Blog 23 - the road home

Goodbye Jughead, Boo Hoo



Greensburg, Kansas water tower



Parked for another summer


Thursday morning, we went to devotions, said our goodbyes and packed up our RV’s. It was so neat to see Judy waving us goodbye with her hanky with Mary and Pat standing by…

We parked our RV at the storage place we have found for this year near Jasper and soon were on the road.

We had a very good, but long, trip. The first night we spent at Durant, OK; the second night in Nebraska, the third night at Sterling, N.D. and we were home at 6:’30 p.m. on Sunday, March 15th. We arranged it so our route took us through Greensburg, Kansas, where we got some pictures and an excellent book written of stories by Christians who survived the tornado. Then when we got into Canada, we took the route through Rouleau, Sk., the site of the hit comedy series, Corner Gas. We’d never been there before.

We got home to bad news – unbeknownst to Shari, our little black Jughead puppy had got out of our yard because snow was piled up and the gate didn’t close all the way. She let both dogs out to run around in our fenced yard, as usual, and only the white one came back to the door. She spent the afternoon searching the neighbourhood and calling, to no avail. A neighbour drove her around asking everyone if they’d seen him – no luck. She called the SPCA and the R.M. dog pound, but nothing there. At first, we hoping that some kind person picked him up and brought him in out of the well below freezing temperatures, but it now appears that there is a problem with big dogs roaming in Redwing Terrace and there have been incidents of attacks on cats and smaller dogs. So poor Jughead was probably a casualty. That is our feeling, since Shari did not notice that Abby came in with a small bloody wound on her back just in front of her tail, and we have also found a small puncture wound on her side. She must have gotten back inside the yard and they couldn't in. Jughead wasn't so lucky!

In addition, Shari had also been having more problems with her car, so will have to be finding something better to drive. She had a couple of bad weeks there just before we came home, and was ready to have some back-up support!

Both of our kids and our grandchildren were happy to have us back. Emily got to spend a couple of days with us the first week home. We really enjoyed that!

We have had some very cold weather and some warmer weather since we arrived home. Winter is certainly not over yet!

Blog 22 - Final three days at Deweyville

Our dear friend, Mary



His Highness, Howie the Hunk

Monday morning I helped John second coat some of the angles and he finished the cornerbead and flats with second coat. His helper, Howard, was able to help finish the siding.

Tuesday, there was nothing much I could help John with. He said I should take the day off to get everything ready in the R.V. for leaving. I packed up my clothes that I would be taking home and tried to organize what would be left and what we would take. I got to visit with Mary a bit that day too. In addition, there was a Tuesday morning Bible study at the church and they have a pot luck lunch. I didn’t go to the Bible study, but Pastor Brad invited me to lunch anyway, which was very nice.

Tuesday evening, I thought it would be nice for us all to get together, so suggested we have ice cream in the church kitchen. It was being used, so instead, everyone came over to our place. It was a wonderful evening, just like we used to all pack into our R.V. for parties at Johnson Bayou!! It made my week! Everyone brought their ice cream and their dishes, and some chairs.

Wednesday I felt I wanted to go to work and was able to help with some painting outside and cleaning up the paint brushes and trays. Mary came back with me for a while in the afternoon when I had to go back to the camp to pick something up.

John had a willing pupil in Howard to texture the ceilings and walls. Obviously, John’s tennis elbow was not going to allow him to carry that heavy hopper full of mud throughout the house. Don’t know what we’d have done without Howard since we started!!! Even he was “done in” by the end of the day – the whole house was textured with the exception of the bathroom which would be sanded and painted. Howard sprayed and John assisted. A job well done.

On Wednesday nights, the church provides a meal for the entire community, after which there is a general Bible study. The place is packed and the food is delicious. John and I decided we really should go so we could say goodbye to the wonderful people we had become acquainted with. After the supper, we left and then Paul and Mary came over to visit. Howard and Barbara came over later as well. Time is running out for visiting…

Mary and I are not looking forward to parting again…

Blog 21 - Working in Deweyville

One other new couple arrived in Deweyville on Saturday, which made 8couples at devotions Monday morning:

• Don and Marilyn Buller, the couple who dreamed up the idea of the MDS Senior RV Program,
• Art and Judy Catlin, the Project directors,
• our dear friend, Paul Stoltzfus, the Crew Foreman, and his wife, Mary,
• Walt and Pat Willems, who we worked with on three projects,
• Walt’s brother, Vern and his wife Diane, with whom we had worked in Newton in November,
• Dick and Kathy Neudorf, and
• the new people from Ohio, Howard and Barbara Quast,
• and the Brauns from P.A.

We had suggested to Paul that we might be available if they really needed us and were ready for drywalling at the time we were leaving Marble Falls. Shortly thereafter, Project Director, Art Catlin made the official request that if at all possible, they would REALLY appreciate us coming and helping with the drywall. So John agreed to give them 10 days, as we have to be home the middle of March.

It was obvious that they needed some help desperately in order to finish the house by the end of March when the project is to close. When we arrived at the house on Monday morning, we learned it was still not ready to be boarded and the gyproc had not yet been ordered. The electrical was still being worked on and the air conditioning vents were not yet installed in the ceilings. John did a board count and Art ordered the gyproc. In the meantime, we did what we could to assist in other areas. I helped Diane put up some railing on the front deck and Barb and I did some siding. John helped us get set up with siding on Monday and on Tuesday he put up the ceiling on the front deck. The gyproc arrived just before noon on Tuesday and the men had to unload it. You sure couldn’t tell John’s elbow is shot.

We were very happy to see the men arrive to do the air conditioning vents just after lunch. They were done in short order.

The house was cleared out of all the other paraphernalia so when the gyproc arrived it would be reading to start boarding.

Wednesday, the gyproc arrived and the guys unloaded it. John and I and Howard and Barbara immediately started boarding. When the first bedroom was boarded, I started taping it and the others carried on with the second bedroom and the rest of the rooms. It was necessary to work Friday and Saturday to “get ‘er done”. By Saturday afternoon, it was completed boarded and taped, with the first coat on the cornerbead.

On Friday, Mary and I had a lovely day. We went on a road trip, with several missions:

1) Pick up Mary’s prescription at Mauriceville
2) Check out the thrift shops at Kirbyville
3) Go to Lowe’s in Jasper to see if we could find John a cornerbead clincher (no luck)
4) Visit my cat lady friend, Patty, at Newton. We got to see the apartment she is moving to while she is having a new house built.

John intended to work on Sunday, but decided to take a rest.

Sunday afternoon, after church and lunch out, Judy, Kathy, Pat and I traveled over to the Vidor Flea Market. Now I didn’t have to whine and snivel that I didn’t get to it…. I came away with no purchases, but it was really interesting to look for the last hour of the day! I thought I might find myself a pair of cowboy boots or some other treasure. Didn’t find any treasures or boots…

Blog 20 - Tragedy in Deweyville

Our first night at Deweyville, we woke up at 4:00 a.m. to the sound of screeching tires and revving engines, then shortly afterwards, police sirens. We thought it was sure a noisier place than Smithwick (Marble Falls). In the morning, the news was that one of Deweyville’s finest young men, the quarterback of the highschool football team, and a ballplayer as well, had been killed in a truck accident. His buddy, a young man who attends the church which we are parked at, was with him, but sustained only minor injuries. It was a tremendous blow to this small community. The prayers and funeral were held at this very large First Baptist Church and there was not even room for everyone to get in. It was quite an experience to witness the mourning of our church friends and the community.

Blog 19 - Deweyville

Deweyville camp



Marble Falls camp



The site at Marble Falls was probably the nicest R.V. site we’ve had since volunteering with MDS. It was a lovely country setting by a lake. The trees around Marble Falls were short bushy green trees, the kind you could paint really easily in a painting by just plopping your paint brush onto paper. We really enjoyed that area of Texas, with the rolling hills and valleys. It was very scenic and great vacation country.

By contrast, Deweyville’s countryside is flat and almost boring. The landscape is similar to Prince Albert. There are some lovely large homes, but also a lot of very poor people living in shacks and dilapidated house trailers.

The Lord has generously provided parking here at the First Baptist Church. They are very generous in the use of their facilities, including washer and dryer and men’s and ladies’ washrooms and showers in the church building. One downer is that we have to put away every tool or board that we use in one day, and pull the tool trailer and the supply trailer back home, and then take it back and unload it the next day. At Marble Falls, we did pack everything back into the tool trailer, but it stayed on the building site during the week.

the congregation at the First Baptist Church has been HOME to many of our volunteers. We have never experienced a group being "plugged in" to a church the way this one has. They have developed some very sincere, long-lasting friendships.

Blog 18 - Last week of work at Marble Falls

Blog 18 - Final week at Marble Falls

It was a busy week. The goal was to get the drywalling done as far as possible. That was accomplished as much as possible without the plumbing having been done.

Monday morning, the insulation and gyproc were delivered. Nettie, Georgia, Annette and Linda got busy insulating the walls. The ceiling insulation was to have been blown in, but the lumberyard delivered R19 batts for the ceilings as well, so the decision was made to use them in the ceiling instead. As soon as the insulating was completed (with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms), the guys started hanging board, and by Wednesday morning the ladies were able to start taping (mudding). By Thursday noon – quitting time – the three bedrooms were fully taped. We all felt a sense of extreme satisfaction in what we had accomplished in 15 ½ working days.

On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of a New Orleans style gumbo dinner hosted by the Denise and the Local Recovery Committee and brought to the Lodge at our camp. The gumbo (soup) was delicious and did not contain anything untoward that I would not eat. It was an excellent meal and a lovely evening. They refused to allow any of us to lift a finger to clean up, so we did some singing while they cleaned up.

On Wednesday evening, we had a BBQ at our camp, with guests, homeowner Debra, her husband, sweet little Granny whose husband had passed away two weeks ago, and Debra’s granddaughter, as well as our young worker, Alex Hebert, and homeowner, Patricia, her daughter, Alicia, and a nephew. Lots of good food and visiting. Time to say our farewells…

Thursday afternoon we did all our errands, filled the propane tank, picked up our RV permit to move it, and got our RV’s all cleaned up and ready to travel.

Friday morning, we pulled in the slides, packed up all the lines and hooked up the fifth wheel to the truck. It was very sad to part with the friends we have grown so close to over the last two months. There were hugs and tears and farewells – hope to see you again on a project – it’s been a great time!

Everyone watched to see if John’s puny little truck would pull that big rig up the first hill – it made it, and up the second hill as well, but it really didn’t like it. We were on our way to Deweyville, Texas, to help our good buddy, Paul, and the MDS crew there with the drywalling part of their project for the next 10 days.

By Friday at noon, there were only two campers remaining at the site: the new Project Managers from Winkler, Mb. and our dear friends, Len and Nettie, who are staying for March. In addition, the MDS Office trailer remains. The new volunteers will be moving in by the end of the weekend, ready to finish off what we have begun.

Blog 17 - Last weekend at Marble Falls

On Saturday, we and Len and Nettie went to Burnet, as they had not yet been there. John and Len went through the small Aircraft Museum while Nettie and I checked out the Flea Market at the Mall. The Christmas Café was closed by the time we got there.

On our way out of town, we noticed the sign alongside the road indicating that there was free music at the Seniors Hall, so we decided to stop in. They said that they had excellent guest musicians from Germany who were going to be performing later and we would have liked to have heard them; however, we had to get through the local musicians first and they were not very good, so we left.

On Sunday morning, we were all invited to attend the church of our choice. Some went to the Smoking for Jesus Church, some went to Anchors for Hope, and as it was our last Sunday there, we were finally going to get to the Cowboy Church down the road. Len and Nettie attended with us. It was a very nice service. Attendance was 54 people and 4 dogs. The 4 dogs have been regular attenders…

I would sure be interested to know how many people are reading this blog. Please drop me a line at our e-mail address to let me know if it is worthwhile doing it… Thanks.