Day 2 with Jeremy

Another glorious day in Alabama - We started our day with a delicious egg sausage square casserole breakfast prepared by Peter B. and Brian.  We were ready for another day.

We caravaned to Jeremy's house to continue with the work on plumbing, siding, and clean up - still no insulation which the supplier was supposed to deliver Monday.  Randy, Jeremy's brother, stopped by.  Although he is not able to labor, he has been very supportive to Jeremy.  He said that Jeremy, Misty, and the three children are living in an apartment in Fort Payne.  The plan is to have the house completed in two years because Jeremy has been doing most of the work in his spare time.  We hope we can shorten the time considerably.  Roger Haney explained that Jeremy has had a hard time accepting help because he is able to do the work.  Gradually he is openning to help.  We are careful to explain that we are helping with his project.  The team defers to him for direction.  He is seeing progress.

Jeremy shared his story.  He had secured his family in a central closet with a matress on top as the F3 tornado came from the left.  It lifted their roof in place and destroyed the neighbors mobil home and killed the couple.  They were relieved that it hadn't been worse.  When he looked out the door, he saw the F5 tornado bearing down from the right over the rise.  He dashed back to secure the family again.  Seconds later, he and the two boys were flying 20 feet in the air for about 100-250 yards into the back yard and then they dropped as the tornado passed.  They only had scratches.  Misty and Lydia were trapped in the destruction of the home they had built.  When they were freed, Lydia was unhurt but Misty "was wearing a window like a hula hoop".  She had 3 broken ribs and a collapsed lung.  In order to get help for her, Jeremy had to drive their van with four flat tires across a field to get to the fire station.  She was transferred to Huntsville for medical care (60 miles away).  Misty spent 4 weeks in intensive care.  Now she is back to working 12 hour shifts at the local sock weaving factory where she has worked for many years.   Notice how the story needs to be retold.

We joined other Methodists from PA and SC at the Henegar Baptist church for lunch.  The soups, corn bread, and desserts were the highlights.  Maxine and her volunteers have been putting on lunches for the relief volunteers everyday as needed for the last six months.  They plan to continue.

The siding progressed to the point that could be done without the front and garage doors. 

 The plumbing progressed more slowly. 

Ditches were widened outside to connect the clean water line from the well and to connect the waste line to the septic line. 

The clean up of the yard and the organization of materials was impressive

Jeremy was available for questions and went for supplies as needed.  His Uncle Bobby came in the afternoon and was helpful with a technical problem with the siding.  Otherwise he let the volunteers do their work.  By the end of the day, Jeremy and the crew were more relaxed with each other.

During the sharing time in the evening, Brian offered devotions and the work plan for Wednesday was changed as the insulation for Jeremy's house had not arrived.

Sorry for the interruption.

Now that our VIM experience is over this blogger will have a little more time and a better connection to continue with the blog.  The 6 of our team members who had to travel home through the snow storm made it home safely.  Thank you for the prayers for our team.
The link below was shared with us by Ellen Ditto, the UMCOR Missionary assigned to the North Alabama Long Term Recovery.  It is a song and video done by Willee T. who came to volunteer and was so moved that he wrote the song.  The background shows one of the sites our team worked at.  The victims and neighbors in this area mourn the loss of their family members, friends, homes, businesses and the trees on Sand Mountain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAYCze1oSdQ

Our first day at the home of Jeremy and Misty

Roger, our host project leader, led us out to the home of Jeremy and Misty and introduced us to Jeremy (suspenders).  He shared his story about how he and his family survived a direct hit by two tornadoes.  The first, an F3, and the second, an F5, which destroyed their house on April, 23rd.  He and his two sons, 12 and 10, were blown from the house and remembered falling from about 20 feet when the wind stopped.  His wife and 4 year old daughter were caught in the collapse of the house.   Misty spent 4 weeks in ICU after sustaining fractured ribs and a punctured lung.  She protected her daughter.

 As the men started the vinyl siding with Jeremy's input, the women began to pick up the debris in the yard.  Bits of plastic, pieces of glass, chunks of wood, etc. from all over the neighborhood...county.

 When Misty arrived to bring her husband a beverage, we stopped to listen to her story.  The strength and courage of this couple as they take one step at a time to rebuild their lives was amazing to our team.

The team, men and women, developed a working rhythm so that by the end of the day 1/2 the house was sided.

Pete and John worked with Jeremy to plan the plumbing for the house.  That included a trench that was dug by Pete, Bernadette, John, and Cathie.  We were pleased that our family and Jeremy's family were comfortable together.

At the end of the day, the team met to share experiences of the day and where they saw God.....everywhere.  Our evening devotion was offered by Jan focusing on Faith in Action from The Message , James 2:14-25.

Arriving at Asbury UMC in Fort Payne, AL

The team arrived safely by 5 pm when the pastor's wife, Kay, and a friend Debbie served a Southern breakfast for supper.  This wonderful meal included biscuits, grits, eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, and muffins.  We shared a prayer and enjoyed their company for the meal.  We found that our churches share many of the same joys and concerns.

Pastor Johnny Jordan stopped by to welcome the group.  He shared a prayer while holding hands.  After the prayer, he taught us how to "shake a little love".



Roger Haney stopped by to talk about our work projects for the week.  Today is 6 months after the tornadoes ripped through Alabama.

We have been properly welcomed and are excited about the week ahead.

Jackie receives her large print bible

Jackie had been distressed because she couldn't find her large print Bible.  We knew that it probably wasn't salvageable because of the flood and subsequent mold.  Today she received her new Bible thanks to the donations from SUMC.  Jay and John met with the building and electrical inspectors.  John took notes.  There is still much work to be done.
Jackie is a blessing to Cathie, who lost her mother this summer.
God works in mysterious ways.

Mike and Pat, from Burnt Hills UMC, brought 2 more friends, Owen and Holly.  Jackie's circle of friends is broadening.  They finished cleaning out her basement today.

The inspector determined that the sheetrock was damp higher than expected, so that at least 18 more inches had to be removed.

Removing the mud and wet insulation from between the studs is a never ending battle.  We'll keep working at it. 

 Join the fun and meet a wonderful lady.  Contact Jay Dunkleberger at jdunkleb@nycap.rr.com or 518-371-7071.

Our Hands4NY went to Middleburgh for Flood Relief

Ten adults and six youth spent the day in service to our neighbors in Middleburgh, NY.  We were sent forth by Pastor Alan at the beginning of the 9 am service this morning.  We car pooled to Middleburgh to find two projects awaiting us.  We returned to Jackie's house and sang Happy Birthday to her and gave her a birthday card.  She was overwhelmed at the number of people who showed up to help.  She was especially pleased that the youth would spend their day with her.  As she requested, we cleaned up the door yard and the front porch while the weather was good.  We continued to take down molded sheet rock and hard wood flooring.  Jackie helped the team as much as she could.

"It really felt good helping others and knowing that I was responding to God's call to 'love your neighbor".

"I could not believe how high the water was!"

Jackie recieved a lot of love from her new friends

Four of our team members went to another site to install sheetrock.  They joined the homeowner and his son who were already at work.  The home owner had already used up all of his vacation time to clean up after the flood. 

"The homeowners were so thankful for all that we did."

Middleburgh UMC was our host for the day.  As we arrived, the congregation was leaving and thanking us for coming.  We returned to the church to eat our lunches.  Thanks to Gladys Faulkner we had chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

It was a really good day.  Everyone was tired but satisfied with the work they had accomplished.  It was good to be able to connect with our neighbors in need.  We listened to their stories.  It is so difficult to comprehend the devastation.  There is so much more to do!!!!!  Please consider joining one or more of these teams.  Contact Jay Dunkleberger at jdunkleb@nycap.rr.com or 518-371-7071.

Community in Middleburgh, NY

Angels do walk on Earth

This thank you card is on the Main Street in Middleburgh for all to see.  The Catholic and United Methodist churches have been feeding those in the community who are in need for what ever reason every other night.  Those helping in the kitchen at the Methodist church appreciated the meal of chili, cornbread, and apple bars that was sent down by the SUMC New Circle.

At the end of the day the Volunteer in Mission team surveyed the jobs that are assigned for the weekend group that will be coming on Sunday from SUMC.  We are excited about having more help and some young people to give us more energy.  There is so much work to be done.  All kinds of help are needed.  

 

A Day with Jackie

 Jackie took the bus from Cobleskill to meet her volunteer "angels".  She appreciated the prayer shawl from the SUMC Creative Hands ministry.

It wasn't long before she was working with the volunteers to remove damaged floors and wall board from her house.

John continued to remove flooring while Jay removed the hearth and the molded sheet rock behind the hearth. 

Cathie continued to remove sheet rock and wet insulation with help from Jay and John when muscle was required. 

John's impressions after working in Middleburgh

As a first time visitor to the flood damaged Schoharie Valley, I was really struck.  At first, with the homes and businesses still standing, things don’t look that bad.  Furniture at the curb, some dumpsters, messes piled in the streets....that could be expected.  I worked with you for the day, on a home in the early phase of recovery, that still resembled a home, with a few pieces of nice furniture inside. 

 

Jackie had a lovely older home above the creek, and shared with me her fond memories of life along that beautiful stretch of water. It was sunny yesterday and the beauty of the place was certainly there, even with the still muddy water flowing by. The Schoharie appeared to have risen about 30 feet above normal level to have created the water line on her windows....a unimaginable 500 year flood. The creek is not hemmed in by man-made structures there, there is a big flood plain, so the amount of water flow necessary to do this is hard to conceive in the mind.  This was not the annual Schenectady Stockade Flood.

 

At the end of the day though, we visited a home that was nearly ready for reconstruction, and that was the most devastating.  In order to get rid of sources of mold or wet material, the home had been gutted down to the studs, and it looked like the exterior siding would also have to come off, to remove the wet sheathing under the siding.  Kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures, silt-filled heating ducts, wallboard of course....all gone.  Inside, you can look straight through the whole house wall to wall.  It looks almost normal from the street, but it is an empty shell.  Except for the roof, framing and windows, the owners are faced with building a new home and then furnishing it.  And winter will arrive too soon.

 

I was pleased to see local churches down there serving as volunteer coordinators, but so much more is needed. 

John O.

A sunny breezy day in Middleburgh, NY

Sorry, no pictures today.  I left the camera at home.  Jay, Cathie, John O., Donna D., and Jen D. returned to Middleburgh.  Our assignment for today was to help Frank and Marion by removing the shower and do more mud and wet insulation removal.  Frank and Marion were there working with us.  There is so much to do.  It helped to be able to open the windows and get some fresh air moving through.  We got the shower loosened but will have to wait for Frank's plumber friend to release the drain so it can be removed.  It was hard to say goodbye to Frank and Marion for now because they have so much more work to do.  However, they do have friends to help and resources.  They thanked us for helping at a time when they were overwhelmed.  Marion said we gave them hope.  When we return to Middleburgh, we will stop by and visit.
Also Pastor Carol introduced us to Jackie who is a senior and who's home was flooded.  She has been living in Cobleskill so has had trouble connecting with the help available in Middleburgh.  Jay, Cathie, and John went with her to her house.  She needed help with applying her mask and learning that she could talk with it on.  It is not safe for her to be in her house without one.  She is also hard of hearing so it is hard for her to communicate and listen when she can't see the mouths of those speaking to her.  We realize that the masks make it difficult for us also.  (We are seniors.)  Her home has been devastated by the flood as she lived next to the Schoharie Creek (looks more like a muddy rapidly flowing river).  We discussed with Jackie the need to remove the lower cabinets in her kitchen in order to get at the walls.  In addition, her hard wood floors had buckled.  John stayed with her to begin on the floors.  Jackie cleared the counters so that her kitchen could be torn apart.  She thanked us for coming.  (We go and serve and give hugs.)
We all got together for lunch at our host church, Middleburgh UMC.  Later in the afternoon, we took out her lower kitchen cabinets finding water and mold behind them.  In addition, we took out most of the flooring that John had removed. 
Jackie was so glad when a man stopped by with a truck to remove the many contractor bags from her street side.  Unfortunately we filled the space up again with parts of her home.  There is so much more work to do.
Pastor Carol called Jay again and asked him to check on another home to see what was left to be done.
This home had mountains of debris in the yard.  Much had been clean out inside but there was mold on the ceiling fans and one of the ceilings.  The crawl space below the floor was dark with no visible means of ventilation.  The heating ducts had not been removed.  They are probably filled with wet mud.  There is so much work to do.  Jay will report back to Pastor Carol.  Next week she will send teams of volunteers out into the community again to find out how the families are progressing.
We are amazed by the way the community is working together.  There will be a parade in Middleburgh this Saturday which is an annual event.  At the end of the parade, there will be a banner that says "Good night Irene".  Please pray for this community.
Our team will be returning to Middleburgh next Wed., Oct. 12.  Please join us.  Contact Jay Dunklebeger at jdunkleb@nycap.rr.com or 518-371-7071.

Alabama Tornado Relief Planning

The team got together for a planning and orientation meeting on Oct. 4th.  Team members include 3 from Shenendehowa UMC, 2 from Burnt Hills UMC, 3 for Nimmonsburg UMC, 2 from First Schenectady UMC, 1 from Community Church of Cohoes, and 1 from Trinity Church in Wilton.  We are looking forward to helping the people of Jackson and DeKalb counties rebuild after the devastating tornados last spring.  From Oct. 23-29, we will be working with teams from other denominations and from other parts of the country.  We will be hosted by the Asbury UMC in Fort Payne, AL.  We will go, serve, and find other Altars in the World.  Even though we leave our comfort zones, we will find new friends, learn new ways to serve, and take time to live our faith.  Please pray for our team.