RVing With a Purpose

Monday, March 26, 2018

Today was another nice but hot day in Baton Rouge. It was cloudy at times but there was a lot of sunshine too.

After devotions by us at 7:30, we all again headed out to Baker, LA, to Richard’s house. The first part of the day we all worked on getting the second bedroom addition started under Gary’s direction. It got of to a pretty fast start but then we were out of materials and worked on some other things. It began with removal of the siding and sheathing and cutting studs and corner posts for the wall. The best part of the morning was Stel was able to get the smoke detector rough wiring done and the electrical inspector came by and approved our electrical rough-in. Now we can complete the installation of the insulation and start the drywall in bedroom #1. Mark also got part of the plumbing done this morning. While all that was going on, Suzanne and Lee Ann worked on getting the first coat of paint on the siding. The siding is looking good, but of course it will need another coat of paint after installation.

 

When the materials arrived it was full speed ahead on the second addition. There was lots accomplished and by the end of the day all the floor joists were installed. In between all that there was drywall to unload and two loads of lumber. Of course, the next pieces of lumber, the floor decking, were on the bottom of the last load.

 

This afternoon Mark and Jo went to another house to do an “emergency” repair of the bathroom floor. The report we received was that there was a small hole that needed repair to keep the bugs out and to make it safe. When they arrived it was a much larger situation. They got started on the repair this afternoon but that quick little project is going to turn into a multi-day project.

Much was accomplished today but there is a lot more we want to get done this week before we loose three couples at the end of the week. We were all tired tonight but suspect we will be tired every night this week. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Today started early for us since the pastor asked us help prepare for the joint service today. We started setting up tables and unloading grills at 7:00 and continued from there. There were tables to wash, table covers, tents to set up, many chairs to take to the tents, assistance in the kitchen, bathrooms to clean and meeting many nice people. Before we knew it it was time for the service.

The choir and pastor from Preserve Life Church, across the street, led the service today. It was a lively, spirit filled, Palm Sunday service.  It did our hearts good to see the two neighboring churches worshiping together.  After the service we all had dinner together. It was wonderful. Some of the men of the Preserve Life Church grilled chicken and sausage and then there were all the traditional sides plus some not so traditional (at least for Alabama) sides and they were all wonderful. We ran out of room on the dessert table there were so many. We couldn’t begin to try them all but what we had was wonderful.

After dinner the NOMADS stayed to help clean up and then it was nap time. Tonight we found the church left us a lot of food in the refrigerator for us to enjoy this week. Yep, it’s a 5-10 pound project.

We had team meeting at 6:00 tonight and got to know our new team members a little better. There was so much laughing. Sometimes we wonder if there is a serious bone in any of us. Sure is good to really laugh. Have a good week.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

It was another nice day in Baton Rouge. It was windy and cloudy at times which was not predicted but still a nice day.

We slept in a little late (6:30 for Anne but that’s better than the usual 5:00) and then Max cooked breakfast. A smoked sausage and cheese omelet. It was a really good way to start the day. After breakfast Rita, Anne, and Jo swept and mopped the sanctuary and fellowship area, with Max’s help hauling buckets of clean hot water. The floor had not been cleaned since the 60 college kids were here and it was in bad need of a good cleaning. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and Francis Asbury worships outside under a tent with the church across the street and then there is a dinner for both congregations at Francis Asbury. We thought the floor should be cleaned before the gathering. Suzanne arrived about the time we were completing that project. So glad she was able to come in a week earlier than she originally planned. We had asked her to come early to take Cindy’s place. She agreed and headed this way. Yesterday, Jo and Mark checked the web site and there was still an opening for next week. So they signed up. Now we had two RVs for Cindy’s one spot. Suzanne told us she could just go without connections for a week. We looked around and unbeknownst to us the Conference had installed another 50 amp connection for the shower trailer that was used by the college students. And it was on a cord long enough to be moved within reach of where Suzanne parked her trailer. Another “God Thing”. We can use all the help we can get because our project at Richard’s has now doubled in size. The conference disaster committee decided Thursday we would build a second bedroom. NOMADS will be working at Richard’s for several more weeks.

For lunch we decided to try out our new grill. Max grilled some hamburgers with cheese and bacon mixed in. We were very pleased with the results. Another good meal. A short time later our other new couple, Barrie and Lee Ann arrived. So glad they are here safely. They have had some hard travel days due to the strong wind hitting the side of the rig coming across Texas the past three days. So all our chicks are in the barn again and we can relax.

After cleaning the church, Rita, Dave, and Mark played golf and Jo went along with them. They all had a good time. Tonight there was another card game for those wanting to play.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Be in prayer for services tomorrow and all week. Hope you are having a good weekend.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Another gorgeous day! The spring days in Baton Rouge remind us of the mountains in the summer, cool mornings and evenings and warm beautiful days. Nice.

It was nice to have the day off allowing us to sleep a little late. Then we said our goodbyes to Mark and Lisa. This time it wasn’t as hard to say goodbye because all four of us have decided to return to Baton Rouge in May to help two more weeks while our dear friends Carol and Dave Hill are leading. Already looking forward to returning and we still have two more weeks here this time. Today Gary, Avis, Stel and Jodi went to the southern tip of Louisiana to the southern terminus of the Mississippi River. Dave and Rita made a trip to New Orleans. Finally, we rode the Levee Trail. Jo and Mark rode with us. The levee trail runs along the top of the levee that keeps the Mississippi River from flooding downtown Baton Rouge and the LSU campas. The Mississippi was still incredibly high, but it has receded just a little since last Saturday when we walked a section of the trail. The trail was a good ride, about 10 miles, and less crowded today than last week. We always like riding along the water.

After the ride, the four of us went to Portabello’s Grill for lunch. The food was very good and the company even better. We had a good waiter who put up with all our laughing and joking. When we left Portabello’s we walked next door to Madeline’s a french restaurant and bakery. The pastries and creme brulee cheese cake were awsome. We returned home around 4:30 and did laundry and relaxed. No supper for us after the lunch we ate. However, we did have the cheese cake in lieu of supper. Life is short. Eat dessert first – or instead. We have new team members coming in tomorrow. So we will probably get some groceries in the morning and then just hang out here tomorrow afternoon. Hope you have a great weekend.