“In my eight years coming on this trip, I have never seen anything like this house.”

“What a dedicated bunch of mission trippers, to go into a house with such unpleasant conditions.”

We knew the house in Gulfport needed new floors, kitchen cabinets — in fact, a brand-new kitchen — siding, doors. What we didn’t know was we’d be dealing with black mold, cockroaches and assorted other unidentifiable critters. The family of eight (including young children) living in this three-bedroom house had decamped to relatives elsewhere for the duration of the rehab.

Even Craig, BBM’s construction manager, hadn’t been prepared for what would be revealed when the kitchen cabinets were demolished. A picture is worth a thousand words…

 

Despite the conditions they encountered, these mission trippers mentioned their good spirits and dug in.

Mike sent me disgusting photos of creepy crawlies that appeared when the kitchen cabinets were demolished, but I’ll save those for another post.

Meanwhile, the relentless rain amped up the challenge. A tornado warning was in effect all day, with hail threatened, and wind-driven rain, thunder and lightning added more excitement. Even those who stayed behind to fix lunch, grocery shop and prepare dinner had to brave the elements. In the end, though, there were no casualties and everyone was prepared to report for duty again tomorrow.