Just a quick update

I will try to write more later (or tomorrow)--there are just not enough hours in the day. Rather than writing, I spent most of my "free" time uploading pictures. So this will be short.

I have quick reports from all sites today:

Our team in Enterprise continued to work on tree removal. We finished two houses (which does not sound like much but in reality was a huge accomplishment), cleared a side walk, and finished up the work Bill and Paul did on a house.

Random notes from Enterprise:

* There were probably 1/10th the number of volunteers working today (Monday) then over the weekend. It was so quiet and depressing that I think it took a while to get into the swing of things.
* Many, if not all, of the cars in the high school lot were removed today on a seemingly endless convoy of trucks.
*We cleaned debris, tore down a damaged shed, cut and hauled trees, and had lunch at the same family as yesterday. It thus saddened us even more when at the end pf the day we were there when the insurance agent and contractor gave them the verdict of "condemned" to their home of over 40 years.
* Want to be proud of SBU students? On their own as we walked to our final job of the day they saw several large branches hanging to the ground and completely blocking the side walk along Main St. Without any leader urging, they said lets fix this. And they did, 20 minutes later the sidewalk was passable and the branches were piled aside the newly reopened thoroughfare.
* There was a private memorial service tonight at the church across from the High School. It seemed just not right to see so many students with arms in slings, on crutches, or being pushed in wheelchairs.

--from Bay St. Louis.
* Jerry, Margaret, Josh, and Patrick are the site leaders and I was told they all worked very hard today and actually some groups finished their dry-walling early.


--from Randy's Rangers in Pass Christian
* Several jobs from finishing detail work, to cutting trees was done. By all reports things went very well.

From Bible Fellowship in Pass Christian
* after a long drive, the majority of the people hung drywall for a family who is struggling with the double whamy of a serious disease and recovering from Katrina. Not surprisingly, the family needs some help.


Highlight of the day?For me a three way tie:

1. Talking to and working with the Quisenberries. Not only are they a delightful family, but they were willing to allow us to use their tools on the neighbors house and then Chip even came over and helped himself.
2. Having the group take the initiative to clear the sidewalks along Main Street of several large branches.
3. While we cleared the branches from the sidewalk, a women drove by, rolled down her window and asked if we were the group down frown New York State. When told we were she started "cheering" and said "Thanks -It means so much to so many"

I couldn't have agreed more.