Re: The last work day

Continued prayers for a safe return! Congrats on your many accomplishments.

In Christ,

Pastor Paul

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 30, 2016, at 12:51 AM, Rod Scofield <rod@bethetool.org> wrote:

We made a fantastic showing.  Awesome diligence and hard work.  

But it's the relationships that I'm most excited about.  Sure we finished the floor and put the aluminum siding back on.  And we drywalled and taped and mudded.  And we installed some bathroom fixtures, but really what we did was represent Christ to three homes.  We can serve because we have the ability to serve.  

There's a verse in the Bible that says, 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

(Matthew 5:15-16)  

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  

-  Got all the work we could get done.  Not as far as we were hoping but a darn good showing.  

-  The agency we work for wants their tools back halfway through the day, on Friday so they can get them ready for the next teams, so we take the other half of the day to see or learn more about the community we are serving.  -  Today we went on a cemetery tour.  It was pretty interesting.  

-  Looked at the French Quarter for a few minutes.  

-  Ate out.  

-  Came back and have an ambitious plan for getting out of here early tomorrow.  

So I'm going to keep this short.  Reflections on the trip and the stories will come in a few days.  In the mean time, I usually can't post on Saturday night because I don't know how to use the wifi signal at the church we're staying in tomorrow night.  -  We can rough it for a little while.  :-)  So I'll see you back in a few days.  Fresh with insights and reflections.  

It was a great team.  A good week.  God showed up.  We are grateful.  

I DID post more pictures on FB.  Here is the link:  click here to go to FB photos of this trip

Rod

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

The last work day

We made a fantastic showing.  Awesome diligence and hard work.  

But it's the relationships that I'm most excited about.  Sure we finished the floor and put the aluminum siding back on.  And we drywalled and taped and mudded.  And we installed some bathroom fixtures, but really what we did was represent Christ to three homes.  We can serve because we have the ability to serve.  

There's a verse in the Bible that says, 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

(Matthew 5:15-16)  

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  

-  Got all the work we could get done.  Not as far as we were hoping but a darn good showing.  

-  The agency we work for wants their tools back halfway through the day, on Friday so they can get them ready for the next teams, so we take the other half of the day to see or learn more about the community we are serving.  -  Today we went on a cemetery tour.  It was pretty interesting.  

-  Looked at the French Quarter for a few minutes.  

-  Ate out.  

-  Came back and have an ambitious plan for getting out of here early tomorrow.  

So I'm going to keep this short.  Reflections on the trip and the stories will come in a few days.  In the mean time, I usually can't post on Saturday night because I don't know how to use the wifi signal at the church we're staying in tomorrow night.  -  We can rough it for a little while.  :-)  So I'll see you back in a few days.  Fresh with insights and reflections.  

It was a great team.  A good week.  God showed up.  We are grateful.  

I DID post more pictures on FB.  Here is the link:  click here to go to FB photos of this trip

Rod

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

Re: NOLA10 - Thursday work day

Continued prayers!

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 28, 2016, at 11:38 PM, Rod Scofield <rod@bethetool.org> wrote:

Everything was going fine and then I got a phone call from an unknown number.  In fact, the number looked like it was coming from a foreign country.  

I'm not kidding.  I got a phone call this morning from a friend who is currently living in Africa.  He told me that he and his family are praying for us.  It is awe inspiring to know about people who are praying for this team and the homeowners we are serving.  This stuff is real.  The stories are real.  This friend living in Africa has been on a couple trips with us.  He knows the stories.  I love that he is part of our team.  

So there weren't very many pictures today because everyone was BUSY getting work done.  

Jon's team finished their house projects.  He was installing a shower and a vanity in a bathroom, painted some rooms, and installed some blinds.  DONE and DONE!

Leanne's team was working on installing drywall.  They have also taken on some window repair.  This job is ALMOST done.  They just have to put on one short little coat of mud and just a little bit of sanding.  Then they will clean up and bring the trailer over to Howard's site.  Almost DONE and DONE!

Howard's team accomplished a HUGE amount today.  The floor is almost completely replaced.  Howard worked on starting to frame up some walls in the house.  Dhoods worked with us today and he helped put the aluminum siding skirting back on, as well as helping replace the floor.  Because this team was in such a groove, they stayed an extra hour to get things done.  

Tomorrow is our last day at the job sites.  We only work a partial day.  Howard's team has a lot to try to get done still.  Just about everyone will be coming to this site.  We intend to get some electrical situations figured out, install two doors, finish laying down the floor, and do a lot of clean up.  Then we take our tools back to the Epworth project, have lunch and go see a few things in New Orleans, including the Lower 9th Ward and the levee.  

One of the cool things about doing these projects is meeting and interacting with the homeowners.  This year has been no different.  They all have stories and have been involved in some ways in helping work on their houses.  

Tomorrow is a long day and a late night.  I probably won't get a chance to write or post any more pictures until we get back.  

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  Prayers for us to get a miraculous amount of work done before we have to head back.  For safety.  For our own families who are taking care of business back home.  For the next teams that come, that they also experience the joy of serving in a way that only God can give.  

More forthcoming.  Including pictures-  

It's going to be a mad dash for the finish tomorrow.  Onward!

Rod

Oh-  here's the link to our FB page:  Click here for Facebook!

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

NOLA10 - Thursday work day

Everything was going fine and then I got a phone call from an unknown number.  In fact, the number looked like it was coming from a foreign country.  

I'm not kidding.  I got a phone call this morning from a friend who is currently living in Africa.  He told me that he and his family are praying for us.  It is awe inspiring to know about people who are praying for this team and the homeowners we are serving.  This stuff is real.  The stories are real.  This friend living in Africa has been on a couple trips with us.  He knows the stories.  I love that he is part of our team.  

So there weren't very many pictures today because everyone was BUSY getting work done.  

Jon's team finished their house projects.  He was installing a shower and a vanity in a bathroom, painted some rooms, and installed some blinds.  DONE and DONE!

Leanne's team was working on installing drywall.  They have also taken on some window repair.  This job is ALMOST done.  They just have to put on one short little coat of mud and just a little bit of sanding.  Then they will clean up and bring the trailer over to Howard's site.  Almost DONE and DONE!

Howard's team accomplished a HUGE amount today.  The floor is almost completely replaced.  Howard worked on starting to frame up some walls in the house.  Dhoods worked with us today and he helped put the aluminum siding skirting back on, as well as helping replace the floor.  Because this team was in such a groove, they stayed an extra hour to get things done.  

Tomorrow is our last day at the job sites.  We only work a partial day.  Howard's team has a lot to try to get done still.  Just about everyone will be coming to this site.  We intend to get some electrical situations figured out, install two doors, finish laying down the floor, and do a lot of clean up.  Then we take our tools back to the Epworth project, have lunch and go see a few things in New Orleans, including the Lower 9th Ward and the levee.  

One of the cool things about doing these projects is meeting and interacting with the homeowners.  This year has been no different.  They all have stories and have been involved in some ways in helping work on their houses.  

Tomorrow is a long day and a late night.  I probably won't get a chance to write or post any more pictures until we get back.  

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.  Prayers for us to get a miraculous amount of work done before we have to head back.  For safety.  For our own families who are taking care of business back home.  For the next teams that come, that they also experience the joy of serving in a way that only God can give.  

More forthcoming.  Including pictures-  

It's going to be a mad dash for the finish tomorrow.  Onward!

Rod

Oh-  here's the link to our FB page:  Click here for Facebook!

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

NOLA10- the 2nd and 3rd days

It was all going fine until Cindy called.  

Just kidding.  I started the other updates with a phone call, and thought it would be cool to start this one like that, too.  But really, everything has been going fairly smoothly the past couple days.  Mostly.  Cindy didn't really call.  I just thought it would be funny.  And now you just spent five seconds reading that and you'll never get that back.  Sorry.  

The highlights:  

Jon's site has finished the paint project.  After a day with some frustration, Jon recruited Bob to come give some expertise.  They think that with another day like today, they could possibly be done with our part of this project tomorrow (Thursday)  

Leanne's site-  This team says they are one of the most cohesive teams in the history of BTT.  They might be right.  They have accomplished a herculean amount of drywall mudding and taping and sanding.  They have also installed drywall in spaces that others before them left blank.  

Howard's site-  Tuesday went ok.  Wednesday went better.  Sometimes it takes a little adversity to get you moving.  Howard got some people to one job and others to work with him on something different.  This team is making a mobile home "structurally sound."  Replacing floor joists and the the floor and the perimeter and the outside wall supports.  It's a mobile home we are rehabbing.  This is the team that is not going to finish everything they were tasked with this week.  

On Tuesday night, a group of people went to the Cafe DuMond in the French Quarter.  It was a nice time to hang out, people watch, and drink coffee.  Oh, I guess some people had beignets, too.  

Then tonight, Deb F. and Jon took us out to DairyQueen after supper.  Fun.  

This team is cohesive.  Fun to be around.  Responsible and respectful.  They/we are certainly keeping service a priority.  Thank you for your prayers for us.  

Like us and follow us on Facebook, if you would like:  Click here for Facebook.  More of the pictures here have captions.  

You can see pictures from our traveling at our Picasa site:  Click here for pictures of NOLA10   I tried to put them in chronological order, but it is hard to do for some reason and this way, you can think of it like a puzzle.   AND- This is a Picasa site-  Google is phasing Picasa out-  Anybody have any great ideas where I should move our photos to?  Flickr is probably the next option?  Thoughts anyone?

Amazingly, we are in the homestretch.  Thursday is the last full work day.  Time to pull out all the stops for getting as much done as we can.  

God is doing good things on this team.  We are glad you are here for the ride.  

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

RE: NOLA10- the first work day

Hi all,  

I replied to your first e-mail but put it in a draft and couldn't find it again.  In short it was about being thankful for your safe travel and getting the whole team together.  

Next was a picture of Molly and I watching a Wild game.  She's a sweet, happy girl and makes,sure the squirrels and neighbor cats don't come too close to my patio door.  She barks at them and I tell her to get'm and what a good girl she is. 😄😇😊.  Blessings to all of you and your recipients.   Molly and Kathy

PS I think Molly is a bit lonesome for her family as she really likes to cuddle😍

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

-------- Original message --------

From: Rod Scofield <rod@bethetool.org>

Date: 4/25/16 11:48 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: Of Course it Quacks <rodscof.ofcourseitquacks@blogger.com>

Cc: Carl Belz <belz@frontiernet.net>, Carolyn 'The Colonel' Newton <celesalee@sbcglobal.net>, Christine Milam <christinem@nowmicro.com>, Cindy Belz <cindy@dmadentistry.com>, Cindy Madison <maddie1098@aol.com>, Corinne Dahl <kcdadahl@charter.net>, Corrine Mahoney <cmahoney@lifeworks.org>, Dale Kimball <Missionmonser58@gmail.com>, Debbie Fors <Deb4sgm@gmail.com>, Deborah Schneider <deb8schneider@gmail.com>, Dhoods Guiwan <dhoodsguiwan_09@yahoo.com>, Diane Drager <ddrager@tds.net>, Ginger Stemme <vstemme@usfamily.net>, Howard Newton <hbnewton@comcast.net>, Jon Fors <heloves2sail@yahoo.com>, Krissy Keckhafer <krissymariek@gmail.com>, Leanne Clouse <dlclouse5@msn.com>, Lewis and Theresa Whitehead <angeltheresa10@gmail.com>, Linda Brausen <lindabrausen@ymail.com>, Milton Lizana <patriot1970@yahoo.com>, Rob Warmboe <rwarmboe@gmail.com>, Robert Newton <rgbobnewton@yahoo.com>, Rod Scofield <rodscofield@gmail.com>, Rod Stemme <stemme@usfamily.net>, Ron Clayton <ronclayton1@gmail.com>, Tim Clouse <clouse9900@gmail.com>

Subject: NOLA10- the first work day

So everything was going fine.  And then Bob called.  It was around midnight:30 and he was down the road, but couldn't find us.  He was about a mile away.  5 minutes later he was unpacking his trunk and getting ready for bed.  Our team is complete.  

The start of the work day:

We have three teams working.  

Jon's team-  Working on a trailer house.  Replacing bathroom fixtures and painting.  There are issues and drama putting in a new shower.  The one provided didn't fit (too big).  The one they brought to replace it would fit in the spot, but it's 36" by 48" and the doorway is 28"  We talked about it as a team and after our team meeting, some people started taking up a collection to buy the right size.  So far, without making a group announcement, we have raised $180 out of about $425.  

Howard's team-  Also working on a mobile home.  Tearing up flooring, replacing joists and subfloor.  And studs.  They have asked Bob to draw out a cabinet layout that would be good in this house.  

Leanne's team-  Doing a LOT of drywall and drywall mudding/taping/sanding.  Did I mention the drywall?  

We had a really good team meeting after dinner.  Awesome prayer time.  Just a good day.  

Thank you to everyone who has emailed, texted or Facebook messaged us support and encouragement.  It is awesome having you as part of our team.  You are integral.  You play a role meant just for you.  Thank you!

You can see pictures from our traveling at our Picasa site:  Click here for pictures of NOLA10  (I changed the album from private to public)-  AND- This is a Picasa site-  Google is phasing Picasa out-  Anybody have any great ideas where I should move our photos to?  Flickr is probably the next option?  Thoughts anyone?

Like us and follow us on Facebook, if you would like:  Click here for Facebook

More tomorrow!

R

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

Re: NOLA10- the first work day

Continued prayers! Keep up the great work.

In Christ,

Pastor Paul Marzahn

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 25, 2016, at 11:48 PM, Rod Scofield <rod@bethetool.org> wrote:

So everything was going fine.  And then Bob called.  It was around midnight:30 and he was down the road, but couldn't find us.  He was about a mile away.  5 minutes later he was unpacking his trunk and getting ready for bed.  Our team is complete.  

The start of the work day:

We have three teams working.  

Jon's team-  Working on a trailer house.  Replacing bathroom fixtures and painting.  There are issues and drama putting in a new shower.  The one provided didn't fit (too big).  The one they brought to replace it would fit in the spot, but it's 36" by 48" and the doorway is 28"  We talked about it as a team and after our team meeting, some people started taking up a collection to buy the right size.  So far, without making a group announcement, we have raised $180 out of about $425.  

Howard's team-  Also working on a mobile home.  Tearing up flooring, replacing joists and subfloor.  And studs.  They have asked Bob to draw out a cabinet layout that would be good in this house.  

Leanne's team-  Doing a LOT of drywall and drywall mudding/taping/sanding.  Did I mention the drywall?  

We had a really good team meeting after dinner.  Awesome prayer time.  Just a good day.  

Thank you to everyone who has emailed, texted or Facebook messaged us support and encouragement.  It is awesome having you as part of our team.  You are integral.  You play a role meant just for you.  Thank you!

You can see pictures from our traveling at our Picasa site:  Click here for pictures of NOLA10  (I changed the album from private to public)-  AND- This is a Picasa site-  Google is phasing Picasa out-  Anybody have any great ideas where I should move our photos to?  Flickr is probably the next option?  Thoughts anyone?

Like us and follow us on Facebook, if you would like:  Click here for Facebook

More tomorrow!

R

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

NOLA10- the first work day

So everything was going fine.  And then Bob called.  It was around midnight:30 and he was down the road, but couldn't find us.  He was about a mile away.  5 minutes later he was unpacking his trunk and getting ready for bed.  Our team is complete.  

The start of the work day:

We have three teams working.  

Jon's team-  Working on a trailer house.  Replacing bathroom fixtures and painting.  There are issues and drama putting in a new shower.  The one provided didn't fit (too big).  The one they brought to replace it would fit in the spot, but it's 36" by 48" and the doorway is 28"  We talked about it as a team and after our team meeting, some people started taking up a collection to buy the right size.  So far, without making a group announcement, we have raised $180 out of about $425.  

Howard's team-  Also working on a mobile home.  Tearing up flooring, replacing joists and subfloor.  And studs.  They have asked Bob to draw out a cabinet layout that would be good in this house.  

Leanne's team-  Doing a LOT of drywall and drywall mudding/taping/sanding.  Did I mention the drywall?  

We had a really good team meeting after dinner.  Awesome prayer time.  Just a good day.  

Thank you to everyone who has emailed, texted or Facebook messaged us support and encouragement.  It is awesome having you as part of our team.  You are integral.  You play a role meant just for you.  Thank you!

You can see pictures from our traveling at our Picasa site:  Click here for pictures of NOLA10  (I changed the album from private to public)-  AND- This is a Picasa site-  Google is phasing Picasa out-  Anybody have any great ideas where I should move our photos to?  Flickr is probably the next option?  Thoughts anyone?

Like us and follow us on Facebook, if you would like:  Click here for Facebook

More tomorrow!

R

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

NOLA10- traveling to New Orleans

Everything was going smoothly until I got a call from Howard.  

Let me back up.  

And I'll start by saying that there was no emergency- no accidents, no big drama.  Don't worry, but keep reading.  :-)

We got out of town on time.  Drove through Minnesota and Iowa and into Missouri.  No problems.  Nice and smooth.  

However, we were supposed to pick up Howard N. and Carolyn "The Colonel" at the airport in St. Louis as they were attending a wedding in NYC earlier that day.  Bob was supposed to pick up Howard and The Colonel at the airport and then meet with one of our trucks in Kirkwood, MO.   

I should probably introduce Bob, Howard, and The Colonel.  They are all brothers and sister.  Bob lives in Indianapolis and usually meets us in St. Louis, parks his car and continues south with us.  The Colonel (Carolyn) lives in Dayton and usually flies to Minneapolis and rides down with us.  Howard lives in St. Paul and usually drives his truck in the caravan.  -  Ok-  got the players?  

And then Howard called.  Apparently, Bob was not in St. Louis yet.  Bob hadn't even left Indianapolis.  He thought we were leaving the next weekend.  Not the complete end of the world, we would just have our truck swing into the airport and pick up Howard and The Colonel, then continue down to Cape Girardeau to meet up with the rest of the team.  But Bob is one of the construction leaders and his not being there is going to cause some issues in the projects.  

The team continued on, spent the night at an awesomely hospitable church in Cape Girardeau, MO.  The church is La Croix church.  It's pretty huge.  And they are very kind to us.  

This morning, we got up, headed out, drove through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and got to Slidell, LA around 6:00pm.  

The travel was almost seamless.  Easy roads.  Easy traffic.  Easy weather.  Easy people.  Easy.  

We have different people do devotions with our team - once in the morning and once at night.  So far, we've heard from Krissy (who isn't with us, but came to see us off), Debbie F., Lewis, and Rob.  They have all tied together really well.  And we don't necessarily plan that.  Seems to happen all the time.  

Big long team meeting-  introductions and all, procedures, etc.  

And Bob pulled in about midnight.  All is well.  

You can see pictures from our traveling at our Picasa site:  Click here for pictures of NOLA10

Like us and follow us on Facebook, if you would like:  Click here for Facebook

Prayer requests: 

Safe worksites.

Thanksgiving for safe travel and Bob's arrival.  

That we can Do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.  

Thank you for following along!  I might try to send this via MailChimp sometime this week. if you stop getting this part way through the week, check your junk mail folders or your "promotions" tab if you use Gmail.  (With Mailchimp, I can put pictures right in the email-  )  

Ok-  Peace and Joy and thanks for being a part of our team!

Rod

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)

Re: Getting ready to leave for New Orleans- NOLA10!

Prayers for the team. May God bless you and watch over you.

In Christ,

Pastor Paul

Sent from my iPhone

Getting ready to leave for New Orleans- NOLA10!

Hi all! 

We are getting ready to motor on back down to New Orleans for another week of rebuilding and sharing community and hearing stories and serving.  

This is our 10th team to New Orleans.  And it was 10 years ago the (almost to the DAY!) that we first went to the Gulf after Katrina.  

The team is 22 strong.  People from Minnesota, Ohio, and  Indiana.  Our buddy Milt from Louisiana said he wants to help us out this week, too.  We are excited to see him again.  

Pray for us for safe travel and good community.  Pray for our home owners.  We have gotten our work assignments and they look challenging and rewarding.  

As always-  if you want off this mailing list, please let me know.  (If you are one of the four people I added without asking today, - there are no hard feelings if you would rather not get these daily emails from this team- just let me know and I'll take you back off.)  

Thank you for going on this trip with us!  You are an integral part of our team and we are honored to have you.  

Rod (and team)

--

Are you a tool?

Christ has no body on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out;

yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;

and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.  

(St. Teresa of Avila)