Weekly Report for Newton

We are almost at the end of our third week of work here in Newton, Tx. Last week was a very busy week with two jobs being completed and a new house construction started. A new deck and steps were constructed for Edgar, as well as a repair to a portion of his roof that was leaking. A set of steps was also constructed for a member of Pastor Joe’s church. A new home was started for Jerry and his family. Their previous home was destroyed by the hurricane and he and his family have been staying with relatives since that time. The footers and pillars were dug and poured and the lumber and trusses were delivered.

On Friday our group went on an outing and visited other areas that were hit hard by the storms. We saw many homes that had been flooded and had to be gutted and are now being renovated. We also visited Gator World and saw live alligators and even had the chance to eat fried alligator which was new to some of us. On Sunday we visited a local Baptist church and enjoyed worshiping with them. After church, we went out to lunch with Pastor Foster, his wife and some of their children and grandchildren.

This week we had two crews running again. One crew worked on installing new kitchen cabinets and rerouting plumbing for Ms. Emma. The other crew worked on the new home and completed the flooring and insulation and set the four walls. They are planning on having the roof on the house by the end of the week.

We are continuing to enjoy working with the various local people and also getting  to know each other better.