Copy of MDS Website update which I sent for second week of January

First picture is Project 3
Second picture is Verna and Doreen at Fur Festival Parade

Website update for Johnson Bayou Week of Jan 14th

Submitted by Linda Braun

Our men worked very hard this week and got much accomplished. Unfortunately, there is not yet any work for the women to do.

On Project 1, the light fixtures were installed and the floors sanded in preparation for installation of flooring. We are now waiting for flooring and kitchen and bathroom cabinets. We have been advised that the cabinets are unfinished and it will be our task to finish them.

Project 2 - More siding was installed, but one end and the back of the house remain to be done.

Project 3 - Bert, Jake and Len poured concrete pads for the landing and posts on the deck. Bert and Len built stairs and the deck on the back of the house. Maurice finished nailing hurricane ties, tightened chains to pillars and nailed the blocking. Paul has a good start on the plumbing. John completed the wiring.

Project 4 – The crew from Winnipeg completed the pillars for the second new house. Another MDS crew will be arriving to frame in this house.

On Wednesday at noon, the son of the owner of Project 3 brought lunch to our workmen. They were treated to gumbo, which is a spicy stew.

John installed the windows and doors on Thursday, with Maurice's assistance. The sheet rock also arrived on Thursday, and all of the men helped to move it into the house. Thursday was a heavy day for our volunteers.

The framing has passed inspection and the house is ready to be insulated.

Several of our volunteers attended the 51st Annual Fur and Wildlife Festival/Mardi Gras Parade at Cameron on Jan. 12th. It was very interesting in that Cameron only has one main thoroughfare and that is where the parade took place. It was a very impressive parade for such a small place. There were thousands of people in town and the highway was impassable for several hours due to the parade. The area is famous for excellent hunting, fishing and trapping.

We attended a fairly small Church of the Nazarene in Port Arthur on Sunday morning. Their congregation was one of the friendliest a person could ever encounter. The church is pastored by a lovely young couple and it was the wife's turn to preach. We were all very moved by her sermon. We had a heavy rain all night in the middle of the week and enjoyed some sunny weather otherwise. The evenings are quite cool.

Our group has a great camaraderie both in working and socializing and we are all enjoying our surroundings and meeting the local people.