2008
The team arrived in Lake Charles yesterday and started work today! They are working with the Thomas family, (two parents, with 3 kids, one is away at college and the other two are at home.) Demolition work began on the floors, as they tore up flooring, and started replacing floor boards with new. They will also be working on replacing flood damaged insulation and wall repairs.
The team was also able to stop and visit with the Rigdon Family, (the family who lives in the house they repaired in March, and who also suffered most recently from Hurricane Ike.) The Rigdon's are doing well and the house looks to be in pretty good shape, considering what Ike did around that area.
Continue to pray for this team of people and the people they're helping.
October 25, 2008
The team gathered for prayer and headed south at about 7:00AM