Category: 2009 Mens Team

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Eating with Alex and PJ

From Katrina 2009 Team

This is Mo’s 3rd of our (so far) three trips to Biloxi. This time, at SUMA, the temporary home for habitat volunteers, he had an interesting encounter.

At the construction site we were told that there was a possibility that a future Habitat for Humanity homeowner might be eating dinner with us. They told us to be a little considerate and not bombard them all at once. I hoped to be able to shower before dinner, but we got back after 5 and dinner was at 5:30 (others were already using the shower). So, I did the best that I could to wash my face and make myself presentable in the dirty clothes I was wearing. I figured there would be little chance that I would be able to sit with one of them anyway, but God had other plans.

When I got my meal, surprisingly there was a seat next to a little boy and a woman who apparently was his mother. So, thinking that God had plans for me to sit there I put my tray down. Eric, Chris and Gary were already at the table sitting opposite them. The woman was Alex and the little boy was PJ her 2 year old son (who will be turning three on May 19). Alex was very friendly and more than willing to answer questions of us curious Asians. She also brought her two older daughters ages 9 and 4 and her sister. They sat at separate tables so they could be accessible to more people who came to dinner.

Alex is working towards qualifying for a Habitat for Humanity home. She has to put in 250 hours in working on Habitat for Humanity homes in order to qualify. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, Alex lost her home, but her sister’s home was spared. Out of a desire to help Alex get into a home, her sister helps Alex put in the 250 hours of sweat equity. So far she is about half way to that goal. She is going to school to become a nurse and should be complete with her classes in July. She has even been able to have some of her classmates help her to put in the sweat equity.

Alex was just married two days before Katrina hit and her home was destroyed. She didn’t say what happened to her husband and none of us wanted to pry into that part of her life. It was clear that she was looking to start a new life and having a home of her own was part of that plan. For now she is living in a FEMA trailer and doing what she can to raise three young children while trying to make a better living for all of them. Because of where she wants to live, none of the homes we have directly taken a part in building will be what she is looking for, but it was quite a privilege to meet with her and her young son, and to get to know them.

During dinner her 4 year old daughter came to Alex and said she wanted ice cream. The kitchen staff and her Mom convinced her that there was no ice cream, but providentially, Brent Kajikawa walked in with ice cream to celebrate Roy’s birthday, so we all had fund eating ice cream and sharing it with Alex and her family.

Before we left the cafeteria, we were all able to surround them and pray for them. Meeting the Barnes family was a wonderful opportunity to put a human face to the ministry we came to Mississippi to do. God bless the wonderful time we had tonight.

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2009 05 01-Morning Devotional and 4th day of work.

Morning Devotional

The day began with our morning devotional by Randy, who asked us to see how we might be different than the other groups that are working here.

There could be a difference, or none at all

It was noted not only that we stay up later, but there is a camaraderie, our times of worship and teaching, and we’re all asian.

We should also try to be intentional and take opportunities to make a difference, no matter how small, no matter how great. We should try to make a difference.

Work Day

More commentary and videos soon. Just.. we gotta sleep sometime 🙂
Some of the guys who have the stuff we need to post are in small group right now, so it’ll have to wait for a bit.. but check back..

We’re going to focus a bit more on Chris and Keith’s group today for two reasons. One, the blogger/photographer/videographer types are on the other team, and we want to be fair.

The second is that THEY RAISED THEIR WALLS!! 🙂

One aspect that is especially nice, and another good reason to be part of Habitat, is that each morning they open with not only a prayer, but a devotional.
Brad H, Site supervisor for Chris and Keith’s group opened up with this inspiring one today

But come on.. they raised their walls today! 🙂

And on Craig’s…

Today’s Photo Album

Katrina 2009 05 01-4th day of work

Tomorrow is our last work day, and then we move to another site for our last night in Biloxi. God’s been blessing us.

And now we’re suposed to work up there or not.

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Start of a new day

It’s our last official work day, but we’ll be working tomorrow anyway

Pray for good weather as we’ll be either on the roof or exposed to the elements with a house without walls.

Also, some of the guys are being carried more by enthusiasm and team spirit and want to make sure they don’t get run down. Hearing some coughs in the group.. 🙁

Thanks again

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Reflection from Kaj

Kaj is part of the team for the first time, but probably has the most practical knowledge of all the team. He’s been really encouraging to everyone, teaching them techniques with the equipment, and being a strong encourager.

From Katrina 2009 Team

I can’t believe we only have 2 and 1/2 more days here. It’s going by so fast. I am so thankful for being part of this team. Getting to know the men beyond just hellos at church is something I will cherish as I leave this place. Their love for the Lord and how they always keep him first in all that they do is just awesome to see. So far we have been doing all kind of fun stuff that gets us dirty. One joyful moment was when I was with my small group and we were gladly interrupted by a man who just wanted to talk. Before he left, James So, Jeff Leung, Eric Jue and I got to pray for healing to his back and for him in general. We were all blessed to have prayed for him.

So far the funniest moment is something you could watch on the blog and youtube. Watch Steve Ogata on “Hows it going Steve“. Before I forget I would also like to thank my msg team for all their prayers and support.

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Reflection by Eric – There Are No Accidents

Eric joins the team for the first time this year, and during one of our devotional times, he had an interesting encounter.

From Katrina 2009 Team

There Are No Accidents

On Wednesday, 4/29, Kaji, Jeff, James and I had the opportunity to meet D. He shared that he was looking for Craig, our team leader. He heard about us after Craig responded to D.’s broadcast email request for Katrina carpool support. D. shared that he had not been able to work on his construction site (which is across the street from where we are working) due to lower back pain. We had a chance to talk about wanting to make a difference and our respective relationships with God.

We got to pray for D., including how much God’s loves us and how nothing can separate us from His love. We also prayed that God would alleviate or heal his back pain if it was His will.

We saw D. at breakfast and at his construction site this morning. God healed his back pain enough so that he could work and accomplish what he came to do in Biloxi.

We thank God for answering our prayers for healing and to be an encouragement to others. We know that there are no accidents, including this chance to meet D. and share a little from our lives.

The Lord helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads (Psalm 145:14).

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2009 04 30-The Shed with new and old friends

We made our annual trip to The Shed in Gautier, MS

Joining us were
Supervisors and Americorps leaders Brad, Victor and Kurt from Chris and Keith’s group
From Craig and Tommy’s group, our co-volunteers and roommates Jim and Greg joined us.
Also, Dave, our site manager from 2007 stopped by and joined us for dinner as well.

Click below for pictures from dinner

Katrina 2009 04 30-The Shed
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2009 04 30-Third day of work

3rd day of work at the site.

Katrina 2009 04 30-3rd day of Work

Your video for the day:

Steve’s notes on Chris and Keith’s Group

The day started cloudy,cool and abit breezy, a perfect day in my book to do manual labor. After our site manager, Brad opened our time with a quote from Martin Luther King, which was quite good for a young white guy doing an impression of a deceased black guy. He shared that you don’t have to be an Einstein and understand Relativity. or the second law of thermodynamics in order to to be great. And you don’t have to be rich or famous in order to be great. To be great, all you need is to be able to serve…

Most of the guys from Chris and Keith’s group (also affectionately called Go With the Mo) went to our site which basically consists of a foundation and floor joists. We were intending to finish nailing on the OSB sub-floor, but we soon found out that the foundation on one side of the house was not straight. Kev and Donna, a part timer from the nearby air force base were nailing the blocking between the joists and were the ones that discovered the misaligned foundation. So…Ward, Roy, and Donna used these baby crowbars called cat’s paws to remove the nails that attached the joists to the sills. Meanwhile, I was touching up the three painted doors from our completed home.

Afterwards, Mo, Roy and I did piecework nailing a special vertical support consisting of a king stud and a jack stud. Very boring work but it was nice to make fun of Mo because he is so precise even when it really doesn’t matter.

Vic, one of the Americorp assistant supervisors that works with Brad had the unenviable task of crawling under our finished home (which we found out wasn’t really done) to staple fiberglass insulation under the crawl space. He asked for volunteers and three servants that took to heart MLK’s speech…Gary (who pretty much had to because he spilled a can of paint on the porch that took an hour to clean up), Keith and Rich. Chris said that these three were not “smart enough to say no.” They spent a couple of hours under the house nailing R17 on their back and when they came out they were filthy from crawling in the dirt and itchy from the fiberglass particles. I say that no good deed goes unpunished.

Let’s see, Ward was today’s jack of all trades which included cutting a bunch of lumber to length. So after we solved the alignment problem, we all pitched in and finished sheeting the sub-floor. Chris, Roy, and Duane assembled the cut lumber into one wall frame. We didn’t get to raise it…maybe tomorrow.

We ended early today to get back, shower and get to the Shed before it got crowded. Obviously, priorities are priorities.

Randy’s notes on Craig and Tommy’s Group

We were blessed with overcast skies and mostly comfortable weather on Thursday. Work moved forward on several fronts, culminating in completing installation of the roof sheeting, placing underlayment on half of the roof, sheeting the gables, finishing the rear deck, and installing nine windows. Because of an HFH meeting, work was halted slightly early, although some continued to press onward.
Later that evening, we ventured out from SUMA for dinner. The Shed is an award-winning BBQ joint – a loose assembly of corrugated tin roofed structures. We sat on picnic benches and wiped our ‘cue-covered hands with paper towels. No vegetables were served (unless you count the potato salad) – just tasty slabs of ribs, piles of pulled pork and hot links. Since The Shed is further inland, the temperatures increased as did the cholesterol counts.

We invited Jim, Greg and HFH friends from past trips to dinner and were plesaed they were able to join us. We were able to pray with Jim and Greg before they left to fly home through New Orleans. Since we slept, ate, and worked alongside them all week, we were grateful that everyone enjoyed each other’s company. We wished Jim and Greg a fond farewell along with good wishes for Greg’s upcoming SAT’s.

No day in Mississippi could be called complete without a visit to the local Walmart store, where we once again stocked up on supplies.