In spite of reveling in New Orleans last night, everyone managed to report for duty this morning, none the worse for wear.

In fact, there were more hands than we had work for them to do, so groups went to Loaves and Fishes and the Micah Center.

At Jessica Lane, the roof is complete — below are before and after shots of the house.

Usually we install siding, but this house will be sheathed in brick. Aside from the soffits under the eaves, all the other work was interior: insulation, HVAC and sheet rock.

This house is a new build, the first of four such projects BBM hopes to complete each year in addition to the 45 or so rehabs they do. Upon completion, BBM will put the house on the market, targeting income-qualified prospective buyers. The hours we volunteer are wrapped into the value of the house as a sort of lien. Back Bay will provide education for the new homeowner detailing how to take care of the property, and they have written a reference handbook as well. While the work is still satisfying, we find that there is an element missing when we can’t meet the people we’re working for.

Nearly twelve years on, about 25-30% of BBM’s work is related to Katrina, most of it correcting the work of incompetent or unscrupulous contractors. To date, not one of the projects completed by Back Bay volunteers has had to be redone because it was done improperly. The monetary value of the volunteer work done since Katrina is valued at over $8 million.

This year we committed a substantial number of hours to the soup kitchen, the food pantry and the Micah Center. Several people who’ve been coming for many years had never experienced these other opportunities and reflected that they now have a whole new view of what we do here. We’re up close and personal with the faces of homelessness and poverty.

Here’s our farewell photo, with our dear friends from Newtown.

Home tomorrow!

Nail guns, that is… With thanks to Mike. Here’s Jim, going to the gunfight.

Doug described Wednesday as a perfect workday: great weather, energetic crews, lots of progress. The roof was 90% completed by day’s end, and lots of insulation was installed and sheet rocking on the walls well underway.

At Loaves and Fishes, our crew noted the lack of fresh fruits and veggies, so they went shopping and donated produce, much to the delight of the soup kitchen crew.

Wednesday evening we always look forward to the prayer service at the Missionary Baptist Church, and this year was no exception. Patrick King delivered a reflection on his four years coming to Biloxi , and we were in semi-fine voice as we sang our two hymns, Is It I, Lord? and The Servant Song. Before she left, Lorie trained us, and I think we acquitted ourselves pretty well. During the scripture lesson, the new pastor, Luther Fairly, invited anyone who had anything to say to jump right in, and we were all surprised when Chase took to the lectern to share his heartfelt reflection on faith and this, his last mission trip (for awhile, anyway).

Thursday is technically our half-day, when a group of folks (this year 14) go to New Orleans and everyone else supposedly takes the afternoon off. What actually happens, however, is that most of those not going to NOLA continue toiling away at the worksite, and we all go out for dinner later.

After a meeting with BBM staff this morning (Kenny Washington and Director Rev. Alice Graham) the main crew decamped to Jessica Lane, while a group of about a half-dozen went to the Micah House to sort clothing.

Some of our faces…

 

The inspector gave a thumbs-up to the framing, electrical and plumbing, clearing the way for sheet rocking to begin on the ceiling. Insulation is installed throughout, and the soffits under the eaves are up. Tomorrow will be a blitz to get the roof on before rain returns on Thursday.

 

 

Meanwhile, Lori, Lorie, Sharon and Courtney went to Loaves and Fishes to serve breakfast and lunch (Courtney reported that she only cried three times).

We really miss Forbes this year.

During short periods of downtime Jim has been interviewing candidates to lead the clean-up committee, which is totally dysfunctional as a result of Forbes’ absence. While the intention is to hold this crucial position open for him  when he returns, there is a critical need to have someone step in on a temporary basis. We’re taking the vetting process very seriously, even considering the odd background check. Unfortunately, Forbes did not hand the rake to someone to use in his absence, so we’re scrambling to try to keep up the standards of cleanliness that he had previously established.  The importance of this role cannot be overstated!

The crew is grateful that Forbes entrusted Diana to be responsible for picking up coffee and pastries daily, and her first day passed without incident.

There was much merriment tonight as Dale from Newtown taught a large group how to play Red Nines (don’t ask), and the first 1000-piece jigsaw was completed.

Sadly, tomorrow we must say goodbye to Dan and Lorie, as Dan’s brother passed away yesterday after a long illness and they’ll be off to Phoenix to be with family and friends. We have held them in our arms and hearts for the past two days, and our love and prayers will go with them on their sad journey.

Come back tomorrow…

 

 

It was a real blessing to be able to skedaddle from frigid New England to the balmy Mississippi coast for our annual mission trip. At 4 a.m. Sunday, when we set out for the airport, it was about 6°, and even Charlotte was ridiculously cold. But the mild, gentle Biloxi breezes brought smiles to our faces — even though temps were only in the mid-50s.

Yesterday mainly consisted of settling in, doing a big grocery shop and having dinner at Slap Ya Momma’s BBQ. We all had an early night to be ready for Patience Monday.

Rain was pounding on the metal roof of the Mission House when we gathered for breakfast and the usual briefing about our projects and the safety lecture. Our project this week is a new build in Gulfport. The house has been framed and Tyvek wrapped, and that’s about it. I’m calling it the Lakefront Bungalow on Jessica Lane, after the flooded front yard.

Before substantial work can be started inside, inspections must be done and materials obtained. So today about a dozen folks did what they could on the inside to get ready. Hopefully tomorrow the inspector will come to clear the way for hanging insulation and drywall. The weather should clear, and work can begin laying the roof and hanging siding.

Another group of eight formed a cleaning crew to tackle some apartments that have been vacated in order for new tenants to move in.

Meanwhile, we sent lots of volunteers to the food pantry and the Micah Day Center.

All in all, we managed to keep everyone productively occupied, even tonight, when work commenced on the annual jigsaw puzzle.

More tomorrow…

Cold drizzle greeted us on Friday morning, and by 9:00 the heavens had opened in a fury. The plan had been to paint inside all day, but it was too cold even to do that for any length of time. By 10 Jim had declared the workday over, and with the exception of a handful of diehards everyone was back at BBM  by 11. The good news is that the major work at the house on 58th Avenue is essentially done.

It was only with supreme will that no one stashed Beethoven, the sad little dog, into one of the vans. For part of the day, anyway, he had a warm place to curl up.

Katharyn and the Sharons spent a long but fulfilling morning at Loaves and Fishes, working with Abe, the chef I cooked with last year.

     

  

After a civilized lunch at the mission (not eaten on a van bumper), we assembled for the final wrap-up meeting with Craig and Benji, who were extremely pleased with the project. Craig told us this house has been on the to-do list for two years, and he knew our group was the perfect one to tackle it.

Tonight’s dinner is mac and cheese, clean-out-the-walk-in-fridge nachos and  salad with all the veggies we have left. While they’re waiting, folks are playing cribbage, setback and Catchphrase, reading and watching TV. A couple of people have tackled a second 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle — will they finish by bedtime?

All that remains is to clean the mission house from top to bottom before we leave tomorrow. Snow is forecast for Charlotte, our intermediate stop, and Hartford as well. Wish us well!

Thursday is Jim’s least favorite day of the project week, as that’s when the crew has the afternoon off. This year 17 people decided to decamp to New Orleans. Jim, Monte, Mike and Dr. Ron stayed behind to press on with the work, and their tails were dragging by the time they returned. But… Jim and Mike celebrated completion of the siding (save for one small part under the eave).

Credit is due the rest of the folks who worked really hard before they left for the Big Easy.

From across the street, this poor little dog has been watching the goings-on, so today Jim gave him a few bites of his sandwich, for which he was most grateful.  

The eight of us who held the fort tonight enjoyed a really good meal at the Blow Fly Inn in Gulfport, and it’s very quiet here now. Think I’ll take myself off to bed before the thundering hordes return from NOLA.

It’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow.

Much progress on 58th Avenue today! Siding’s going up, interior painting underway.

This was what the house looked like when Rita and I showed up with lunch. (Notice the swamp in the front and side yards.)

 

 

 

 

Lunch on the bumper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the afternoon wore on, the pace intensified…     

Dave taught Genny and Patrick how to do wiring…

                        

And that disgusting mold became but a memory under the rollers of Katharyn, Meagan and the Sharons.

 

Tonight was Wednesday prayer service at the Main St. Missionary Baptist Church, a longstanding tradition that we love. Sharon Conway delivered our message, sharing with the congregation what mission and service mean to First Church. We sang, while Genny accompanied us on the piano (we sounded so much better than we would have a cappella). A very uplifting time.

And now, to bed.

 

Before the crew left the worksite yesterday, they put bug bombs in the house to kill off the roaches, and used bleach to eliminate the mold on the walls so they could be prepped for painting today.

After a night of continuing storms, Tuesday dawned sunny, boding well for the workday. Fresh coats of paint made a huge improvement inside. The owners’ furnishings — what’s not still inside — are in a storage pod in the front yard. What will happen when they move their stuff back in? More roaches? Hard to say….

No hazmat suits were necessary today, but everyone is still wearing face masks. Part of the crew began cutting new Hardi-board siding, while Meredith and Samantha fearlessly attacked the roof.

No matter how unpleasant or tedious the job, everyone works with joy and enthusiasm!

Parents, do you recognize your girls?

Olivia is Forbes’ indispensible accomplice in fetching coffee and pastries.

“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.

Thanks to Jim’s able leadership — and passion for finishing what he starts — the Porter Street house is done: new sheathing, siding, wall and ceiling drywall, painting inside and out. All in 4 ½ days.

The homeowner, Miss Deborah, is thrilled, and everyone has a great feeling of satisfaction. 

Kitchen Chief Rita did a fabulous job as usual coordinating meals, and we had good help from our crew. Everyone agreed we ate especially well this week! Heartfelt thanks, Rita!

Katharyn did a bit of everything over the past few days, but each evening she acted as our spiritual leader, offering a carefully selected reflection and an original prayer before dinner. Thank you, Katharyn!

 

 

 

Photo credits go out to Dave and Sharon LaFargue, Meg Seitz, Courtney Chatterton, Greg and Ken Brown, Sharon Conway and Katharyn Laudone. Your pictures brought our week to life!

All that remains is the final cleanup at the mission house before we leave tomorrow at 8 a.m. We return home feeling blessed that each of us had the opportunity to be somebody for somebody here in Biloxi.

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