Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
FRIDAY
Well, we made it. Team 1 had an interesting day. Jim was surprised at how far watered down paint can fly when you try to mix it with an electric mixer. A little cleanup and they were back on track. Team One did great work this week. The efforts they put forth were nothing short of astonishing. Be proud of them as we certainly are.
Team two yesterday, purchased a tyrannosaurus Rex stuffed animal that roars and it's eyes flash. It is about 2 1/2 feet tall. We, meaning Sean, James, Nathan and Ron purchased it at a Dollar General store. The sales person wouldn't sell it to us initially because there was no price code on it. I talked her into calling her manager at home and asking about selling it which he agreed upon for $8.00. All for Linda Biddle. You see, back in the day when Linda, Bill Everman and I were youth leaders at another church for at least 15 years, one of the high school kids was teasing her about her age. One thing led to another and the jokes kept flying. It ended up that another youth decided Linda was living during dinosaur times and began to call her T-Rex. Someone purchased a plastic 6" T-Rex and it went with us to every youth event, including retreats, missions trips, etc....Well it is only fitting the tradition so to speak should continue with a different group of kids. And so now we have a new T-Rex in honor of Linda. T-Rex travels to the job site with us, helps supervise the various projects, and hangs out with the kids. Linda is a great sport and the kids I have known for the past 20 years in youth ministry love her. I have never met a youth, Jr. High or Sr. High that did not love Linda Biddle. When she retired from youth work a few years ago it left a void in the youth ministry industry and Mt. Hope UMC. Linda was honored at the National Youth Convention held in Atlanta for her many years of devoted ministry to countless young people. Thank her when you see her, hug her for her commitment to your kids, and pray that maybe someday she will help us at at CLPC ROC. She is the best!
Today for Team Two it was crunch time. We had a bathroom, a ginormous walk-in closet, a bedroom and a living room to try and finish. The efforts were heroic but unfortunately we were unable to totally complete the rooms due to running out of primer. The home owners were pleased with the work that had been done during the week. The kid's efforts were amazing and we should be proud of them. To show their appreciation, the home owners made us a traditional Nee Orleans meal. Jambalaya, fried catfish, an awesome salad and rolls. It was a fantastic meal. The kids and one supposed "adult" leader threw the Nerf football around. After lunch we worked a little more on the rooms, packed it up and headed back to Camp Restore. But not before Mark became "that guy" again. While washing down the walls after sanding spackle I accidentally hit the exposed, live outlet with my wet sponge. A few sparks later the breaker blew and of course everyone came to chekout the event.
More to come and pics. We have to go check out the 9th Ward where the levies broke during Hurricane Katrina.
Team two yesterday, purchased a tyrannosaurus Rex stuffed animal that roars and it's eyes flash. It is about 2 1/2 feet tall. We, meaning Sean, James, Nathan and Ron purchased it at a Dollar General store. The sales person wouldn't sell it to us initially because there was no price code on it. I talked her into calling her manager at home and asking about selling it which he agreed upon for $8.00. All for Linda Biddle. You see, back in the day when Linda, Bill Everman and I were youth leaders at another church for at least 15 years, one of the high school kids was teasing her about her age. One thing led to another and the jokes kept flying. It ended up that another youth decided Linda was living during dinosaur times and began to call her T-Rex. Someone purchased a plastic 6" T-Rex and it went with us to every youth event, including retreats, missions trips, etc....Well it is only fitting the tradition so to speak should continue with a different group of kids. And so now we have a new T-Rex in honor of Linda. T-Rex travels to the job site with us, helps supervise the various projects, and hangs out with the kids. Linda is a great sport and the kids I have known for the past 20 years in youth ministry love her. I have never met a youth, Jr. High or Sr. High that did not love Linda Biddle. When she retired from youth work a few years ago it left a void in the youth ministry industry and Mt. Hope UMC. Linda was honored at the National Youth Convention held in Atlanta for her many years of devoted ministry to countless young people. Thank her when you see her, hug her for her commitment to your kids, and pray that maybe someday she will help us at at CLPC ROC. She is the best!
Today for Team Two it was crunch time. We had a bathroom, a ginormous walk-in closet, a bedroom and a living room to try and finish. The efforts were heroic but unfortunately we were unable to totally complete the rooms due to running out of primer. The home owners were pleased with the work that had been done during the week. The kid's efforts were amazing and we should be proud of them. To show their appreciation, the home owners made us a traditional Nee Orleans meal. Jambalaya, fried catfish, an awesome salad and rolls. It was a fantastic meal. The kids and one supposed "adult" leader threw the Nerf football around. After lunch we worked a little more on the rooms, packed it up and headed back to Camp Restore. But not before Mark became "that guy" again. While washing down the walls after sanding spackle I accidentally hit the exposed, live outlet with my wet sponge. A few sparks later the breaker blew and of course everyone came to chekout the event.
More to come and pics. We have to go check out the 9th Ward where the levies broke during Hurricane Katrina.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
WEDNESDAY - DAY THREE - TEAM 1
TUESDAY:
Team 1:
Brianna and Alex were regaling the work site singing all day.
Cracked plaster walls that needed to fixed
Lisa, Erin and Martha, visited a homeowner who was helped by SRE two years ago. The homeowner is still waiting to move into her house after Katrina.
Taylor danced and sang all day entertaining the team.
John spent the day on a ladder fixing ceilings while Lisa and Beth gophered for him
Molly mudded all day on walls.
Kids napped in the sun like lazy alligators.
Team 1:
Brianna and Alex were regaling the work site singing all day.
Cracked plaster walls that needed to fixed
Lisa, Erin and Martha, visited a homeowner who was helped by SRE two years ago. The homeowner is still waiting to move into her house after Katrina.
Taylor danced and sang all day entertaining the team.
John spent the day on a ladder fixing ceilings while Lisa and Beth gophered for him
Molly mudded all day on walls.
Kids napped in the sun like lazy alligators.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
WEDNESDAY - DAY THREE - Overview and Reflection
Three days in a row some of us got up and ran between three and four miles. Up at 5:45 AM, hit the street, groggy, tired, crazy. The train, the stupid train, all night long, the horn blows, snoring, stupid snoring, all night long someones horn blows, the body noises, oh the body noises, all night long, was that a horn? Yeah, this is the most difficult trip sleep wise speaking I have ever been on. Maybe it's my age, maybe just the timing of things, but man oh man, by Friday I will be dead. We started out with six guys running now we are down to three, by Friday, I predict no one. Believe it or not I slept better in Iraq. If you can survive a missions trip to New Orleans, you can deploy to a combat zone no problem. Yep that's right, any of you guys out there who want to see if you can handle a combat zone, first sign up for a missions trip to New Orleans, sleep in the same room with about 70 noisy, smelly, men and teens and if you can handle that you can handle anything.
Now a couple of the girls want to run not in the morning but in the evening. So now I run twice a day.
Now a couple of the girls want to run not in the morning but in the evening. So now I run twice a day.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
WE HAVE ARRIVED
Okay folks we're here. Unfortunately we didn't have Internet connection until today.
SUNDAY:
We arrived at the Airport around 3:00 PM our time without incident, picked up our rental vehicles and off to Camp Restore. All of the guys are together in one room shared by a few other people from other groups. The girls however, are in two rooms. We drove Sunday afternoon to downtown New Orleans. We walked around the French Qaurter and ended up at Margaritaville Resturaunt for dinner. Sweet tea, conch fritters and alligator bytes were great. The kids had a great time, spent some money, watched some a street acrobat do a flip over nine people. All seems to be back to normal in the downtown area of N.O.
MONDAY:
Some of us got up early to go for a run. Nathan, James, Sean, Ron and I ran almost 3 miles. A slight issue with Nathan, he has asthima so his run was short. I ended up going back to get him and staying with him until we got back to the camp. He was fine, no worries, just didn't tell us he can only run about a mile before the athsima kicks in. Silly dude!
We went to breakfast, which was pretty good for camp type food. Once we finished we recieevd our assigned houses/families. We made up four teams with two adults on each. Our team has the furthest one to travel to. It takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get to Donaldsonville LA.
TEAM ONE:
Team one is made up of Lisa, Beth, Jim and Martha for the adults and Taylor, John, Brianna, Molly, Alex went to a house close to the camp. Team one was tasked with mudding (good stuff), taped and mudded cracks on a ten foot ceiling. The homeowner's name is Clarence. Taylor was, well, just being Taylor.
TEAM TWO:
Team two is made up of Linda, Marianne, Gary and Mark for the adults and James, Sean, Ron, Nathan, Margaret, Erin and Christie. Our site is far from the camp, about 70 miles. The needs of this particular house is overwhelming. The homeowners are an older couple trying to rebuild their home, living in the kitchen and on small bedroom whilethe rest of the house in in the process of repair. The couple had lived in a FEMA trailer for sometime.
Each team started out by grabbing their tools for the week, making lunchs, and planning their day. We had a pretty good breakfast, lunches are sandwiches but dinner, well, it ain't home cooking. Due to budget constraints it seems Camp Restore has scaled down their food choices to Red Beans and rice, sausage, and a biscuit for Monday and hotdogs and baked beans for Tuesday.
TUESDAY:
TEAM ONE:
Team one were spacklers for the day and according to Taylor, "Beth is the sloppist spackler on the planet." Pictures fgor Tuesday to follow soon.
TEAM TWO:
Team two spackled, painted, primed, tiled, sanded for the day working in several rooms of the house. pictures for Tuesday to follow soon.
TEAM TWO
SUNDAY:
We arrived at the Airport around 3:00 PM our time without incident, picked up our rental vehicles and off to Camp Restore. All of the guys are together in one room shared by a few other people from other groups. The girls however, are in two rooms. We drove Sunday afternoon to downtown New Orleans. We walked around the French Qaurter and ended up at Margaritaville Resturaunt for dinner. Sweet tea, conch fritters and alligator bytes were great. The kids had a great time, spent some money, watched some a street acrobat do a flip over nine people. All seems to be back to normal in the downtown area of N.O.
MONDAY:
Some of us got up early to go for a run. Nathan, James, Sean, Ron and I ran almost 3 miles. A slight issue with Nathan, he has asthima so his run was short. I ended up going back to get him and staying with him until we got back to the camp. He was fine, no worries, just didn't tell us he can only run about a mile before the athsima kicks in. Silly dude!
We went to breakfast, which was pretty good for camp type food. Once we finished we recieevd our assigned houses/families. We made up four teams with two adults on each. Our team has the furthest one to travel to. It takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get to Donaldsonville LA.
TEAM ONE:
Team one is made up of Lisa, Beth, Jim and Martha for the adults and Taylor, John, Brianna, Molly, Alex went to a house close to the camp. Team one was tasked with mudding (good stuff), taped and mudded cracks on a ten foot ceiling. The homeowner's name is Clarence. Taylor was, well, just being Taylor.
TEAM TWO:
Team two is made up of Linda, Marianne, Gary and Mark for the adults and James, Sean, Ron, Nathan, Margaret, Erin and Christie. Our site is far from the camp, about 70 miles. The needs of this particular house is overwhelming. The homeowners are an older couple trying to rebuild their home, living in the kitchen and on small bedroom whilethe rest of the house in in the process of repair. The couple had lived in a FEMA trailer for sometime.
Each team started out by grabbing their tools for the week, making lunchs, and planning their day. We had a pretty good breakfast, lunches are sandwiches but dinner, well, it ain't home cooking. Due to budget constraints it seems Camp Restore has scaled down their food choices to Red Beans and rice, sausage, and a biscuit for Monday and hotdogs and baked beans for Tuesday.
TUESDAY:
TEAM ONE:
Team one were spacklers for the day and according to Taylor, "Beth is the sloppist spackler on the planet." Pictures fgor Tuesday to follow soon.
TEAM TWO:
Team two spackled, painted, primed, tiled, sanded for the day working in several rooms of the house. pictures for Tuesday to follow soon.
TEAM TWO
Friday, March 26, 2010
What Is SRE?
For those of you who didn't know or are just visting this blog:
This blog for the most part is about our trip to New Orleans. SRE or Student Relief Effort is a partnership between Garnet Valley High School students and Concord Liberty Presbyterian Church (CLPC) located in Concord Township Pennsylvania.
After Hurricane Katrina, students from Garnet Valley High School who also happened to be members of CLPC felt God calling them to start a ministry/relief effort for New Orleans where high school students could go to help rebuild. A group of students from the high school, students from CLPC youth group and adult leaders from the church responded to the call and went to New Orleans during spring break 2006. The effort was a success, so it continues to this day. Each year since 2006 students from the high school, students from CLPC, and adult leaders mostly from CLPC went to New Orleans during spring break to help those in need. We don’t know what God’s plan is for the future of this effort, whether it will continue or move into some other type of outreach, but whatever His plan is, I am sure people will be blessed and lives changed.
Even though CLPC sponsors these trips each year, we understand and respect the fact that this is a partnership with the community and the high school not just a church event. That said, even though some of the adult leaders may offer opportunities for students to participate in a prayer time, devotional time and music, it is each student’s choice as to whether they join in or not choose not to. Each decision will be respected. It is neither our intent nor our focus to either evangelize or proselytize the students. However, we must be realistic when kids of different faiths or no faith based life style come together. Dynamic things happen as they learn, see and experience the faith others exhibit as well as the modeling of values portrayed by adult leaders. We as leaders are there to love, support, encourage, teach and chaperone the students with whom we have been entrusted to care for.
This blog for the most part is about our trip to New Orleans. SRE or Student Relief Effort is a partnership between Garnet Valley High School students and Concord Liberty Presbyterian Church (CLPC) located in Concord Township Pennsylvania.
After Hurricane Katrina, students from Garnet Valley High School who also happened to be members of CLPC felt God calling them to start a ministry/relief effort for New Orleans where high school students could go to help rebuild. A group of students from the high school, students from CLPC youth group and adult leaders from the church responded to the call and went to New Orleans during spring break 2006. The effort was a success, so it continues to this day. Each year since 2006 students from the high school, students from CLPC, and adult leaders mostly from CLPC went to New Orleans during spring break to help those in need. We don’t know what God’s plan is for the future of this effort, whether it will continue or move into some other type of outreach, but whatever His plan is, I am sure people will be blessed and lives changed.
Even though CLPC sponsors these trips each year, we understand and respect the fact that this is a partnership with the community and the high school not just a church event. That said, even though some of the adult leaders may offer opportunities for students to participate in a prayer time, devotional time and music, it is each student’s choice as to whether they join in or not choose not to. Each decision will be respected. It is neither our intent nor our focus to either evangelize or proselytize the students. However, we must be realistic when kids of different faiths or no faith based life style come together. Dynamic things happen as they learn, see and experience the faith others exhibit as well as the modeling of values portrayed by adult leaders. We as leaders are there to love, support, encourage, teach and chaperone the students with whom we have been entrusted to care for.
Story of the Dog Park
A little side entertainment to keep you interested until we get to New Orleans. This story is totally unrelated to anything regarding SRE, but does that surpirse you?
According to the lovely Linda Biddle, this blog for SRE 2010 is not about me. That said, (gee thanks Linda for your instruction and many many many many years of wisdom) this story is not about me but about dogs. Many, many many dogs, big ones , little ones, aggressive ones, mean ones, short ones, tall ones, but one thing they all have in common, they hump, smell each other, pee on everything even people and poop. Its kind of funny when you see these macho guys with their macho Rottweilers or German Shepards, Mastiffs, Boxers, and Pit Bulls strutting around the doggy park in their sleeveless muscle shirts. And all of a sudden their big bad dog decides he has to poop. Not in some discrete location as not to embarrass their owner. They find the most conspicuous location in the dog yard. Either right smack in the middle where everyone can watch the big burly dude strut across the yard with a little green plastic bag, scoop up the deposit and walk back across the yard, bag in hand, arm bent at a 45 degree angle as if he is daintily carrying a clutch purse, to then drop the little bag in the trash. What’s even more funny is the little present the doggy left for his master is much more voluminous than the bag can hold. Two baggers are even more entertaining.
My first experience at the dog park I had to chuckle at the sight of these rituals. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had a rather large dog with me too. Not a ferocious beast, but a 70-pound Yellow Lab who is more than willing to leave me presents to pick up where ever he goes. And of course, trying hard not to be that guy, well, you know what happens to “those” people. “Those” people is me. Inevitably trying not to be ”that guy” always lands me right smack into trouble with the title in large letters across my balding head. Come one come all, see “THAT GUY” yeah the one NO ONE wants to be.
But of course my dog has to be unique. He can’t just be happy humiliating me in front of men, women and children, depositing his waste on the other side of the yard so I have to walk in front of everyone, no not Boomer. Boomer decides he is going to pee on everything and anyone. A big round fun looking ball to play with? No, Boomer doesn’t aggressively attack the ball and run around with it. He pees on it so no one in the entire dog community will go near it. Not even the dogs will play with it. Nice going Boomer. But hey, he doesn’t stop there; good old Boomer takes it one more notch up the ladder of embarrassment and humiliation. He likes to pee on unsuspecting people. One poor dude, standing in the middle of the yard watching his dog was a victim of Boomer’s wet antics. Boomer nonchalantly swaggered on over behind the man, lifts his back leg, and before you know it or before I can even get the words out of my mouth “NOOOOO BOOMERRRRR” he lets loose. Holy Cow! What was he thinking? “Gee, there’s a nice person I think I might go pee on him”. Or maybe, hmmm, “someone needs to be peed on, so there is a guy bigger than my master and meaner looking that that guy Matt on Operation Repo.” And of course, maybe one time peeing on someone Boomer might get a pass, you know, a break, like “oh he’s a dog, I am sure it was a mistake or something.” Well just to solidify Boomer’s mindset as to whether or not he might do it ever again? He did!
We are quickly building a reputation at that dog park. Boomer is like the new kid on the block. When we first started visiting the park after we adopted him, people were enamored by him, “he’s so cute, and he is a good looking dog, how well behaved, what a sweet animal.” But now he has become that new kid who gets the reputation of being nothing but trouble. People leave when we show up, they murmur and mumble to each other about his antics, the other dogs make fun of him, and of course my reputation is now ruined. People bring raincoats, spray bottles and changes of clothes to the park in case Boomer shows up, just in case they are his next “pee victim.”
Well, I could go on about some other things he has done in public at the park, but this is a family blog so I will leave it out. I would have to start an “Adult Content” blog for those events. Feel sorry for Boomer if you must but hey, feel doubly sorry for me. I get blamed for everything he does!
According to the lovely Linda Biddle, this blog for SRE 2010 is not about me. That said, (gee thanks Linda for your instruction and many many many many years of wisdom) this story is not about me but about dogs. Many, many many dogs, big ones , little ones, aggressive ones, mean ones, short ones, tall ones, but one thing they all have in common, they hump, smell each other, pee on everything even people and poop. Its kind of funny when you see these macho guys with their macho Rottweilers or German Shepards, Mastiffs, Boxers, and Pit Bulls strutting around the doggy park in their sleeveless muscle shirts. And all of a sudden their big bad dog decides he has to poop. Not in some discrete location as not to embarrass their owner. They find the most conspicuous location in the dog yard. Either right smack in the middle where everyone can watch the big burly dude strut across the yard with a little green plastic bag, scoop up the deposit and walk back across the yard, bag in hand, arm bent at a 45 degree angle as if he is daintily carrying a clutch purse, to then drop the little bag in the trash. What’s even more funny is the little present the doggy left for his master is much more voluminous than the bag can hold. Two baggers are even more entertaining.
My first experience at the dog park I had to chuckle at the sight of these rituals. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had a rather large dog with me too. Not a ferocious beast, but a 70-pound Yellow Lab who is more than willing to leave me presents to pick up where ever he goes. And of course, trying hard not to be that guy, well, you know what happens to “those” people. “Those” people is me. Inevitably trying not to be ”that guy” always lands me right smack into trouble with the title in large letters across my balding head. Come one come all, see “THAT GUY” yeah the one NO ONE wants to be.
But of course my dog has to be unique. He can’t just be happy humiliating me in front of men, women and children, depositing his waste on the other side of the yard so I have to walk in front of everyone, no not Boomer. Boomer decides he is going to pee on everything and anyone. A big round fun looking ball to play with? No, Boomer doesn’t aggressively attack the ball and run around with it. He pees on it so no one in the entire dog community will go near it. Not even the dogs will play with it. Nice going Boomer. But hey, he doesn’t stop there; good old Boomer takes it one more notch up the ladder of embarrassment and humiliation. He likes to pee on unsuspecting people. One poor dude, standing in the middle of the yard watching his dog was a victim of Boomer’s wet antics. Boomer nonchalantly swaggered on over behind the man, lifts his back leg, and before you know it or before I can even get the words out of my mouth “NOOOOO BOOMERRRRR” he lets loose. Holy Cow! What was he thinking? “Gee, there’s a nice person I think I might go pee on him”. Or maybe, hmmm, “someone needs to be peed on, so there is a guy bigger than my master and meaner looking that that guy Matt on Operation Repo.” And of course, maybe one time peeing on someone Boomer might get a pass, you know, a break, like “oh he’s a dog, I am sure it was a mistake or something.” Well just to solidify Boomer’s mindset as to whether or not he might do it ever again? He did!
We are quickly building a reputation at that dog park. Boomer is like the new kid on the block. When we first started visiting the park after we adopted him, people were enamored by him, “he’s so cute, and he is a good looking dog, how well behaved, what a sweet animal.” But now he has become that new kid who gets the reputation of being nothing but trouble. People leave when we show up, they murmur and mumble to each other about his antics, the other dogs make fun of him, and of course my reputation is now ruined. People bring raincoats, spray bottles and changes of clothes to the park in case Boomer shows up, just in case they are his next “pee victim.”
Well, I could go on about some other things he has done in public at the park, but this is a family blog so I will leave it out. I would have to start an “Adult Content” blog for those events. Feel sorry for Boomer if you must but hey, feel doubly sorry for me. I get blamed for everything he does!
In The Beginning
Ok folks we are at countdown minus two. Everyone should be packing for the trip, except me of course. I will be up at 0600 On Sunday zero hour, and to throw a bunch of stuff in a bag and hope they are my clothes, deodorant, razors, soap, undies (haha) and not Deb's. Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants, which is what I would get when I returned home in a week.
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