Thursday Evening

We had a short work day today.  Most teams wrapped up at noon so we could take in the sights of Nashville.  Two vans have returned - three remain out on the town!

Tomorrow we will head back to the work sites in the morning and head back to Westminster around 3:30.  Many of us are anxious about what we will get finished, or perhaps better said - what we will have to leave undone.  No doubt all those who make these trips share the disappointment in not being able to see jobs to completion.  But we have made a difference in the lives of those to whom we have ministered.

This will be the last post I will make.  (Stephanie)  Gary and Lisa will share closing thoughts about the trip when they return and get back onto a working computer and I will try to erase any traces of his password from my brain so I can't highjack his future blogs.

I think most in the group are ready to come home.  We miss you all!  We plan to be on the bus at 9pm tomorrow and back to Clarion mid morning on Saturday.  We will probably be a bit fussy and tired, so just give us a hug, do a lot of nodding and then really talk to us on Sunday! 

Thank you again for your prayers - and here is an extra one from us for our friend Marilyn.  We will miss you on the bus ride home (and Sandy too) and hope your healing has already begun.

How to Comment on this Blog!!!

Here is how you comment on the blog if yuo don't have a google account.   We miss hearing from everyone and are sorry that you haven't been able to sign in. Our computer died when we arrived here and we haven't been able to access anything until now because of other responsibilities.

Please keep Marilyn Tully in your prayers.  She has arrived home and is headed to an orthopedic surgeon early on Friday morning.
Blessings,
Gary & Lisa Lyon

Here is how you access the blog:1. Click on the word comments next to "Posted by the REVS L&G at the bottom of this blog
2. Type a comment
3. Hit Select Profile
4. If you aren't using your own use the churches by doing the following: 5: Choose Google Account
6. Click on Publish Post
7. Username: crcpcblog@gmail.com
8. Password: exodus007
9. Type Word Verification
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Mike's Team

Wednesday Evening

The group just finished dinner and preparing for devotions. There has been a talk by some about a trip to Dairy Queen a little later. 

We are responsible for cooking our meals, but tonight was a special meal hosted by the church.  Each Wednesday evening they have a church-wide fellowship meal.  There was about 15 children there who had just finished choir practice.  They lead grace with the singing of Johnny Appleseed.  We noticed some people who came in for take out meals.  (members make reservations in advance)  Homeowners are invited but none of those we are serving were able to attend.   Also in the building tonight is their outreach program, "A Room at the Inn".  It is a homeless outreach program shared by a number of churches in the Nashville area.  Once a month up to 20 people who are homeless are given a meal, a place to shower, and a place to sleep. 

Time for devotions... more in a bit

Patreen lead devotions tonight which was followed by a time of sharing our experiences for the day.  The work crews from Westminster are thrilled with our progress and thankful we were willing to come so close to the holidays.  As we complete these big jobs it will make it easier for them to work over the next couple months on punch lists that will wrap up many of the homes.  The corridinator shared tonight at dinner they still have 74 homes on the work list.   

As the night comes to an end, a large group has huddled around the new puzzle.  Others have gone to bed for the night and some are enjoying conversation and planning their activities tomorrow afternoon.  We will work until noon, come back and shower and then make the transition from workers to tourists. 

The not-so-good thing today was the injury of one of our workers.  Marilyn was on a ladder screwing in drywall.  As she stepped off the ladder she thought she had reached the last step.  Unfortunately there was one more step.  As she tried to break her fall she broke her wrist.  Lisa took her to the ER where she received treatment.  Her sister Sandy is also on the trip.  Together they decided it would be best for her to fly home because of the discomfort of the bus.  So they will head back to PA early tomorrow morning.  Marilyn's wrist has been immobilized and she said she is currently not in pain. She will follow up with doctors in PA when she returns home. Please keep her in your prayers.  Her spirits are high and she still has the beautiful smile on her face.  What a trooper!

New BFFs - Donna and Autumn

The tool room - getting ready for the day

They love their jobs!

Tool gathering

Jason's Team - an new day

What a productive day.  Our team worked hard on a family's basement in which several children lived.  Our work day started off with the crew sweeping floors and covering furniture and preparing for the sanding of drywall mudding.  What a dusty job!  We had a cloud of dust that prevented those with cameras from takin clear pictures.

We broekd for lunch and then it was back to work!  jason broke us into groups.  Half the group had the jb of priming the walls of one of the three rooms.  The rest of us were sent to mud the walls.

By the end of the work day we made it to the last room and everyone pitched in.  Everyone had a blast!  Tomorrow's events will include more mudding, priming and painting.    (Reported by Autumn)

 Team Jason - Day One

Moving of the gravel pile (by hand) to the driveway.  The football team and cheerleaders couldn't handle it so we had to do it!

Digging holes for a privacy fence.  We have not been able to complete this job yet due to rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Donna - hard at work! 

Jason's Team

On Monday we were working at the home of Debbie Jefferson, a woman who ran a family day care out of her home. The storm water left Debbie's house uninhabitable and unable to function as her work place. There is a time factor in finishing this job, as her PODS (Portable On Demand Storage units)  must be returned at the end of the week or she'll have to pay for another month of storage. Our crew is primarily doing "finish" work throughout the home, including drywall mudding, caulking, and installing crown molding. Debbie is anxious to return to her normal surroundings and resume her responsibilities to the children she cares for.

Tuesday we worked at the home of Krystal Gains. Krystal (who is pregnant), her husband and 19 month old daughter had their home flooded when 18 inches of water washed down the hill behind their home. Parts of the house needed to be gutted and rebuilt. Today our assignment was to install drywall on the ceilings and walls of the family room/ office/storage rooms. The ceilings are vaulted to approximately 12 feet high, so we used a drywall "lift" to raise the 12 foot sheets high enough to screw them to the wall studs. The process is time consuming, but we managed to get the ceiling in one room, and most of the ceiling in the second room completed today.

Men with a plan

Women with power tools.  Oh yeah!!!!

Fear the drill!

Wednesday Morning

Good Morning.  It's about 7:30am here central time and we have gathered in the large meeting room awaiting our final instructions for the day.  Each morning the group is a little quieter as the work of the week begins to take its toll.  As we all stood last night for prayers you could hear the collective groans, even from our youngest member, Autumn.   But it's a good tired because it is a tired that comes from labor dedicated to the glory of God!  The rain of today and yesterday no doubt adds to the lethargy. 

After working yesterday five members of the group headed out to the Grand Old Opry.  They loved the show!  Doug and Linda met Linda's cousin, who lives in the area, for a night out.  The rest of us are anticipating Thursday when we will break at noon so we can participate in the culture for the remainder of the day. 

The first 1000 piece puzzle was completed last night.  Number 2 begins today. 

We miss our family and friends but are thankful for the new relationships we are building here in Nashville. 

Ronnie's Story

Tim's team report:  Like so many in Nashville, Ronnie Coleman was flooded in May 2010.  He was stranded in his house for hours.  As water rose his life was in danger as he did not know how to swim.  He was rescued, but suffered the devastation of losing everything.  He contacted Westminster Presbyterian and is now getting the help he needs to go on living in his childhood home.

Team members Bob, Jerrilyn, Lance, Patreen, Donna and leader Tim have been working hard.  The first two days of the week have been spent laying laminate flooring, cleaning and helping Ronnie to sort through his belongings.

Ronnie lives in his home with his beloved African parrot, Barney.  Ronnie has been at home, always willing to work with the team and share stories.  He has been living in the sunroom, the only room of his house that is heated.  He recently had an HVAC system installed.  Walls have been drywalled and painted.  The kitchen is currrently being renovated and Ronnie is wating for delivery of kitchen cabinets.

Much work remains on Ronnie's house.  He does not have a ktichen sink and many flood damaged household objects are stacked on his patio.  We have only begun the process that will bring full restoration.

Work Day 2

It's Tuesday and the teams are once again out at the worksites.  This is Stephanie blogging for Gary.  I unfortunately brought a cold with me to Nashville so after taking a team to a site I came back to the church center while all the others are out and about serving.

It's raining and cooler here today.  They are calling for one to three inches rain.  Because of this some of the planned worksites had to be set aside.  With our very flexible and eager group, people were reassigned and out the door without much interruption.

Westminster Presbyterian Church is a lovely facility loacted in western Nashville.  It's a very busy church, alive with a school and program staff.  Eleven men are sharing one sleeping room and the rafters have shaken with the snoring. Only a divider seperates them from the women's room.  There are 20 women so some of them decided it would be best to move to an adjacent overflow room.  (rumor has it they were the snorers although I can vouch for the fact that one remained in the room as her sleep time last night was quite lyrical!)

Gary and Lisa Lyon are outstanding mission team coordinators.  They are up late every night planning and preparing for the next day's work.  They make it look so effortless but we all know better.  Gary and Lisa received word last night that their daughter Abby, who has a very young baby, was hospitalized and diagnosed with a kidney stone.  We know they would love to be with her.  In their absence we ask you keep all in prayer.

Some of the projects on the list this week are:  ceramic tiling, laminate flooring, hanging 1200 sq. ft. of drywall, fence installation and painting, organizaion and clean up and painting.  As the week progresses various work teams will post stories about their work sites.

A team remained back yesterday and cleaned the kitchen facility here at the center.  The church members who act as liaisons were thrilled!  They said it has never been so clean and oganized and plan on posting some policies for those using it in the future.  Thanks to Lisa, Betty, Flo and Debbie for making us look so good!  Maybe they can name it the "Kiski Kitchen".

Tonight, following dinner, a few folks are going to the Grand Old Opry where Josh Turner will be the feature performer.  Others will relax at the center where they may finish a 1000 piece puzzle, watch television, chat, read...  whatever they want to do in their free time.

Our return plans have been adjusted and we will be leaving Nashville at 9pm Friday night with the expectation of arriving in Clarion between 10 am 11am Saturday. 

We thank you for your payers and support.  What a joy it is to serve!

Doug's Story

Imagine being out of state and you get the call telling you everything you have is gone.  That’s Doug’s story.  Doug was out of town for work. He knew the Nashville area was being bombarded with rain but had no idea the chaos to which he would return.  In fact in the end, they received up to 18 inches in thirty six hours.  It’s been eighteen months since the flood.  The work on Doug’s home is coming to a close but the memories are as fresh as the day he received the news.

Doug and Linda, from the Sigel Church,  John from Beechwoods and I (Stephanie) from Sligo were assigned to help Doug. Our main task is completing a ceramic tile job in the utility room and laminate floor for the family room.  The work has begun and we are on target to get the projects completed.  The utility room houses the hot water tank.  The area has been under construction for over three weeks, a time during which Doug has had no hot water.  Unconceivable to me to be without hot water for so long.

We had the opportunity to speak at length with Doug today.  On top of all his struggles from the flood, Doug also lost his job two and a half months ago.  Greyline, a local motor coach carrier, downsized by fourteen and he was one on the casualties.  Praise God, Doug was hired by another carrier last week.  Today he was able to buy an armful of groceries for the first time since his period of unemployment.

Doug lost everything in his home but the brick structure remained.  The water rose four feet above his threshold.  So, the house was gutted and piece by piece it is coming back together.  Following the flood in May, he was able to return on Christmas Eve.  He recounts it as the most special Christmas Eve ever.

Our team is lead by Doug who is an outstanding and gifted contractor.  He is guiding us with patience and encouragement.    We have felt your prayers and ask that you also add Doug Martin to your lists. 

Darla laying down on the job!

Al taking over the wet saw for Stephanie.  We won't tell anyone Al that you let it fall off the horses!

Doug and flooring apprentice Betty

Doug...  he works so hard we have to tell him when it's time to eat and quit for the day!

Our team grew on Day 2.  Rain in the area caused other jobs to be delayed.  Team Doug made great progress.  Tile is complete and almost all the laminate has been layed.  They added more tasks for the team and we hope to have Doug's house in great shape by the end of the week.

Sunday News!

31 strong departed from Clarion on Saturday night, November 12th.  We were sad to leave in the parking lot our 32nd participant, David Larimer.  David's daughter in New Hampshire was to have emergency surgery on November 14th in New Hampshire.  (David called this morning on the 14th and said the surgery was very successful.)

We traveled 8 1/2 hours in a bus through the night to Louisville, KY.  We worshipped at 2nd Presbyterian Church and met a class mate of Dr. Wayne Yost from his seminary days!  3 1/2 hours more and we were in Nashville.

We were extremely tired, cranky, but excited to begin this new ministry 18 months after the Cumberland River came over the banks and caused much devastation.   Thank you to the Westminster Presbyterian Church for their hospitality!

Pre-Trip Meeting on October 30th!

           All smiles as we get ready for the trip November 12-19th.   26 of the 32 met at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Kittanning for a pre-trip meeting on Sunday, October 30th.  The Presbytery of Kiskiminetas will commission any Nashville Mission Trip participants that aren't packing at home and make it to the meeting on Saturday, November 12th  at the Clarion church.  We hope and pray that your local congregations will commission you on Sunday, November 6th.  Please call Gary or Lisa Lyon if you have any pre-trip questions!  Send in all financial donations you have received to the Presbytery office ASAP. More about the site in Nashville and the flood recovery work we'll be doing in the coming days.

Please keep this team and the families/homes we'll be working with in your prayers during the next three weeks.  Blessings do abound!       Gary & Lisa Lyon