Weekly Report for New Iberia RV

When Jake and I arrived at the Four Corners Community Center near Franklin, LA., on Sept. 28, it seemed like we had just left the place. It was good to be back in spite of record breaking high temperatures, high humidity, very wet parking spots and lots of mosquitoes! Our first order of business was to try and park our RV without getting stuck and to get the hookups done before dusk when the mosquitoes became unbearable.

The next day we met with Judy from the local recovery committee and she showed us homes that we would try to repair. Repairs in some cases will be extensive. We are focusing on homes that have had a low level of maintenance for many years and being the target of four hurricanes in the past four years has not helped. The conditions some of the people live in are very sub-standard.

After getting settled in, Jake and I left for Columbus, MS. to pick up a van and tool trailer. Len and Nettie Hiebert, volunteering in Columbus, had the equipment and vehicles all ready to go. It was good to have Keith and Carol Workman, from Ohio, meet us here to help us drive back to New Iberia. We overnighted in Columbus after enjoying a wonderful dinner served by Nettie. The next morning our entourage left at 6:00 am. Jake drove first pulling a heavy tool trailer with a 350-12 passenger van, followed by Carol in their truck and RV. Keith, in an MDS pickup was next pulling a trailer loaded with good scaffolding and I followed with our pickup. We arrived at our destination 12 hours later.

The next day we took Keith and Carol around to see some of the houses we would likely be working on. We passed Ms. Woogie's house (one that was built by MDS last winter and spring) and as soon as she spotted the van with the MDS logo she came running, waving us to stop. We received great hugs and a tour of her house all furnished and beautifully decorated. She kept on repeating," I'm in heaven " and expressed her joy and appreciation many times over. What a joy to see the difference from a year ago.

Dick and Kathy Neudorf from Winnipeg joined our group on Monday and Norman and Carolyn Ringenberg, from Illinois completed our RV team on Tuesday. God has again blessed us with a wonderful group and we look forward to the months ahead.

Seven of our crew members have been out working on Ms. Rita's house, while I get to sit in air conditioned comfort trying to get the office up and running. I am looking forward to the day when I can go and join the crew. The work at the house has been very difficult. The house had a fire in it several years ago and the 80-year-old widow was left alone to try and make the house livable again. Livable to her is different from livable for us. Very few of her electrical outlets work and so cords are strung from one place to another. The plumbing is in very bad shape. Her bathroom gets flooded every time she does laundry. The whole house has to be rewired and replumbed. Keith has been a real trooper in getting up into the attic in sweltering heat, pulling old wires and stringing new ones. Keith said that no amount of money could make him do that job, if he was to hire out for it. Birds, rats, mice, raccoons and other wildlife have been sharing the house with Ms. Rita and the attic has a lot of evidence of that, including carcasses. Thank you Keith for doing the job. Serving in the name of Christ just makes one do things one would never hire out for!

The crew has worked on Ms. Rita's house for two weeks now. The wiring is almost done. Dick and Kathy tore down a burned out, outside wall and put up a new one. Carol has been laying brick and mortaring areas that were knocked out during the fire. Carolyn has been ready and willing to lend a hand wherever needed. Jake and Norman have been pulling and stringing wires in the house plus whatever else comes up. The girls have also been mowing and pulling weeds all around the house to try and get the fire ant population down. We all wear the welts that they inflict.

In spite of the working conditions I think pretty much every morning at our devotional time somebody thanks for the opportunity to serve! And they actually mean it!!

Blessings till next week!

Submitted by Verna Martens