tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968242268965694272024-03-13T08:13:16.589-05:00Rebuilding Detroit - Part IINorthwest Suburban Interfaith CouncilAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-53640812130026433252018-08-03T20:58:00.000-05:002018-08-03T20:58:52.804-05:00Work Day Two, and Finding Our Groove!Day two, and a few creaks getting out of bed, our team was once again ready to go after a hearty breakfast.<br />
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We all went to our project work sites and got to work immediately, continuing the tasks we started yesterday.<br />
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Our Tiny Homes group went back to their neighborhood, and yes, it is starting to look like a mature community! Our crew had a lot to do, including installing lighting and finishing the electrical work. They now have 11 homes between those already finished and those under construction. The first four homes are coming up on their one year anniversary of occupancy.<br />
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<b>Check out this news pieces on Tiny Homes in Detroit:</b><br />
<b><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/detroits-tiny-houses-give-residents-home-rebuild-lives" target="_blank">PBS News Hour - Tiny Homes</a></b><br />
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Our World Building crew continued to do the heavy lifting of cleaning out the loading docks and bays, and getting ready to paint. They also made the area ready to reopen the bricked up windows to install glass bricks, once again bringing light to this part of the facility. We also learned a few things about the plans for the World Building. They already have work areas where job skills are taught by making mats of recycled tires, and coasters of re-purposed glass and wood from old houses. One mighty crew!<br />
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Another crew explored a new area - Cass Green Industries! This facility processes and shreds paper from local businesses, as well as provides resources for lawn care, maintenance, a worship space, and even lumber for building projects, as seen below!<br />
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Our Wesley House group continued to labor in the attic, putting down much needed insulation. They also worked in the blazing sun to paint the very weathered trim. This job was tough to get to as they needed both scaffolding and access to the roof through Pastor Sue's own apartment. It was very gracious of her to provide access through her home.<br />
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More work is in the plans for tomorrow, as well as some tours of the Cass ministries and the people they serve here!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-22867337019225863062018-08-02T20:23:00.003-05:002018-08-03T20:11:57.310-05:00First Day Wrap Up!It seems like this afternoon was even busier than the morning! We have seven work teams working on several facilities.<br />
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One of our work crews worked at the Cass church, repairing and glazing windows on the second floor. A lot of maintenance is required on the windows, but once completed they will be secure and weather resistant.<br />
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Our World Building group did a lot of general moving and cleaning of their loading bay. There had been a lot of items stored in the bay, and it all had to be dismantled and removed - furniture, cabinets, paint, etc... Our crew made short work of this task, and the area is now ready to begin painting.<br />
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Our star drywall team worked on an apartment building, and which we had visited two years ago on our previous visit. The apartments we had worked to clean are now occupied by single parent families. Some work was still required, and the drywall should be finished tomorrow.<br />
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Two additional crews worked in the attic of Wesley House, and a couple Tiny Homes still under construction. We don't have photos of these work sites, yet, but here is an illustration of just how tiny these new homes actually are.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arthur Antisdel Apartments, Wesley House, and Tiny Home #1.</td></tr>
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As always, a lot gets done in a short time with this amazing group of dedicated people. Come back to check often with updates of the work we've done, and the people of Detroit.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-75764431038293822862018-08-02T13:32:00.002-05:002018-08-02T13:32:15.393-05:00Lay of the land and beginning work projects.As a result of several minor delays, we ended up getting to our hotel about 2 hours after we originally expected. This meant our crew only had time to unload the bus, find our rooms, and get some sleep to prepare for our work day, which would come very early the next morning!<br />
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This morning, we woke up at least somewhat rested, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast before loading the bus to head to the Cass work sites. Rev. Sue Pethoud, the Cass Church and Community Relations Liaison met our crew and shared some of the history of the area.<br />
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Some interesting things she pointed out included that the downturn in the community began nearly 100 years ago, in the 1920's! In response to social and economic changes in their community, Cass Community United Methodist Church has continued to respond by keeping their neighborhood and its people as their reason for being.<br />
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This led to the creation of Cass Community Social Services as a separate entity from Cass Community United Methodist Church in 1995. Since the early 2000's, when they had only 3 buildings, they have grown to include 11 buildings, and coordinate over 6,500 volunteers each year. Everything they do is designed around rebuilding the neighborhood and bringing a sense of community to the people they serve.<br />
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You can read more about their long and dynamic history here:<br />
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<a href="https://cassumc.com/history/" target="_blank">https://cassumc.com/history/</a><br />
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Our team broke for lunch, and shared the food line with Cass' clients in their cafeteria. Our menu consisted of BBQ chicken, baked beans, mac and cheese, tomatoes, coleslaw, corn on the cob, potato salad, and a green salad. What a feast!<br />
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This afternoon, we are returning to our work sites, to continue helping Cass help their neighbors.<br />
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In anticipation of our next posting, we will compile all the wonderfully graphic tales from all our work crews.<br />
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<i>Come back for more mission insights!</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-58319050761196135012018-08-01T18:30:00.001-05:002018-08-02T10:06:05.278-05:00Interfaith returns to Detroit!<div dir="ltr">
For this year's interfaith service trip, we are heading back to Detroit, Michigan.</div>
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Our team enjoyed meeting up and eating a great lunch at Grace Lutheran Church in Mount Prospect, Illinois. We had a chance to meet one another, meet the leaders, and of course pack the bus, vans, and trailer.</div>
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Our next stop is the Steaks Eatery in Jackson, Michigan. We will have a chance to share another meal together, and get to know each other a little more before getting to work tomorrow morning.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-15247104540150010062017-11-16T09:32:00.000-06:002017-11-16T09:32:06.316-06:00A WGN Chicago news article highlights Detroit's Tiny Homes by Cass Community Social Services, through whom the NSIC Service Trip coordinated in our 2016 mission trip.<br />
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Please enjoy this well done news piece on working with housing issues in our cities!<br />
<a href="http://wgntv.com/2017/11/14/growing-homelessness-in-chicago-caused-by-lack-of-housing-resources/" target="_blank">http://wgntv.com/2017/11/14/growing-homelessness-in-chicago-caused-by-lack-of-housing-resources/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-25340659860589683922017-08-04T16:47:00.003-05:002017-08-04T16:47:53.965-05:00Our Hearts Remain in Missouri!Thursday, August 3, 2017.<br />
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Our crew was able to sleep in this morning, with our bus leaving for home around 8:45. Most of us were up earlier, and enjoyed the time to relax at breakfast, pack, and catch up with the work we did this week.<br />
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Once on the road, we enjoyed a smooth ride until our lunch break at Imperial Buffet in Normal, IL. The owners did a great job welcoming us, and giving us a room where we could continue our conversations. The food was good, and of course, the company was comfortable with one another.<br />
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We returned home after enduring the Chicago rush hour traffic and some tremendous rain storms, but arrived safely.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A safe drive, even with some torrential rains along the way.</td></tr>
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We unpacked the van by around 4:30, loaded our cars, hugged our friends old and new, and bid farewell until next year. Many of those new to our trip, as well as those who have traveled before, were already looking forward to next year.<br />
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<em>We also have our first "Road Show" presentation of this year's trip scheduled! Please come to <strong>Messiah Lutheran Church </strong>in Wauconda on <strong>October 15</strong>. More details to come!</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-90490559525809205252017-08-04T16:34:00.003-05:002017-08-04T16:34:23.686-05:00Finishing Touches... Mostly.Wednesday, August 2, 2017.<br />
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Another hot day, and visions of the end pull us through!<br />
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A new site in <strong>High Ridge </strong>had us working on manufactured homes for lower income residents. Here, we met up with another group from Michigan, working through National Relief Network (NRN). This crew consisted of mostly younger adults and high school students.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan Z preparing the joists<br />
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Our team split up to work on a few homes. One crew cleaned up a concrete slab to prepare it for a new home to be built, picking up glass and preparing the ground after the home which originally stood here was destroyed. Another home had serious water damage, and needed new flooring and drywall. Our team was able to prepare the walls and get the floor insulation layers ready. Most of our team worked here, and made some great progress!<br />
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Another home needed some exterior painting, while yet another had years of moss which needed to be power washed off. This last home also had a family living in it which had some local enemies, so there were shot gun pellet holes all through the siding and windows which would eventually be repaired. This family no longer lives here, and another couple came by, interested in moving in when the work is done. They seemed very thankful of all the work we were doing, and we had the promise that each home we touched this day would host an appreciative family in the near future, no matter their condition today. We can all aspire to gratitude such as theirs!<br />
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Our <strong>Fenton</strong> project continued! Our crew finished working in the basement, and completed removal of the soffits. We filled two complete dumpsters with materials from the four units, and the buildings are ready for the next stages of reconstruction. The work crews which follow will have a good foundation on which to rebuild these homes for underprivileged families.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrea works on removing the last of the drywall. (Laura A)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linda makes final preparations on the studs. (Laura A)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resurrection Lily</td></tr>
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We also filled in some more information about our <strong>Eureka</strong> home! This two story house was flooded to nearly the top of the first floor, which was cleaned and prepped by a previous work crew. This left us working on the electrical by standing on boards laid over the open floor joists, and two stories of siding.<br />
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In addition to the changes our group is facilitating by our labors, our crew here even found one small, lonely lily on the grounds around the house, not trampled or damaged. It wasn't blooming, and looked much like any other tall weed in the area - until our last day. The flower bloomed, almost as if to give our work crew, and the family who lives here, hope for the future!<br />
<br />
The <strong>Florissant</strong> team finished the basement, and moved all of Carol's things back downstairs so the storage unit in her driveway could be returned. The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) is now ready to begin work installing a sump system, making Carol's house safe for many years to come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FR0CVMPoBWI/WYTn81WoSlI/AAAAAAAAAfw/fP9Oc56zgLEcXusKXMTYP1XFPdftGx-MQCLcBGAs/s1600/P8020174_Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1600" height="220" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FR0CVMPoBWI/WYTn81WoSlI/AAAAAAAAAfw/fP9Oc56zgLEcXusKXMTYP1XFPdftGx-MQCLcBGAs/s400/P8020174_Edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team worked together to moved all the items from the<br />
temporary storage unit in Carol's driveway back to the basement. (Ken J)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some expert window cleaners<br />
paused for a photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
When our Fenton crew finished, they came over to High Ridge, and we realized that our team was now too big to fit in the work spaces when combined with the NRN team. Our project leaders, Denise and Chris, found a church which needed some cleaning help, and our team jumped at the chance to work in an air conditioned environment! Our combined crew headed to St Mark's church, where the custodian, Dan, put us to work with cleaning their windows and other spaces which needed attention.<br />
As a celebration of a job well done, our last night was spent trying to solve a murder mystery at the Bissell Mansion! It was a great time of comedy and sleuthing, and our team of characters left our hosts in stitches. Pastor Eric was deemed the best "Les" they ever had! A fun way to wrap things up.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-79316812344022039952017-08-02T17:15:00.001-05:002017-08-06T20:42:29.713-05:00Finding Our Rhythm.<br />
Tuesday, August 1, 2017.<br />
<br />
A great second day of work, and many wiser workers getting into their groove.<br />
<br />
<strong>Fenton</strong>, Rusty Drive<br />
Our Fenton demolition and reconstruction preparation continued working on our duplexes.<br />
<br />
We had to remove the drywall and plastic sheeting around the top of the kitchen, as well as remove drywall screws remaining after demolition. Since there is no electricity at this site, some of our crew had to remove as many screws as possible by hand. This was done for a while, but the next crew, hopefully after electricity is restored, will be able to make quick work of this with the right tools.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3HgJRRj_nE/WYJLNkUYW5I/AAAAAAAAAd0/rPUx0tA84q8dPyq9aLq7VKWw5ZL8mJ0LQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170801_143545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3HgJRRj_nE/WYJLNkUYW5I/AAAAAAAAAd0/rPUx0tA84q8dPyq9aLq7VKWw5ZL8mJ0LQCLcBGAs/s320/20170801_143545.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removing drywall from near the ceiling. (Laura A)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Several from our crew went into the basement to clean up the remaining furniture and shelving left from before the flood, and remove the drywall which has been continually wet since April 30 - over three months! These walls were covered with toxic black mold, and needed to be removed by shovel since the material simply crumbled when we tried to remove it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toxic Black Mold being treated before removal. (Kathy W)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<strong>Florissant</strong>, El Dorado Drive<br />
Demolition and reconstruction preparation. Our crack team of construction minded work crew continued to clean the basement of damaged drywall and paneling, and began to hang drywall, which is what they all seemed to live for! Carol, the owner, also shared some of her heart wrenching and continually frustrating story with our group at dinner!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LqxxtdLBmkU/WYJMEGaBUMI/AAAAAAAAAd4/ovixlSYlDscxeDuJwpo9scrp6IMgybC4ACLcBGAs/s1600/P7310153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LqxxtdLBmkU/WYJMEGaBUMI/AAAAAAAAAd4/ovixlSYlDscxeDuJwpo9scrp6IMgybC4ACLcBGAs/s320/P7310153.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel Cutting Expert, Ethel! (Ken J)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PSkewLJkiZE/WYJM1QcSErI/AAAAAAAAAd8/-VHA58J2yuwDdtilEuInStwp9Y6niUIMQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170801_191441785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1600" height="172" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PSkewLJkiZE/WYJM1QcSErI/AAAAAAAAAd8/-VHA58J2yuwDdtilEuInStwp9Y6niUIMQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_20170801_191441785.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carol, and her friend Kelly, sharing some stories<br />
of their experiences and trials. (Eric E) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Our <strong>West Alton</strong> crew, on Edmonton Drive, made some great headway on their closet installation! The walls and doors are short, but also narrow. When you look at the crew in front of their work, everything looks proportional, but our work crew each look 6" taller!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k3OMHpmhohI/WYJNqqkVw2I/AAAAAAAAAeE/41TdD3qDf4MKFiysQG_MdACfl2ncxseOQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k3OMHpmhohI/WYJNqqkVw2I/AAAAAAAAAeE/41TdD3qDf4MKFiysQG_MdACfl2ncxseOQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary and Debbie preparing the walls. (Chuck W)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doors hung, and trim ready to go.<br />
Everyone looks just a little taller! (Scott M)</td></tr>
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We have some updates and news from our <strong>Eureka</strong> team! It seems they have had a challenge, working outside in the heat, and putting up siding. The crew had a slow start, waiting for materials, but jumped in and did a great job making the house weather resistant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxPmZZ32Hqc/WYJJB71RbMI/AAAAAAAAAdo/u_S7Hvix-GI6C4tuH2ff9i_2JdLaBJIIwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxPmZZ32Hqc/WYJJB71RbMI/AAAAAAAAAdo/u_S7Hvix-GI6C4tuH2ff9i_2JdLaBJIIwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7831.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting up the scaffolding. (Janet F)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BjRZyQ5Yhw0/WYJJA8N8A2I/AAAAAAAAAdk/R5n8i2OelnoUw8y82CfD9KeqciXAlftygCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BjRZyQ5Yhw0/WYJJA8N8A2I/AAAAAAAAAdk/R5n8i2OelnoUw8y82CfD9KeqciXAlftygCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7837.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replacing damaged siding. (Janet F)</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-18986551559602447332017-07-31T21:13:00.000-05:002017-08-02T16:34:58.334-05:00Working in the Neighborhoods!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What an amazing, task filled first day!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had teams working on several homes, in four different towns!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our team did some rehab work in <strong>West Alton</strong>, putting in a closet - with odd sized doors. More to come on this one when things are farther along. This is a tight space, so we have three crack carpenters who love working with power tools enjoying their project! They also promise to have some fantastic shots showing their handiwork tomorrow, which given the characters on the team, should be very... informative!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>Florissant</strong> hosted our only air conditioned worksite, which was our crew putting up the final pieces of wallboard in a home. They will finish installing the drywall, then putty it, ready for painting. This crew worked closely with the home owner, who had much of the initial recovery work already done. Yes, they didn't get much sympathy from the rest of the group who got to enjoy the Missouri heat first hand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>Eureka</strong>, well, these folks will fill us in some time soon. ;-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>Fenton</strong> was our largest site, with just over half our total crew broken into four work teams. Our worksite consisted of two duplex homes (four units), which saw flooding both in 2015 and again this past Spring in 2017. Previous work teams had started demolition on these homes, and our job was to pick up where they left off, tearing out wallboard on the main floor, and addressing the mold still present in the basement. We had to spray the now accessible studs with a remediation compound to keep mold from spreading further, or staying in the home after it is finished. We also had to take care to save any fixtures not affected by water or cabinets which were above the waterline.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denise filled us in on the work we would be doing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demolition crew making way for the next phase.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tearing down old drywall to get to the studs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQzEQd-7CHE/WX_ksJRqakI/AAAAAAAAAcc/6K0kyPWgYNkApT3uHl2n4eivFabDuZjRACLcBGAs/s1600/P1840180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1600" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQzEQd-7CHE/WX_ksJRqakI/AAAAAAAAAcc/6K0kyPWgYNkApT3uHl2n4eivFabDuZjRACLcBGAs/s320/P1840180.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping the fixtures will save the owner<br />
a lot of money he doesn't have.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QynNizwZuVM/WX-1RIJ1RKI/AAAAAAAAAbw/lxGsEyo4qdYcQHJ5idYQJlZYPMvaUS6vwCEwYBhgL/s1600/P1840161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QynNizwZuVM/WX-1RIJ1RKI/AAAAAAAAAbw/lxGsEyo4qdYcQHJ5idYQJlZYPMvaUS6vwCEwYBhgL/s320/P1840161.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling our dumpster with our day's work.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One of the units had already had most of the drywall removed, but
needed mold remediation. The other unit, however, still had the wet, moldy
drywall up in the basement. Our crew needed to wear N95, mold resistant
masks, and the basement team put on full Tyvek suits, which made them look like
they were ready to do some government work!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QNGtVigstno/WX_hdKp1utI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/_IKG35gMR4kAmEwzehsd3af_obveEl2QwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170731_120406260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QNGtVigstno/WX_hdKp1utI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/_IKG35gMR4kAmEwzehsd3af_obveEl2QwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170731_120406260.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyvek suits with N95 masks<br />
make a distinct fashion statement!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FliExNdtmtk/WX_kqeBHqVI/AAAAAAAAAcY/cjvEUg3gPFsrdBLw6XB4yltfEd5G_U8lACLcBGAs/s1600/P1840154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FliExNdtmtk/WX_kqeBHqVI/AAAAAAAAAcY/cjvEUg3gPFsrdBLw6XB4yltfEd5G_U8lACLcBGAs/s320/P1840154.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treating the studs with mold remediation solution.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We were able to close up the first duplex, ready for the next crew to
start the construction phase or the home rebuild. The second duplex will see
our shining faces again tomorrow, which we continue to clean out the moldy
drywall, and prep the studs with mold remediation solution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As with any mission projects, we're not sure what we will come across until we are on site. Each of our locations brings unique challenges, and there are more than a few surprises still on the horizon for the remainder of our trip. Stop back again tomorrow, and we can be surprised together.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-32394098301438941032017-07-30T22:25:00.005-05:002017-07-31T20:57:56.364-05:00Welcome to Missouri!Our team met at Grace Lutheran Church in Mount Prospect, IL for a wonderful lunch. We met old friends from previous trips, as well as new friends who haven't traveled with our team before. Our lead team made introductions, anointed our hands for the work we were about to do, and share our timeline for travel to the St. Louis area. Our final count is 40 missionaries from ten congregations: Glenview United Methodist Church, Grace Lutheran Church, Hope Lutheran Church, Kingswood United Methodist Church, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Messiah Lutheran Church, Shir Hadash Synagogue, St. Alphonsus Parish, St. Mary Parish, and Temple Chai. We will also be joined by a few friends from a church near Litchfield for a day or two of our work.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy, clean, and not yet sore, our crew is ready to hit the road!</td></tr>
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We left promptly, and enjoyed an uneventful ride to Litchfield, Illinois where we ate at a fun little buffet. We were able to spend more time getting to know one another, and were on the road again for the last push to our hotel. The weather was pleasant, and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the Gateway Arch as we crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our breathtaking sunset as we crossed the mighty Mississippi River.</td></tr>
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Our hotel is beautiful, with comfortable and clean rooms (at least from what I heard, so far), and the staff was ready for us with keys and room assignments ready to go. We also met our work group planner from the Salvation Army, Erin. She gave our group some introductory information, then met with each of the work site leads to cover the details they will need for their teams.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric addresses the mission team, who filled<br />
both the main lobby and balcony.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erin fills in team leads Jim and Jeff.</td></tr>
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Tomorrow is our first day of work. We meet for breakfast before 7:15, when we load the bus for our work sites. Our tasks are varied, as are our locations. We will be visiting the towns of West Alton, Hazelwood, Fenton and Eureka for multiple homes. Our team is excited to see what comes, and it sounds like the highlights will come from our (possibly over eager) demolition crews!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-14153695615690309972017-07-29T21:13:00.000-05:002017-07-29T21:13:01.219-05:00Nearly there, preparing and packing!We are all in our homes and preparing to work. Our bags are packed (hopefully) and we're finalizing our homes to leave for nearly a week of work and inspiration. Our advance team (two guys who know what they're doing!) are already on site, and spent Friday looking at the projects we have ahead of us. We will be staying in Kirkwood, and working in several other towns west of St. Louis on homes in various states of recovery. Some of the tasks we are preparing for are:<br />
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<li>Demolition</li>
<li>Drywalling</li>
<li>Painting</li>
<li>Carpentry</li>
<li>Installing insulation</li>
<li>Vinyl flooring</li>
<li>Ceramic tile</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaci D, 16, helped residents fill sandbags on<br />Starling Airport Road in Arnold on May 3.<br />(St Louis Public Radio)</td></tr>
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The areas around Kirkwood, Alton, Fenton and Eureka were hard hit, both in 2015 and again just this past Spring! Some residents are considering leaving their homes while others have committed to rebuilding their communities. It is these re-builders who we will be working with. Most of the work we will be doing is in homes, and we will hear first hand the experiences of having one's homes and possessions swept away by flood waters. Many of us live in affected suburbs, where our own communities have been flooded by recent rain, and this should bring another layer of emotion to our time in Missouri!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flood water from the Meramec River covers some<br />athletic fields at Eureka High School.<br />(David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)</td></tr>
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<br />At this time, 42 of us are part of this team, and we've learned that the final count can only be finalized when we're on our way. We have found that our team members take this work seriously, and don't back out unless they truly have to. Tomorrow is departure day, so come back to see who is finally able to join us for this, our fourth Interfaith Service Trip!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-83639632430432617732017-02-25T15:13:00.001-06:002017-02-25T15:13:36.742-06:00The Gateway to Service in St. Louis, Missouri.<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to our next chapter in serving one another in faith! Coming up July 30 through August 3, 2017!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Interfaith team has looked at a number of opportunities in around the Midwest, analyzing distances, needs and our team's vast skill set in selecting a location both most in need of our services, and best suited to share our mission of working together in faith and friendship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December 26-28, 2015, storms raged in the Midwest, hitting the St. Louis, MO area the hardest. The storm's total rainfall averaged between 6 and 12 inches over this period, leading to historic river flooding along the Mississippi, Bourbeuse and Meramec Rivers.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGPwIMMtAUQ/WLHvdbsd_bI/AAAAAAAAAZM/HiPMUPTp_xYFFidp_Y3ELX1JKWqZAdAWwCLcB/s1600/KTVI_missouri_flooding_cf_151229_4x3_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGPwIMMtAUQ/WLHvdbsd_bI/AAAAAAAAAZM/HiPMUPTp_xYFFidp_Y3ELX1JKWqZAdAWwCLcB/s400/KTVI_missouri_flooding_cf_151229_4x3_992.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buildings are submerged from flooding in Union, Missouri, Dec. 29, 2015. KTVI</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our mission this summer is to address persistent recovery needs before federal funding runs out in November, 2017. This means that our work is both critical and urgent to help the St Louis area continue to recover from this devastating storm system. Our work will require a broad spectrum of skills, the details of which will be known as we approach our trip date. Anything is helpful, from carpentry to landscaping. From plumbing to painting. From photography to a simple helping hand where needed. Mostly, we need YOU, as an ambassador of goodwill and encouragement to those who are still struggling to recover.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gateway Arch, as seen from across the swollen Mississippi River. UPI</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are a team of goodhearted, hard working and welcoming friends from a number of Northwest Suburban faith communities. Our numbers include those from a number Catholic, Protestant and Jewish congregations, coming together to heed God's call to love and serve our neighbors in need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please learn more about our mission by following our blog. Please consider joining us or supporting us in this mission. More information is found at our links, below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information, please follow our links:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r36kSaiKPS-R9CfQk9vKg0ACCDcGEQsdcEX_RyGQ63Q/edit" target="_blank"><b>INFO SHEET</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScF57SL4bH2YblunWYkTzhVOo3O8bmtXBZMvW2THQFHpEiZpA/viewform" target="_blank">REGISTRATION FORM</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zAH5fro3CQ9oYBe5N_E5pgriLJR6QWfCNIUqR0UjEl8/edit" target="_blank">BACKGROUND CHECK RELEASE FORM</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/18mB-MJtOcMTU_8C_SN1wh9g2PIjE4rngulhj7oUb6Dw/edit" target="_blank"><b>SUGGESTED PACKING LIST</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please consider promoting the trip to your own congregation if it is part of the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council, or by joining one of our participating congregations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/rebuilding-by-the-river" target="_blank"><b>FUNDING PAGE</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2DQhcBJ1q_KbVMteldzWEVxeGM/view" target="_blank"><b>COLOR POSTER</b></a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-72161861999980606132016-08-02T16:10:00.000-05:002016-08-02T16:10:45.997-05:00Great Hope in People!Our last day working in Detroit, but just another day for the people of this once majestic city!<br />
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We have had a few days of work, and put at least a small dent in the mind boggling needs of the city. Our work projects have only escalated in intensity and effort, with many projects coming to a close while others were brought to a transition point for the next team of volunteers to grace the Cass community.<br />
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Our front steps of the Cass World Building are now completed. The railings, which gave the most challenges, are now solid and safe for all who visit! Our file rooms are completed and sorted. The records so important to running such a large and complex organization are sorted and easily accessed as needed. All the steel outside and main area inside doors are freshly painted, and welcome those who come here for work or to receive services. Our teams at the Scott Building and Mom's Place Two both made significant headway to welcoming the clients of Cass to live under their care.<br />
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Some of our team enjoyed the privilege of working at the original Cass Community Church, installing a 'surprise' carillon, which only Rev. Fowler knew about before hand. Our crew needed to run the IT side of the installation, programming the carillon computer, install the hardware in very old, very strong stone, then wire the electronics so they were weatherproof for years of calling the community to worship. This church has the largest pipe organ in the state of Michigan, and original Tiffany stained glass windows. This is truly a historic church, which has seen much change in Detroit since it was built in 1883.<br />
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For our last evening in Detroit, most of our group opted for a cruise on the Detroit river, along the border of the US and Canada. This was a great chance to unwind and reflect on our time working with Cass. The weather was perfect for our Motown cruise, and the Detroit Princess crew did a great job of feeding and entertaining us.<br />
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We drove home on Sunday morning. Pastor Jim Andrews provided a reflection on our Sunday readings, and our conversation continued to help us process all we saw and did during our trip. One last stop for lunch, then on to our homes. We arrived safely, and are forever changed by our concern and experiences in Detroit.<br />
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Follow along and come to one of our follow up presentations!<br />
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In God's Service,<br />
Your Interfaith Mission TeamAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-54008387748751342082016-07-22T21:13:00.000-05:002016-07-22T21:13:07.002-05:00The picture of Cass Community Social Services is coming into focus!Spending time with Cass has helped us to see not only the tasks we are directly helping with, but also the depth and breadth of the services as well!<br />
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Several of our projects from yesterday have come to an end, and others have entered newer phases! There are also new projects coming into play, all of which are keeping us busy.<br />
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Our Cass House crew finished their work landscaping, so this team integrated with with our existing crew in Scott Building, to continue making the top floor ready for residents. Mom's Place two continued to make headway for residency as well. Both of these locations, in addition to others in the Cass network, are adapting to a change in the federal funding laws, which no longer favor transient housing. This may be a good thing in the long run, but for now, it is causing much turmoil and work for the already stretched non-profit ministries in Detroit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working in the corners. Much needed cleaning at Scott.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting the walls to bring new life to the apartments.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some boards have outlived their usefulness.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting in all directions at Mom's Place Two.</td></tr>
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Work continued at the World Building, which has only been part of Cass for a short time. Already, this has become a center for service and training! There are a number of products made here, which include the use of illegally dumped auto and truck tires, broken glass from the many shattered windows in the city, and lumber from razed homes destroyed by time or fire. These products, details to follow, help both clean up the neighborhoods and offer employment for those most in need. We continued to make this building usable for Cass' purposes by making progress on the entry stairs, painting the doors which probably haven't had attention in a decade, and moving all the record files onto the shelving begun yesterday. So far, only four floors of this eight story building are being used, but there are plans for the entire structure! We can't wait to see what the leadership of Cass comes up with.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strong handrails for the new stairs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fresh coat of paint on the doors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Files and more files!</td></tr>
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Tomorrow, we will have more of a tour of the facilities of Cass Community Social Services, and see first hand the many ways this neighborhood is helping itself find roots and establish a community.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-2524724035199627812016-07-21T20:55:00.001-05:002016-07-21T20:55:41.996-05:00A Hot Day, with Rewarding Work!Our alarms were going off by 6:00am so we could get ready, have breakfast and make the bus by 7:15am! Our crew was awake and ready to go, and the hotel did a wonderful job keeping the breakfast items stocked.<br />
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Upon arriving at Cass Community Social Services' "Scott House", we unloaded and split into our various work groups, We had 6 work teams in four buildings to start, all but one of which were in a couple square blocks. We had a crew working in the Mom's Place Two, three crews (one floating IT crew) in the Cass World Building, another crew in the Scott House, and one more working a distance away at the Cass House.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cass Community Social Services - Mom's Place Two.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IT crew making the security systems work correctly.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Defining the landscaping project at Cass House.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power Tools! Building some stairs to enter the World Building.</td></tr>
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Our crew did work to clean up the basement of the World Building, as well as move shelves from the 4th floor to be set up in one of the newly cleaned out rooms. Another crew worked on the entry stairs to the World Building, which had a newly constructed ramp already in place. Several of our team worked to make the Mom's Place Two inhabitable for a reformatted housing program which is set to be in place by September 1. The IT crew enjoyed working in all manner of environments, including the air conditioned administrative office! It is possible they took their time in this part of their rounds. Our last team worked at Cass House, a home for HIV positive men. Their job was to clean up the grounds which were, except for some basic lawn mowing, completely overgrown.<br />
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This evening, we enjoyed dinner at O'Kelly's Banquets. The food and fellowship was fantastic, and Rev. Fowler shared the story of creating the social service programs we see, over the past 20 years. The story is amazing, and begs to be engaged further. We will continue to both learn about what Cass is all about, as well as do some more work to their and God's purposes, as our trip continues.<br />
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Please check out Cass Community Social Services at their web site:<a href="https://casscommunity.org/" target="_blank">https://casscommunity.org/</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-22856503378932607152016-07-20T21:51:00.000-05:002016-07-20T21:51:50.828-05:00Welcome to... Dearborn!Welcome back to our Detroit mission page.<br />
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We met this afternoon at Kingswood United Methodist Church in Buffalo Grove, IL for lunch. We enjoyed a meal together, and had a chance to meet others traveling to Detroit for this year's Interfaith mission trip. We have people along from Hope Lutheran Church, Kingswood United Methodist Church, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Mary's Parish and Temple Chai. Our team counts 49 this year, and is a rich mix of new participants and veterans. We are people who have done many mission trips, just one or two Interfaith trips, and several who have never been on a service trip before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch and mingling before the drive to Detroit.</td></tr>
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After nourishment, it was time to load the bus! People mingled some more, took group photos, and picked their seats. Pastor Eric Schlichting went through our list to be sure everyone who was to be on the bus was indeed present! Our bus driver, Jeff, gave us the run down on our trip and accommodations for the next 6 hours, and we were on our way! Our journey was uneventful, and we enjoyed the time to get to know one another, stopping in Jackson for a great dinner before continuing to our hotel in Dearborn. Yes, we're ALMOST to Detroit, but not actually there as of tonight.<br />
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Our work team leads were meeting to go over what we had on tap for projects, and they seemed to be enjoying the challenges! Tomorrow, after a good night's sleep, we will wake to breakfast, a 7:15 bus boarding time, and details on our work. Please come back tomorrow to see what we ended up doing for the day.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-6777095727894694192016-01-17T12:34:00.000-06:002016-01-17T12:34:25.005-06:00Interfaith reaching out to Detroit!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Welcome back to the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council blog page!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Drive with us to the Motor City - Detroit, Michigan!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This summer, we will be working with Cass Community Social Services (CCSS), an organization started in 2002 to work in poverty stricken areas of Detroit, providing programs for food, health, housing and jobs. In line with the housing, the are in the process of final approval to break ground for the building of 25 homes. <b><i>This is where we come in!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our team will be part of building some of this new housing, even sending a crew out a day or two early to line up jobs and ensure our group hits the ground running. The specifics are still in the works, but come here to check out the trip as the plans come along, and please consider <i>participating on the inspiring and valuable team!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Learn more about CCSS </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>here: <a href="http://casscommunity.org/" target="_blank">http://casscommunity.org/</a></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGhaCzLSVdc/VHJU4jua_eI/AAAAAAAAAFw/CxshCEa8Pk0/s1600/Bob_Allision.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGhaCzLSVdc/VHJU4jua_eI/AAAAAAAAAFw/CxshCEa8Pk0/s200/Bob_Allision.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To recap our past experiences, and what we bring to the table, the past two years our teams have been about 45 people, from teens to those in their 70's, men and women, skilled and apprentices. We have worked in Washington, IL to clean up farm fields, making them usable after a devastating tornado dropped a large part of the town on them. We built sheds to help those recovering from that same tornado, working in construction teams which brought out our construction and team building skills!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our second trip was also tornado recovery, in Brookport, IL. We worked on three different sites, and five different buildings in various stages of construction! It was a privilege to watch some of our crew maneuver an end loader around our foundation site, to see the skill and near acrobatics or some of our younger crew staining rails and decks, and to admire the trade skills of those who installed water heaters or precision cut trim. Our outdoor work crews, especially, deserved special acclamation as the heat index kept climbing until it reached 110</span>°<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">F on our last day!</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvhTANENnp8/VahnXyZg9XI/AAAAAAAAAO4/RFirdclUB5o/s1600/P1740040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvhTANENnp8/VahnXyZg9XI/AAAAAAAAAO4/RFirdclUB5o/s200/P1740040.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Throughout both of these trips and our time together reminiscing here at home, we enjoyed the fellowship of coming together to talk and worship in different ways. We have built solid relationships between our faith communities, and formed bonds of friendship with one another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Peace and prayers to you, as we prepare again to be the hands and feet of God in the world.</i></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-73907786472081509722015-07-20T07:17:00.001-05:002015-07-20T21:28:55.994-05:00Changed People.<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our work is done, and our drive home went well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pastor Eric shared a time of Christian prayer on the bus, and we once again felt the presence of God in our interfaith group. We ended the prayers by sharing peace with one another in a renewed spirit of cooperation and purpose.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastor Eric did a wonderful job of<br />
sharing <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">our </span><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">common purpose under God</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">as </span><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">seen </span><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">through our Interfaith lenses.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once settling into the drive, some of us rested, others read books, but most seemed to chat about the experiences we had. Our memories are filled with images of working in the heat, the meals we shared, and perhaps most of all, the stories of those we met. Trying to imagine what it was like for our friends Lucille or Franci</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">s as they experienced the tornado first hand will be with us for years to come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are now back in our homes, comfortable and cool. Our bodies can feel the effects of our work, and our hearts are touched by the lives of our new friends. Our prayer is that we don't forget what we've seen and learned, and that others will be touched by our story to join us for our next mission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you for your prayers, and please watch both here and in our congregations on news of presentations and upcoming trips.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-15784100900995748372015-07-18T22:05:00.003-05:002015-07-20T21:29:38.608-05:00Our Final Day, Braved in a Heat Index of 110ºF!<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Welcome to our final Brookport mission trip work day offering. We went out in style, in good ole' country heat and humidity! The heat and humidity were not to deter our team, working on our projects to the end. Some of us could do without the high heat index, but the experiences of meeting people and accomplishing work made the temperatures just another part of the story.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZzKbOQPkGc/VasORqnjPYI/AAAAAAAAAQk/SDiKeGEqMd0/s1600/P1740174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZzKbOQPkGc/VasORqnjPYI/AAAAAAAAAQk/SDiKeGEqMd0/s320/P1740174.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the high heat forecast for the day,<br />
we made sure all work sites had plenty of<br />
water and a plan to take regular breaks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our first team, at the foundation site, did an amazing job leveling and starting the joists for the senior home. The next team to work on this project will have a great and solid place to start their work, with our crack construction team making sure this home will be a well built place to live.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bfM_FlRqELg/VasPmZVxydI/AAAAAAAAARk/4k2zFMeU6Bc/s1600/P1740213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bfM_FlRqELg/VasPmZVxydI/AAAAAAAAARk/4k2zFMeU6Bc/s400/P1740213.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The foundation is ready for the building to begin.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The team working on the three Short Street homes did well moving a large number of diverse projects forward. The planning was so good that even with multiple teams working on each building, no one got hemmed in by another floor finishing group laying tile or staining front and rear decks to inhibit another team's exit. All houses have water heaters, most decks are fully stained (with the exception of the steps of the home with our last interior work group), much trim was painted, a walkway with mulch was added as landscaping, and a large number of weeds were whacked away from the foundations.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0n6fuHHJRF8/VasO4QzF3YI/AAAAAAAAARY/rmAfrlbpCrU/s1600/DSC_5801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0n6fuHHJRF8/VasO4QzF3YI/AAAAAAAAARY/rmAfrlbpCrU/s400/DSC_5801.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tile Masters showing off their craft! Only a few</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">feet left in the front, and some grout work.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CbfbeAiaGbc/VasPmxsAmVI/AAAAAAAAARw/5sxvFNXOAIU/s1600/P1740204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CbfbeAiaGbc/VasPmxsAmVI/AAAAAAAAARw/5sxvFNXOAIU/s320/P1740204.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The freshly mulched walkway will offer an</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">attractive way to get to the back of the home.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The team working on Francis' home had some of the more interesting stories today. Lucille's description of a freight
train running over her house came back to mind when thinking about
Francis' experience and what her home had gone through. She was in her home during the tornado, and as we learned on previous days, neighbors lost their homes and she had lost family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Her heart was with the others, and she thought her home had survived the winds. In fact, Francis' house was severely damaged! The walls had all shifted, and the elements were able to get in and do some major water and mold damage. In the end, after months of work, others were able to bring the house back into a structurally sound condition, leaving the finishing touches for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our team made a lot of progress in painting, trimming, and landscaping the house, as well as making some key discoveries which will help her make the house more durable for years to come. In clearing some of the dirt from the foundation, we found that the home is very near the water table. This can be evidenced by the water continually bubbling to the surface along the foundation, and the numerous crayfish mud piles in the yard. Joe, our contractor, has some ideas of how to protect her home, and it is the plan to fix this now rather than later.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DoLxFmBPQyg/VasO4o2yeFI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/UEzWE7MF9NY/s1600/11745537_10153043466689077_1531365652706931234_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DoLxFmBPQyg/VasO4o2yeFI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/UEzWE7MF9NY/s320/11745537_10153043466689077_1531365652706931234_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Much dirt was moved at Francis' home.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQ-0GJ0sGd8/VasO4vrQGGI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/enWb_i8BY_0/s1600/DSC_5783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQ-0GJ0sGd8/VasO4vrQGGI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/enWb_i8BY_0/s320/DSC_5783.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Painting and trimming, her home was</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">looking more beautiful by the hour.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FWrB7APhPp4/VasO7c3mulI/AAAAAAAAARA/WnZbr81Kqw4/s1600/P1740164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FWrB7APhPp4/VasO7c3mulI/AAAAAAAAARA/WnZbr81Kqw4/s320/P1740164.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Precision trimming! Each piece was</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">checked and fitted for a nice, clean trim.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDCePP-mQw4/VasO8M5rOzI/AAAAAAAAARM/K51Sfob6NaY/s1600/P1740166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDCePP-mQw4/VasO8M5rOzI/AAAAAAAAARM/K51Sfob6NaY/s320/P1740166.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Foundation concerns at the waterline. Even with</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">regular pumping, this trench along her foundation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">continued to fill with groundwater.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4WjmNV4xCdY/VasO-vOGhVI/AAAAAAAAARU/gKBD3ME7pj8/s1600/P1740169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4WjmNV4xCdY/VasO-vOGhVI/AAAAAAAAARU/gKBD3ME7pj8/s320/P1740169.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A lesson in nature, these mounds are created</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">by crayfish who burrow between a couple</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">inches and a couple feet for their nests. These</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">mounds indicate that the water table is not far below.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">At the end of our day, we took Lucille up on her invitation to come by any time to see her home, built by other volunteers. She is a gracious hostess, and wonderful interior decorator! Her home was a model of fashion and hospitality.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQClx7gtVYM/VasO_RHdozI/AAAAAAAAARg/vx56Qa5KUlk/s1600/P1740222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQClx7gtVYM/VasO_RHdozI/AAAAAAAAARg/vx56Qa5KUlk/s400/P1740222.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Most of our 41 person crew filed into Lucille's<br />home to see the work other teams have done.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our evening ended with a dinner at Pizza Inn, a tasty buffet where we could all indulge in the foods we had been avoiding while working in the heat. We continued to get to know one another, and shared stories of faith and mission. Overall, it has been a fantastic experience, and we hope many more will join us next year. Tomorrow we join one another for a prayer breakfast before returning home to our regular work, and those we love at home.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-80094869247717248312015-07-17T21:48:00.000-05:002015-07-20T21:29:52.171-05:00Day Two, and a Triple Digit Heat Index!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The heat was raised! Both in the amount of work we were called to do, and the heat index which reached 104 today! We watched one another, made sure we took water breaks regularly, and worked out of the sun as much as possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our team split into three groups today. One continued working on the foundation we started on Thursday, and got the poor deal of having the least shade available.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A second team worked on Francis' house, who joined us for dinner last night. They did some inside painting work, as well as some outdoor leveling of the grounds around the house. Still outside, but with some options.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f1VnhK_QJ7o/Vam2RewxPdI/AAAAAAAAAPU/sBccfKzJdrI/s320/DSC_5652.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="239" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don cutting vinyl flooring where one of<br />the water heaters will be installed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qj7-ld-H3aI/Vam2Qp64ZiI/AAAAAAAAAPM/24oUBP1d3WU/s320/P1740071.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="318" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tina was a caulking machine,<br />trimming an entire house.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our third team (and the one with the most cameras on tap) returned to the houses on Short street. We did some work on installing both tile and vinyl flooring, caulking and trimming the walls, staining front and back decks, landscaping, and even installing two water heaters!</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oKxTc-MjTIo/Vam2Vlxah0I/AAAAAAAAAPc/ktnOZejR9NY/s200/DSC_5681.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="181" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our landscaping team of Donna,<br />Bev and Karen helped to make<br />the outside look welcoming.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEbNFu9pPv0/Vam2Vw_gCXI/AAAAAAAAAPg/eSOopxTGw8M/s200/P1740079.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jan does windows,<br />and does them well!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc3htwntcyI/Vam2WboB8AI/AAAAAAAAAPo/h3QNuvyyoi4/s320/P1740085.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kathy and Stephanie worked toward<br />becoming master tile layers.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> We also had the opportunity to meet and talk with Linda, without whose hard work, the recovery effort would not be making as much progress. We found out from her that, without the work of hundreds of volunteers such as ourselves, the community would still be in significant disrepair. The three houses we are working on are the last of the displaced reconstructions from the storms. Additional building will continue, but these will be to start moving the community forward and beyond the terrible memories that day of death and destruction brought.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc3htwntcyI/Vam2WboB8AI/AAAAAAAAAPo/h3QNuvyyoi4/s1600/P1740085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UCG4LNZAWqA/Vam2YzPnbJI/AAAAAAAAAP0/PDwJ3B1pk0k/s320/P1740105.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Linda is the caseworker for the MPCRC who brought this<br />neighborhood together with resources so the lives of those<br />affected by the tornadoes could begin to return to normal.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We once again enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Walker Hall, celebrating Shabbat, signifying the end of our week's work, though we are would still labor on the Sabbath, Saturday. The prayers were led by members of Temple Chai, and we all prayed in appreciation of our experiences so far.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We also had the privilege of hosting Lucille and some of her friends, who prepared lunch for us each day this week. They are a wonderful and giving group of angels who though affected by the destruction of November 17, 2013, want to give back to those of us who come to help.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2ZUFCJoC1Y/Vam8Sh7kDeI/AAAAAAAAAQI/1vtrLRzR43A/s1600/DSC_5688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r2ZUFCJoC1Y/Vam8Sh7kDeI/AAAAAAAAAQI/1vtrLRzR43A/s400/DSC_5688.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our guests for dinner this Shabbat evening. Lucille, center<br />in the green shirt, shared her moving story of survival<br />as her house was destroyed by the tornado, with her in it!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomorrow promises to be significant both because of the work we plan to complete, and the expectation of even higher temperatures. Please continue to pray for us, the work we are doing, our safety in labor, and the community we are here to help!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-7636788757181710912015-07-17T07:38:00.003-05:002015-07-20T20:54:50.517-05:00The Work Begins.<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thursday morning, we drove into Brookport, to the site of the First Baptist Church. The damage from the tornado has been mostly cleaned up by this time, but looking at the photo below, we can see that this area was heavily damaged by the storm.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial photo of the damage just after the tornado,<br />
just next to the church we are working near. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our work project for the morning was the foundation of a three unit home for seniors being constructed on the property next door. We found out that one of the displaced seniors whose home was destroyed is staying in a 8' x 20' shipping container, outfitted with windows and a small HVAC unit. This was all he and his family could do with the insurance money they received, and the community believes that they can do better for him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The foundation had been poured, and cinder blocks laid to the height of the flood plain of the area, and our task was to fill in around the walls so the ground would be flat for drainage. The dirt was full of clay and concrete debris, and the work was back breaking in the heat. Our team did an amazing job, and people gave it their all in body, mind and spirit.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Several workers filling in the trench<br />around the foundation walls.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of the tools we got to use were the usual shovels and rakes for smoothing out the ground. A pick axe came handy to chop up the large clay chunks as well. Then, of course, were the power tools! We used drills to put holes in the sill boards and wrenches to attach it to the studs embedded in the concrete. Some of us grabbed power drills and screwdrivers to help beef up a material rack, storing lumber and piping for this and other recovery construction projects. And of course, the power tool of power tools, we had access to an end loader and backhoe! This came in handy for moving larger amounts of dirt to the general areas were it was needed, but the bulk of the work still had to be done by hand.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An end loader was popular to watch, though a lot of work<br />still remained in moving the dirt where it needed to go.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After lunch, some of our team headed to individual homes for some detail work. We installed a water heater in one home, worked on flooring in another, and did some finishing work in painting yet another which was already occupied. This was a welcomed change for the lucky laborers who got this last, air conditioned home.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Masking and painting, this was the final phase before the<br />homeowner, Francis, would make this house a home.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For dinner, we drove to Walker Hall for a wonderful dinner. We invited Frances, whose house we worked on, to join us. She shared the story of hearing storm warnings, hiding in her bathroom (homes in a flood plain don't have basements), hearing what she described as a freight train driven over her home, and come out to see her neighborhood flattened. Her home was damaged, but still standing, while those just across the street were gone. Francis' cousin was one of those killed in the storm that day, and her husband is still in rehab from the injuries he suffered, hoping to come home soon, though he will be alone.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of our work team sharing a photo op with Francis.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our second day of work promises to be taxing, as the temperatures are projected to rise to the mid-90's, and heat index could be in the triple digits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep us in your prayers for safe laboring, along with the people of Brookport who have much recovery yet to do.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-31671079328813179432015-07-16T07:35:00.001-05:002015-07-20T20:52:47.539-05:00On our way!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Welcome back to our story! Your story! God's story!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As with all good Mission stories, we always start with two rules.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Plan everything! Make sure you plan every detail you are aware of, leaving little or nothing to chance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Be prepared to change those plans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just one week before leaving for Brookport, and to check our final details, Pastor Eric made a call to our coordinator to see if anything had changed. As it turned out, yes there was a change - our coordinator no longer worked there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So in the interest of being led on a journey into the unknown, much as Abraham and Sarah may have done, though with less pressure, we checked in with another person who will be our guide this week. Our task list is less fuzzy, and our plans continue strongly into our second 'rule.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This brings us to Wednesday afternoon, when we all met at Hope Lutheran Church in Buffalo Grove, IL for a wonderful send off lunch. We had a chance to catch up with our mission team mates, and meet some new friends from other congregations. Spirits were high, and smiles were all around as we waited for our bus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pastor Martha, as is her rich and wise way, shared with us what essentially is a Prayer Partner dynamic for our trip. We each pulled another person's name from a basket who we don't know very well, and are to pray for this person, revealing ourselves only at the end of the week.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pastor Martha, sending us with a task of prayer.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> After lunch, we all boarded our air conditioned motor coach, piloted by the same wonderful driver as last year, Laura. We gathered for congregation pictures, and of course our group photo.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our group shot. A motley crew with hearts of gold!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our drive went well, stopping in Mt Vernon for a buffet dinner, arriving in Peducah, KY at our hotel at 9pm. We all settled in for a good night's sleep, and prepared for our first day of work beginning Thursday morning.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-50803149578119530012015-06-07T21:41:00.002-05:002015-06-07T21:41:36.061-05:00Many Changes in the City of BrookportStorms, especially tornadoes, can change a landscape, as well as the people who live in the path of destruction. In the case of Brookport, that landscape includes historical buildings central to the history, and even identity of the town.<br />
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One structure which had to be removed was a water tower, known affectionately as the "Tin Man", which kept watch over the community for 107 years, and is the centerpiece of the town logo. After the tornado came through, it was left too damaged to repair, and too small to rebuild.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wcv7BvCcMlQ/VXT_cU-MTGI/AAAAAAAAAME/PTF2FnI6BcU/s1600/BrookportLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wcv7BvCcMlQ/VXT_cU-MTGI/AAAAAAAAAME/PTF2FnI6BcU/s320/BrookportLogo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another building, the Pellonia Place gym, was also damaged beyond repair during the storm. This building was pivotal to the integration of white and black youths in an era when they had few places to associate with one another. This piece of history is also key to the founding of the town when Enoch Fleece entered his claim to this property in 1821, shortly after Illinois became a free state.<br />
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These pieces of history, in addition to the personal loss in property and life, will leave Brookport a new community. It is true that new opportunities may follow, but until that time, they are still in dire need of financial and physical aid.<br />
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As a mission team, we are anticipating playing a small part in the changing of Brookport. We can see how our work will help them move forward and grow as a town, recovering from near devastation, and looking to the future. We are getting the word out through flyers, talks, social media and most importantly personal contact. So, if you're reading this, come join us!<br />
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If you would still like to help, the deadline for signing up is June 7th, but we will accept financial support at any time. We are also still looking for people interested in helping make lunches for the work crew, so anyone of any ability level is welcome!<br />
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Thank you for your support and prayers!<br />
<i>The Interfaith Mission Team</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-4126962925096537302015-04-22T14:31:00.003-05:002015-04-22T14:42:33.484-05:00Getting Personal!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Getting Personal!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many of us were glued to our news outlets on April 9th, 2015 when another series of tornadoes struck Illinois, this time just an hour from our homes. These storms came during our evening news, and closer to where many of us have our own personal connections to the communities.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aerial photo of Fairdale, IL.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were riveted by incoming storm warnings, and announcements of observed storm activity. Our pulses increased as funnel clouds were expected, and then observed. Our hearts sank as reports came back of damage, injuries, and sadly, deaths.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Welcome to Fairdale!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These storms, especially for those of us who either have lived through destruction in the past, or even simply came to help others, were particularly moving. The images of fallen homes, and destroyed lives, were haunting!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All too common view after the storm.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This brings us to why we are visiting Brookport this July. We have constant, and close reminders of the power of wind, and the destructive qualities of these storms. It is news stories such as these which help us better understand the depth of need for rebuilding and healing faced by our neighbors. It is the life stories which no longer cover the front pages which touch us in the relationships we build as we help these communities recover after the media, and our awareness, have long gone home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please come to help the people of Brookport, who are facing continued recovery with 14 homes currently under some stage of construction, and have plans to build at least another 30 homes on previously destroyed properties. There is also plenty of work needed on homes damaged by the storms. No matter your skill level, your heart and mind are still needed!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15152011398189407668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96824226896569427.post-66873639195307784082015-03-19T20:01:00.004-05:002015-03-19T20:01:46.960-05:00An Invitation for You!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>You are invited!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>You are invited to join us as we journey to Brookport, Illinois! We will join the Massac & Pope County Recovery Committee (MPCRC) as they tirelessly work to continue recovering from the deadly November 17th, 2013 tornadoes.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Brookport tornadoes destroyed both property and lives.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>How can you join us, you may ask?</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are two ways to be part of the exciting way to serve our neighbors to the south by the side of our Interfaith neighbors here at home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first is to sign up and be part of the team. The experience of working with others to help people clean, build and heal can be life changing! We have had a number of presentations where team members shared their touching stories, smiles and even some tears. Feel free to seek out participants from last year, and let them share why you should be part of this year's trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You don't need to have specific skills to join us. There is a large variety of work needed, so if you know plumbing and electrical, that's great! If you can wield a rake or camera, or even just watch that our team is getting enough water, that would be wonderful. Even some cooking / menu planning skills would fine a fine home on the trip this year!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A house rebuild in Brookport gets started. Follow along and watch<br />this house become a home, as a previous group helped the town recover.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second way to participate is to offer financial or organizational help. Do you have water or supplies to offer our work team? Perhaps you or your organization has earmarked funds to help others in need, which we can use to buy materials or otherwise support the needs of those still recovering. Do you have tools or building materials for light construction, which you can send along with our work groups? Of course, please keep both our team and our hosts in your prayers as they work to rebuild Brookport and peoples' lives.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AKhr_TikCn0/VQn2JGmiVzI/AAAAAAAAAJg/07dMy3J4uSI/s1600/10339749_511479645622586_4735841215650265505_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AKhr_TikCn0/VQn2JGmiVzI/AAAAAAAAAJg/07dMy3J4uSI/s1600/10339749_511479645622586_4735841215650265505_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Brookport house starts to take shape. <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">We will be<br />doing similar work on our trip this summer.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please sign up for the trip through the following link:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/190d5DlMEmcPh6wYPUFlgn7HVU7NlmfnR7z4tWH8cjPo/viewform" target="_blank">Application Form</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, Eric Enskat will be speaking at Temple Chai on May 1st at 6:30 pm to share a little of what was done in Washington and what to expect in Brookport. He will also be on hand to answer questions regarding this trip, both before and after the service. Please come by to celebrate <i>Kabbalat Shabbat</i> ("Welcoming Shabbat") </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with the community and learn more!</span><br />
<a href="http://www.templechai.org/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Temple Chai</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you have questions, please contact on of the member churches or synagogues, and be sure to get signed up by June 7th, when we finalize our plans and reservations.</span><br />
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<li style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope Lutheran Church</span></i></li>
<li style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd</span></i></li>
<li style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Temple Chai</span></i></li>
<li style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">St Mary Parish</span></i></li>
<li style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Congregation Beth Judea</span></i></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you again from the NSIC Mission Planning Team, and everyone who is helping our neighbors in their time of need.</span><br />
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