Well gang, I am back from construction in Louisiana. I had a most
wonderful time. Progress was made on five houses. We ended up staying in a
flooded out church that had the local school next to it, which is entirely
gone. Over 90 percent of all the buildings where completely wiped out with
nothing standing. Most places there have rows of concrete slabs that at one
time houses stood on.
I got to work with people from our glorious north, Canada. Individuals
and couples from Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan were there along with
people from Montana, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
I didn't get to do a whole lot of work since I was in charge of the
electrical. After starting the crew on Monday I went into New Orleans and
purchased electrical supplies to do three houses from the electrical mast and
meter down to the receptacle boxes. Thursday I got to actually do work other
than supervise. Friday I did nothing but tie lines into electrical panels and
hook up breakers.
First day on the job, I was accused of spending too much time at star
bucks. I had to tell them they were all wrong, it was the Krispy Creme donut
shop.
The houses we worked on where on 50 foot pilings pounded into the ground
35 feet. The tops were leveled and the base was 13 feet off the ground. We
and all material had to go by boat to the home sites. Every day porpoises came
into the canals to hunt fish. The dike along the Mississippi river was only
100 feet from where we stayed, the gulf was below us and on the other side of
us was the bayou where we worked. Only one road, which was a dead end on the
south and went north to New Orleans.
I was asked if I would like to go more long term. I said I would consider
it. This is only the second time I went on construction or re-construction
with a group. They have a project going on in Washington state, that I think I
would enjoy.
I have been asked by members of different groups how to get involved in
projects like this. There are groups in all areas that do work like this,
mostly Christian sponsored. Some are for adults, others for youth and children
that adults are needed to do crowd control. Projects are close and far away.
Volunteers are needed at schools, nursing homes, hospices and hospitals. The
list is endless. There is no pay in most; but, the pleasure derived from
helping others worse than you is quite wonderful. Blindness is far from being
bad off. God has given us all what we can handle and will help us do the best
we can.
......bob
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