Monday, February 27, 2006

Girl Power at Work in the Bunkhouse!

Working at the camp... Students from Furman University, Davidson College and Southern Mississippi descended on the Bay-Waveland area today to help with the relief efforts.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Jocie Slepyan moves into the trailer park!

Jocie Slepyan moving in to help coordinate teams. YES that is her trailer. Jocie works with MNA and schedules short-term mission trips. She will be doing the team coordination and assignments for the groups headed to the Bay-Waveland area. She can be contacted by e-mail: jslepyan@pcanet.org

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Tunica men on the final day!

The group FINISHED! Our group from Tunica finished the bunkhouse/house to a totally 'dried-in' stage this afternoon. We're planning a celebratory dinner at Benigno's restuarant tonight!

Finishing the ridge cap on the roof

Last bit of the roof going up, just waiting on the ridge cap.

OSHA? No suh!

Safety First? Let's just say this- don't try this at home-

Roofing the bunhouse/house

View of the roofing work crew...

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

It's really coming together...

Wednesday at 2 in the afternoon AMAZING

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Looks like a house!

L

End of the day Tuesday WONDERFUL PROGRESS! If you notice that this looks like 1/2 of a house you are right. Conrad has designed the structure to be in 2 12x40 sections which are bolted together so that when we are done with these as 'bunhouses' they can be separated and taken to homesites and given to families as permanant homes. Very exciting. Tomorrow should see great progress as well.

Bunkhouse coming together!

Bunkhouse progress... the wall is up!

Monday, February 20, 2006

If you do nothing else...

on the web today check out this link: http://risingfromruin.msnbc.com/2006/01/beacon_of_hope_.html?bAuto=true I see these guys every day. Wow. Isn't is wonderful what God's people are doing!
this is an audio post - click to play

Bill Jones building roof trusses

A friend from Deleware is on the coast building bunkhouse roofing trusses- thanks Bill!

An answered prayer...

Some of you will remember praying for the sister of a friend of mine- Leonard Kergosin. His sister was due to have a C-section the morning Katrina hit. She did not evacuate before the storm, but was able to get out of the bay the next day, get to Texas and today I met her husband who ran to his truck to show me their little girl. Amazing. This photo is of the photo in his office. What a blessing! Her grandfather was in the room and quickly told me that her name was NOT Katrina or Katie.

Bunkhouse construction underway!

Bunkhouse construction started today- very exciting- progress updates to follow! The First Presbyterian church of Tunica, MS (EPC friends) is down doing the construction!)

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Skid steer at the worksite....

Another day at the office...We have the opportunity to purchase a 'skid-steer' for use in removing debris and materials from destroyed homes- the heavy equipment company that was working with us is offering the purchase of a skid steer to us with a grapple bucket (above), forks and a regular bucket with a tandem axle trailer for $20K- unreal. So, were looking for a benefactor- the skid steer can be yours when this is all said and done- we just need it until the coast is cleaned up...

Tuesday Prayer update

Several prayer items- 1.) Thanksgiving- we have been given permission to use 6 acres of land to create a staging/storage area for all the work in the Bay-Waveland area- UN-Believable! 2.) We need a mobile home office builing for administrative work 3.) A single-wide trailer for Bob and Mary Lee Bolitho to live in 4.) $25,000 to contruct a metal building to store all of the rebuilding materials (we have a manufacturer and builder willing to sell it at cost- this is a huge need) 5.) A truck and two trailers to deliver sheds 6.) Protection from a party spirit and division among all those working on this project- things are good and we need them to keep on that course. I've got a busy day scheduled- meeting with Arklie Hooten and Curt Moore about the project and also about the specific needs of individual families that we might help.

Monday, February 13, 2006

U.S. Representative Gene Taylor Town Hall meeting in the bay

US Congressman Gene Taylor answering questions in Bay St. Louis at a town hall meeting tonight! See more at http://www.house.gov/genetaylor/

Short & Sweet post...

Big day...Nat Belz from By Faith magazine is here...meeting with Bill Jones from Philadelphia who is helping to prepare for spring break teams...Conrad is trying to get a 6 acre tract of land cleared that we have been GIVEN permission to use...we'll put storage...office space...and mobile home space for Bob & Mary Lee Bolitho...Have to meet with a bank...and somewhere in there I'm trying to get some seafood for Nat! What a day! P.S. This coming weekend we have our local Mardi Gras parade- why not come to the Bay for Mardi Gras? Lassiez Les Bon Temps Roullier!

Sunday, February 12, 2006

this is an audio post - click to play

Friday, February 10, 2006

Crayfish @ Benigno's

Katie Pennock and Jocie Slepyan joined me at Benigno's Resturaunt following a LONG day of meeting with folks and planning for the mission teams in March. The day was a great success- we were given permission to clear about 5 acres of land in the Lakeshore area that we could build a storage facility for sheetrock, shingles and supplies. We will also be able to put the travel trailers/mobile homes of the workers helping with the relief effort on the same property. It is our hope to use one of the trailers as an office building for the relief work. It has truly been a day of answered prayer followed by crayfish, shrimp, oysters and some Abita amber for the preacher.

Friday in the Bay...

Katie Pennock arrived last night in Gulfport and we made our way toward Bay St. Louis late into the evening. We stopped at Camp Hope in Long Beach and met with Bill Jones who is from the Philadelphia area. Bill is coming to Bay-Waveland next week to help make preparations for the mission teams coming in the month of March and following. In two weeks First Presbyterian Church of Tunica, MS is coming down to construct bunkhouses which will be used to house volunteers. Bill will be working with Conrad to get the bunkhouses ready for construction and acquire the needed materials. Today Katie and I are scheduled to meet with Jocie Slepyan from MNA to work through the details of the teams with Conrad. We'll be meeting under the 'big tent' at the Morrell foundation at 10 a.m.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

View from the trailer...

Kevin Teasley, RUF campus minister at Wake Forrest spent the night in the Larroux Chateau last night. Kevin is bringing a group of 49 students to the Bay for Spring break and is in town doing some preliminary work to get oriented to the ministry and the coast. Funny story: As Kevin looked out the trailer window this morning we both saw that the neighbor's home had a 'For Sale' sign in the yard- to which I commented, "I wonder why they are selling?" Kevin didn't miss a beat as he looked out at trees, blue tarps, debris etc. (all of which I have grown accustomed to) and said, "I could tell you." We had a good laugh. It should be a great mission experience for the Wake group in March. Today Kevin flys back to North Carolina and Katie Pennock comes in to see the coast for the first time. We are scheduled to meet with the leadership from Morrell to finish details of long-term shed building and trailer placement at their property.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Home selling & tooth fixin'

This week I'll be in Memphis til' Tuesday afternoonish. We are painting our home in Memphis to sell it and trying to take care of details accompanying that. I also had a tooth crack in half last week while at the conference et al. It seemed hardly worth mentioning while dad was having his heart trouble, but today I'm scheduled to have something done to it- I hate dental work! Blessings to all- Crazy schedule for the end of the week- Here's how you can be praying: 1.) Kevin Teasley is flying in this week to make plans for the Wake Forest RUF trip in March. 2.) Pray for Bob & Mary Lee Bolitho who will be joining the work in April- life details of moving to the Coast for 2 Years! 3.) Pray for Katie Pennock who is travelling to Bay St. Louis on Thursday to consider working with us at LPC 4.) Pray for MNA and their work on the Coast and it's integration with LPC- they are vital to the relief efforts and a great encouragement to this ministry 5.) Support raising 6.) Larroux home selling- this is a HUGE need!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Good Sunday morning!

this is an audio post - click to play

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Ann & Hannah playing B-Ball for IPC!

Home just in time for girls basketball

Friday, February 03, 2006

Jean Jr. Recovering well

The single by-pass surgery was a success!

Band Aid: "Cut on Dotted Line"

Dad made this Band-Aid and put it on his chest for the doctors. The attending nurse made him remove it prior to surgery.

Jean F. Larroux, Jr. emergency open heart surgery!

I'm in Clearwater Beach Florida with my dad who is having emergency open heart surgery. He was having severe chest pains and was admitted to Morton Plant Hospital for a single by-pass on Friday afternoon. You'll notice the band-aid he put on his chest in the post above. Sense of humor is OK.