Saturday, October 31, 2009

God's Team in New Orleans

When God puts together a team of laborers every detail is taken care of  and the job is completed with heavenly precision. He brought six guys together to complete the work for the Williamsons. Here we are all together with Randy and Kathy Williamson. Randy pastors Calvary Chapel St Bernard. They rent a building for $1 a year that before Hurricane Katrina was a nursing home. They have partitioned off a portion of the building and restored it to use as their church.

We left Saturday, Oct 10 and spent the night in St. Louis. Scott and Gail Larson graciously opened their home to us to spend the night. And you are gracious hosts when your guests are arriving at 2:00 a.m. After a full day of driving on Sunday we arrived in New Orleans and set up our sleeping quarters in the church. Each morning we started are day with one of us sharing a devotion and praying together. Not only was it a week of work to complete their house, but it was a time of great fellowship and growing relationships. We built friendships that will last into eternity. With God's precision a team came together with the specific skills needed to complete the work and the right number of guys to complete the work on time.

We finished at 11:00 Friday morning so that we could spend the rest of the day in Biloxi. We were able to spend time with my friend Tom Wasmer. It's been an exciting journey to help Tom get back into his house. Tom joined us for supper with Chuck & Kathy Billeaud. Several of us had been part of the team that helped build their house after Hurricane Katrina. The "Butterknife House" was built in 17 days - another God story. There's my name along with everyone else who worked on the house. The 8 ft board is on the wall of Chuck & Kathy's garage. It was a great way to end the week!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Aiding A Brother in New Orleans

Back in August Brian Johnson from Frederic, WI contacted Dennis about helping a pastor friend in New Orleans. Brian coordinated the Butterknife House project in Biloxi, MS following Hurricane Katrina. Dennis was part of building the house in 17 days. Brian now is coordinating a project to help Pastor Randy Williamson finish his house. Randy is a Calvary Chapel Pastor and a Rapid Response Team Chaplain for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He used to be one of the largest drug dealers in the state of Michigan. He and his wife Kathy gave their lives to Jesus Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade in the 80's. Randy now pastor's a church in a very poor neighborhood in New Orleans. About a year ago he came down with a crippling nerve disease that for awhile had him confined to a wheelchair. He is now receiving IV treatments and is doing better but is still very weak. The Williamsons had started remodeling their home when this happened. Though Randy is a good carpenter he has no strength to finish the job.

God has brought seven guys together to go to New Orleans to finish the remodeling for the Williamsons. They will be leaving Saturday, October 10 and returning Sunday, October 17. Brian and the guys will pick Dennis up in Janesville for another adventure in the Lord. Scott and Gail Larson from St Louis have offered housing for Saturday evening on the trip down to New Orleans. The guys will be doing their own cooking and sleeping at the church. They plan to be at Randy's house by eight in the morning each day to start working and will be trusting the Lord for the events of the day. We are praying for those Divine Appointments. Later in the week they are planning to drive over to Biloxi and visit Chuck and Kathy at the Butterknife house and Tom, our friend who we have been helping to restore his house after Hurricane Katrina. Our previous blogs have included stories and pictures of our trips to help Tom. The guys are praying they will be a blessing to everyone they make contact with. We will keep you posted as the week progresses and have pictures when Dennis returns. Everyone involved covet your prayers for our Lord's name to be lifted up.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:9-10

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Work in Eagle


The airplane the team flew into Eagle on.


The camp in Eagle.


Don Mann's House


Jean & Nick Turner


Putting a roof on Nick's house


Up in the air at Nick's house.


The Turner outhouse


Nick starts the first fire after the stove is installed.


Panning for gold! But alas - no great find.


A warning to hikers!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sights of Alaska



 Flying into Alaska

 
 Mud Flats near Anchorage

 
 Flying into Eagle


The View from Eagle



A dog house


Picking Blueberries on the Tundra




A Beaver Dam


The summer use of a sled


A Fish Wheel on the Yukon River



On the Yukon River



The Road to Eagle Closes on October 15 - earlier if it snows before that.What do the locals do after that? They cut wood and take walks and enjoy the slow pace of life.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Eagle, Alaska flooded May 2009

Here are some pictures of the flood in Eagle ............


  

  
The island was covered with trees before the flood.


 Don Mann's home after the flood.


 
Nick Turner's Home


 
Another view of Nick's house. Dennis worked on Nick's house for the two weeks he was in Eagle. He also became friends with Don Mann who was often over to Nick's to help.


 
The Trading Post

Watch for pictures of Nick's new house.




Saturday, September 12, 2009

Gospel Opportunity

Before Dennis left for Alaska his prayer was to connect with someone and build a relationship. Over the summer the Samaritan's Purse workers have been praying for someone to connect with Nick. The first day of work Dennis was assigned to work on Nick's house because he has roofing experience. Nick is quite fussy who works on his house and Dennis is one of the few that he has allowed to return to continue working. The first week he watched Dennis very very carefully and instructed him how to do the job. By the second week a trust had been built and Dennis could freely work - more work got done in less time, too. During this time a friendship bond has been growing. Back home I knew that his desire had been for building a relationship so it has been exciting to hear the stories of this growing relationship. I began to pray for Dennis to have the opportunity to share his testimony. His phone call home today was with great joy as he was able to share his testimony on coming to know Jesus with Nick. And Nick receiving what Dennis shared with an openness. A sweet friendship has occurred and I suspect that somewhere in our future will be a return trip to Eagle. Things wind down this weekend and Dennis and Roger will prepare to fly out on Monday. They hope to spend some time in Anchorage before their flight leaves. They fly overnight and arrive in Chicago Tuesday morning....a long night....and Dennis thinks he's going to work on Wednesday. Watch for some pictures this next week!

"In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name." Psalm 33:21

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Up the Yukon

The guys are getting tired but not too tired for a trip up the Yukon with one of the locals. Burr took Dennis and Roger for a boat ride in his motorized canoe. When asked about his goal in life Burr says, "to wear out my boat and motor." While traveling down the river Dennis spotted some Dall rams on the mountains. He was told he's one of the lucky few. Not many people have an opportunity to see the Dall sheep. The Dall sheep are known for their magnificent curling horns as you can see in the photo. But their sightseeing was not done. They met up with some hunters in another boat. As they approached the shore Dennis saw a large wolf jump up in the air. From there the action was fast. Burr was out of the boat to join the other hunters and Dennis and Roger were left to get the boat to shore. Before long the wolf had been hunted down. The size of the wolf was very impressive - the size of a man. Those are going to be some interesting pictures. Well, it's not all play - Dennis was quite tired this evening after installing tongue and groove flooring in Nick's house. These were heavy 4 x 8 pieces of flooring. The day ended a little earlier than usual.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Pick-ups, Blueberries & Harps

Last week Dennis put the roof on Nick's home. This week he has been installing windows, a door and the floor. Once the floor is in Nick will be able to install his wood-burning stove. It is very important at this time of year to complete the homes to the point of being able to heat them. Nick shared with Dennis that last winter he had to duct tape his door to keep the snow and cold out when they had a three day stretch of -60 degrees. Brrrrrrrr!! The road to Eagle will be closing in early October so everyone is preparing for the winter. When asked, "What do you do in the winter?" The answer is "take walks and cut wood." Dennis has enjoyed building these special relationships and the people of Eagle are very appreciative of the help they have received. During the summer many of the children have the opportunity to learn how to play various musical instruments. This week they put on a concert and to show their appreciation  invited all the workers to attend. One evening during their supper meal the volunteers enjoyed the music of a harpist. Not every moment is spent working. Roger and Dennis took a ride in a pick-up. They drove for 1 1/2 hours towards the summit and met no one. When it started getting dark, they began to consider their situation - out on an Alaskan road in an older pick-up truck, absolutely no one else traveling the road and night time approaching - they decided spending a night out there was not desirable and it was time to return to Eagle.Over the weekend they went to the summit of the mountain and picked blueberries in the tundra. This week Dennis is anticipating a boat ride on the Yukon. And the wives .......missing the husbands and wishing them home no matter how much they love Alaska.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Alaskan Update from Roger

Roger sends his greetings through his wife Chris. Roger shares from the Samaritan's Purse base camp in Soldotna: It's 6 a.m. and still dark but the stars are out. There's a group of 8 guys here from North Carolina. It's Monday morning (Aug. 31) and breakfast is at 7 and at 8:30. We will go to the airport hangar which is 3/4 mile away. Samaritan's Purse has two hangars and five planes. Our flight to Eagle will take us about three hours, with a stop in Anchorage (25 minutes away) to refuel the planes. The log homes are all built and we will be building kitchen cabinets, etc. Samaritan's Purse hopes to be done in Eagle by the 15th of September. They have to bring out their truck, etc. by road and the road in and out of Eagle closes by the 1st of October or sooner depending on when it snows. 

There's a volcano here near base camp that is letting off some steam. Dennis says base camp reminds him of what it was like in the army. There's about eight tent-like structures with four beds in each one, a tent with showers and washrooms, and a tent as a kitchen/dining area. Samaritan's Purse is in the finishing phases of building a new dining/kitchen, a new shower house, and four new log bunkhouses. I visited with a couple from the Carolinas last night that moved up here two years ago to work with Samaritan's Purse. He's the airplane mechanic and she does the cooking at base camp. They said it has been an unusually warm summer. Last summer they only had three days above 70 degrees and cloudy, rainy weather.   

Monday, August 31, 2009

Arrived in Eagle

Dennis and Roger flew out of Chicago Sunday morning and arrived in Kenai around supper time (Alaska time). There is a three hour difference in time. They spent the night at the Samaritan's Purse Base in a tent. They are joined by eight volunteers from North Carolina and another volunteer from Michigan who has been there for the last month. Samaritan's Purse is planning to have the log cabins completed by September 15 so the guys are part of the final group of volunteers. Today they flew into Eagle on a Cossack cargo plane that seats 19. Dennis said it was smaller than the B-130. I think you have to be a WWII buff (which Dennis is) for that to have meaning. At 1:00 they had orientation followed by a tour of the log cabins. It has been raining every day so there is mud everywhere and the extended forecast is calling for more rain, rain, rain. He's pleased to have an air mattress for sleeping - makes camping for two weeks more comfortable. When asked what Alaska is like Dennis says, "beautiful, just beautiful! He wishes he could send pictures back. Well, we will have to wait .....when they get back we'll do a picture blog.

If you have any questions, please ask. Dennis or Roger will try to answer them or find answers. So, ask away. Until the next update.............mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Off to Alaska!

Dennis and Roger Lindh leave Sunday, August 30, for Eagle, Alaska to volunteer with Samaritan's Purse. In May the Yukon River flooded and rose to more than 37 feet above flood stage. But it wasn't just the flooding that devastated this small Alaskan community on the Canadian border. A massive ice jam came crashing into the tiny town. Nearly every riverfront building, including the town clinic, was crushed. 

Samaritan's Purse is helping rebuild 13 houses that were destroyed by the ice and water. These homes will be built from log cabin kits. A video can be seen on the Samaritan's Purse web site - "Rebuilding in Alaska". The work began the first week in July and will continue to the end of September. It is now a race to finish the homes before the Alaskan winter sets in. The night time temperatures will already be in the 20's when they arrive. 

Dennis and Roger desire your prayers.
  • For the people in Eagle who lost their homes in the flood.
  • That the work will be finished before winter.
  • That hearts will be open for the Gospel.
  • For Roger who is recovering from Lyme's Disease.
We will keep you updated during the time they are at Eagle, but there is no internet or cell phone service. So pictures and the greater details will have to wait until they return on September 15.

"....let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I John 3:18 (NIV) 

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Finishing Up

Installing the Kitchen Sink

The guys are prepping the kitchen sink for installation. It will be nice not to have to wash the dishes in the bathroom sink! All Tom needs to complete his kitchen is a stove top and over the range microwave. Tom is very frugal and always waits for the sales and closeouts. He'll be watching closely because he is expecting his FEMA trailer to be picked up in about a month.

Replacing Soffit & Installing a Door


It's the final day and one of Tom's concerns was little critters getting into the house once he started having food in the kitchen. So Dennis and Tom went to work to seal up the house. Before the storm Tom had a Florida room attached to the back of the house. The water tore off the room and the soffit. They replaced that soffit and also installed a door to the laundry room. You can see the opening to the right of Tom in the picture. Foam was tacked up over the opening where a door had once been. The new door will help to make Tom's home more secure. He never wanted to be gone for any great length of time because it was to easy for someone to gain entry to his home. Now Tom is excited about getting his laundry room fixed up. He's making plans for our next trip down!

Some Sights Around Biloxi

The Beach
The beach is a 3 block walk from Tom's house. This beach extends for 28 miles along the coast. You can see two of the casinos in the background.

Katrina Memorial

The Memorial was built by "Extreme Home Makeover"

Flowers at the Katrina Memorial

Praying for Tom

We are asking you to be praying for Tom. He has some serious health issues that need to be taken care of. He has no insurance and there are no longer any grants available to help Katrina victims. He had hoped to get a job that provided insurance but his health is preventing him from working. His only recourse is to apply for disability and receive Medicaid. He will need to go to a doctor to have his health issues verified. He has set aside some money to be able to do that. Tom has some reluctance in doing this as he really had hoped to be able to go back to work. Tom was a boat captain, but was unable to renew his license because of his health. Pray Tom will take the steps necessary to get the health care he needs. Also pray the process will not be drawn out too long. There is a noticeable difference in Tom's health since our last trip down here. Thank you for partnering with us in the gospel and disaster relief work.
"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Phillippians 1:3-6

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Sunday Afternoon Drive

The Bayou at Bay St Louis


Crossing the Bayou.
These natural waterways wind through the Bayou and take you to the bay.


You still see washed up boats and cement slabs where houses once were. Notice the trees in the background. Whole subdivisions have grown up into woods to the point you cannot recognize that it was once a subdivision.


New homes along the coast are required to be built on stilts. This is just a single home that was once in a thriving subdivision along the bayou in Bay St Louis.

From the Kitchen to the Plumbing

Some of Tom's plumbing lines were filled with rust, sand and gunk from the hurricane. This part of the line hasn't been used since the hurricane, but to get Tom's sink in they needed to be cleaned out. The guys borrowed a plumbing snake from a friend and ran it through the pipes and it didn't work for all the pipes. So that required a maul to break up the cement and dig up some of the pipes. Then they had to clean out the vent from the roof. Tom was grinning from ear to ear when the water ran freely from the kitchen. Now they have to replace some of the plumbing pipes for the washing machine and things will be back in working order.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Two Working Fellows

The weather has warmed up and we are enjoying the 70's! Dennis and Tom finished installing the crown and valance on the kitchen cabinets.These are the before and after pictures. As you can see it is two happy fellows to have the job done. Tom appreciates the help as he was unable to do the work by himself and it is very difficult to get help for small jobs in Biloxi because of the commercial and new home construction. Everyone is very busy. And what did I do while the work was going on? I found the beach. It is only a 3 block walk and the day was beautiful. To the left of the boat you can see the top of a sunken sail boat. I have also been enjoying the flowers, unusual plants and the live oaks.



These trees are so amazing and they survive the hurricane so well. The live oak is my example of a life rooted and secure in Jesus and coming through the difficult storms of life.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

May you endure with grace every storm that comes into your life!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Getting Started


Today has been a chilly day but we are looking forward to warmer weather before the end of the week. The work was a little slow in getting started today for two reasons. First, Tom has not been feeling well and he was in quite a bit of pain today. Tom has needed medical care for a while but has not had any insurance or the finances since the hurricane. Also, a few decisions needed to be made about installing the counter top and that required a trip to Lowe's and to a metal shop for a piece of stainless steel to be installed behind the stove top. Lunch was here before work actually was started in the kitchen.

And that trip to Lowe's..................... was made in Tom's street rod in the picture. He has built this cotton picking truck twice. Once before the hurricane and once after the hurricane.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5,6

In another translation "bringing glory to God" is described as "the life of Jesus on display in us". May Jesus be displayed in each of our lives!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Back to Mississippi

Two years ago we went to Biloxi, Mississippi as volunteers with Samaritans Purse to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. At that time we met Tom and helped build a shed to store construction items for restoring his house. We remained in contact with Tom as different volunteers helped rebuild his home. Last January we returned to Biloxi to help Tom install his kitchen cabinets and a wood floor in his living room. Now Tom needs to be out of his FEMA Trailer in February. So we plan to go down this January to help him install Kitchen counters and finish up all the necessary things so he can move into his house.

Tom and his pal "Midnight"