Thursday, April 30, 2009

What's Happening Today

I've finished the Devo's for the trip. Last year I decided not to do that since I didn't figure anyone really took the time to read them and because we have team Devos twice a day anyway ... but I heard that people do actually read them. So, we have a brand new set of 'em. I'll give ya a hint - they are each based on a Lakota value and incorporate the story of Nehemiah. Might be cool to read that book before we go.

I'm getting ready for the meeting on Sunday. Crew - better be there. We're making assignments and giving them out at this meeting. In addition to that the crew Devo schedule will be given out. And I hope to offer everyone some encouragement. Should be a good meeting.

I'm also making up the chore schedule. I hate doing that. It's waayyyy harder than I ever imagined it would be. And of course this includes the infamous "bathroom duty" schedule - so if you're on the crew you might want to pray I overlook you for that one. :)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Updated List of Materials Needed for Melda's Kitchen

Here is an updated list. We may add to it as we think of things we've overlooked.

UPDATED: May 21, 2009

Lumber:
2) 2” by 12” x 12’ treated boards for decking beam
Misc treated wood for stairs
1. 1 - 2” by 12” x 12’ for stringers
2. 2 – 2” by 6” x 10’
12) 4’by 8’ T11 siding boards – Vinyl Siding Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
14) 4’ by 8’ Light color Paneling (interior walls)
52 ft of fascia board

Overhang Soffit:
70’ of vinyl soffit – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
70‘of F channel - (we may have this too - I'm not sure what all of the stuff in my garage is for)

Roofing:
4) Square equivalent of metal roofing or 4) Square of shingles (12 Bundles) – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
320 sq/ft of tar paper for roofing – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
20’ roof flashing – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.

Dry wall:
6) 4’ by 8’ drywall boards or 4) 4’ by 12’ boards - purchased May 9, 2009
1) 5 gal. buckets drywall compound – Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services Inc.
1) 5 gal. bucket drywall topping- Donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.
Roll of dry wall tape

Hardware:
Nails (framing, finish, paneling) - Have a 5 gallon bucket of roofing nails donated by Charles Fraizer & a 1 gallon can of framing nails donated by Ameridian Speciality Services

5 lb drywall screws
10) 3\8” x 7” carriage bolts w/ washers and nut - (we may have this too from Ameridian - I'm not sure what the big bolts they gave us are)

Insulation:
350 sq/ft of insulation for walls (16” width between studs)
200 sq/ft of insulation for ceiling (24” width between rafters)

Paint:
3 gal. for interior walls and ceiling – 5 Gallon donated by Ameridian Specialty Services, Inc.

Doors:
Pre-hung Steel Exterior door - donated by Bob & Pat King
Storm door - donated by Bob & Pat King


Windows:
Any size, pre-hung Window - two windows donated by Bill & Dixie Phelps

Flooring:
250 Self-sticking vinyl tile - donated by Cliff & Judy Dyson
Woodwork or vinyl stripping for base of wall

Electric:
Electrical wiring – Donated by Hauser Heating and Air
Electrical boxes – Donated by Hauser Heating and Air


Misc.
Kitchen ceiling light – Donated by Hauser Heating and Air

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Got a Building Project?

Lots happening ... I'm so busy I don't know if I'm coming or going but I do know things are crazy good about now.

See this post at the Backpacks blog ...

Tomorrow me and Brody (thank you Brody for your help and use of your truck) will be picking up a load of materials for Melda's kitchen. Now, here's the part that's really cool ... Ameridian Speciality Services, Inc. has donated a LOT of the materials! Just a few of the things they are giving us are:

Siding
Shingles
Roof flashing
Vinyl soffit
5 gal. bucket of drywall compound
nails
Drywall screws

SO ... if you need any building done please give these good folks a call. Not only have they donated these materials but they have been a title (big) sponsor of REZonate Music Fest for two years!

Policy About Fireworks

Every so often the issue of fire comes us. The first year we went to the Rez it was the 4th of July and several of our crew wanted to take fireworks. Since then several people have suggested that we have a bonfire or campfire in the evenings while on the trip. I admit, that I would really love to have both fireworks and a bonfire BUT, its not a good idea. The weather is very hot and dry and the Reservation is made up of a lot of prairie (dry grass). You get the idea - fires can be a real problem. See this video for a view of a fire in 2007 that shut down Hwy 18 and burned over 36 square miles of the Reservation. The fire was from the careless use of fireworks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs9kSRiMles So if you were wondering ........ that is why we don't allow fire of any kind.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Packing and Party Stuff

Today I've started packing toilet paper and paper towel (yes a few of the crew has that in already!).

I'm also getting stuff together for the games for the big end-of-the-week party the last day we're there. I've bought prizes a prize for each of the teams for the Watermelon Eating Contest and will be packing game stuff up as I get more of it together.

So far, I'm thinking we'll do:

  • Potato Sack Races (we already have the potato sacks from previous years)
  • Penny Pitching (with lots of little prizes for every winner)
  • Tug-of-War
  • A suitcase relay (two teams, one person takes a suitcase packed with lots of odds and ends of clothing, runs to a finish line, unpacks the suitcase and puts everything on, then runs the empty suitcase back to the start, takes all the stuff off and puts it back in the suitcase so the next team member can do the same. First team to finish, wins)
  • Bean Bag toss (or corn hole)
  • Water Balloon Toss
  • Slip-n-Slide
  • Watermelon Eating Contest
  • and of course The EXTREME Water Gun Fight

The water guns are supposed to be delivered today!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Part of the Way There

Dennis, me and my dad picked up a load of lumber this evening. My mom found a deal on Craig's List. This will be Melda's kitchen. We still need quite a bit of other stuff. Will update the list soon.


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Work Project: Melda's

Do you happen to have any of this stuff?

If so, we need it. :)

We have a huge work project planned for this trip - bigger than usual. And we have a smaller crew and less money. Not a problem ... God is able to do more with less. But, if you happen to have any of the following materials sitting around your garage looking for a home ... we could really use them to build a kitchen for Melda. (See details here) If you don't have them but know where we can get a really, really good deal on them, let Amber know that too. Oh, and we'll still take cash too. :)


Lumber:
22) 4’ by 8’ sheets of plywood or OSB, 7/16” or1/2” thick for the sides and roof sheeting
6) 4’ by 8’ sheets of plywood or OSB, 5/8” or 3/4" thick for floor sheeting

68) 8’x 2” by 4” studs, half can be 92.5” long framing studs
10)16’ x 2” by 4” studs for truss beam
10)16’ x 2” by 8” boards for floor joist
4) 8’ x 4” x 4” treated posts
Misc treated wood for stairs

Siding:
4 Square of vinyl siding
44’ of starter strip
2 outside corner strips(10 footers)
60‘of J channel
64‘of F channel
40‘under sill edge molding
40’ fascia cover

Roofing:
4) Square of shingles (12 Bundles)
320 sq/ft of tar paper for roofing

Dry wall:
11) 4’ by 8’ drywall boards or 7) 4’ by 12’ boards
2) 5 gal. buckets drywall compound


Hardware:
Nails (framing, roofing, finish)
Floor Joist Hangers for 2 by 8 boards
10 lb drywall screws

Let's throw some
Insulation
Paint
Tile for a floor
and an Exterior Door and a Screen Door in there too. We want to leave her with something fantastic that will last a long time.

Lots Happening

Orders are being placed and arriving! Things are starting to come together. Stay tuned here for updates.

The t-shirts arrived early - like today!

I still have to sort and bag them according to the orders but I hope to have them at church tonight.

I plan to do some shopping for VBS tomorrow ... check back to see what I get.

And I'm writing the devos for the crew book this week (hopefully I'll finish this week) and then will begin making chore assignments. Yea! Bathroom duty!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

A Tip for the Crew

I've been on a few mission trips and have discovered two things that I think are FANTASTIC for anyone going on a trip that involves the rugged outdoors.


Crocs

I could seriously do a commercial for these shoes. It took me a long time to get on board with them. I thought they were ugly. And I thought they were a fad and since I'm not too into fads I was reluctant to try them. But I eventually did try a pair and now I don't want to wear anything else. They are amazing! The past two years at Pine Ridge I've had some trouble with my feet and legs swelling at the end of the week. Its the only time I've ever had any trouble like that but it's annoying when I need to be on my feet and on top of things. Since working in retail and being on my feet all day, I often feel pain in my feet - as if the bones are about to come through the bottom of my feet, but they only swell when I'm on the Rez and then only at the end of the week. Did I mention how annoying that is??
Last year I wore my Crocs while on the Rez and it seemed to help - a lot. This year I've discovered that Crocs makes a shoe specifically for people like me. In fact, they make 2 medical shoes - one for diabetics who have problems with sensitivity and circulation and one called "Relief" that provide an ultra soft sole for a cushioning effect for plantar pain, heel pain, and metatarsalgia. I've just ordered a pair and hope to get even more relief this year. You can get them online at crocs.com
Columbia Sportswear Shirts
I can't say enough good things about these shirts. I've worn them to Haiti and had them washed by Haitian women in the river and beaten on rocks and they came back looking brand new. They are lightweight - much lighter than a cotton t-shirt, so they are cool and comfortable in HOT weather. They also dry really quickly when they get wet. And they provide UV protection! They can be pricey but they are worth it. I've had some of these shirts for 7 years now. They've been everywhere from Haiti to the Rez to working on the farm at Eagle's Nest to Hurricane Katrina relief trips, to just plain everyday wear and they still look like they did the day I bought them. Well OK, one of them does look like it's been on the Rez - one of the teen girls gave me a hug with paint all over her hands last year. I now have a permanent "hug" on my shirt which I wear with pride. These can be found at Bass Pro shops and at Dicks Sporting Goods.
No, you don't have to have them. You'll live without them. But I figure when faced with a rough week, I'll take all the comfort I can get and these two items have been wonderful to have on mission trips.

Friday, April 10, 2009

The Hotels

The hotels are booked! We're traveling on the cheap.

This will be our hotel in Sioux City on the way out.

The Super 8!

and on the way home it's the Ramada in Des Moine


Not A Sight We Want To See


Remember to bring
4 rolls of toilet paper
and
4 rolls of paper towel
to Amber by June.
150 kids + 13 crew members + the missionaries can go through a lot of TP in a week.
We don't want to burden the missionaries with that expense - so we take our own.
Feel free to bring extra if you're one of those people who need a bit more. :)
*And for anyone wondering ... no, I did NOT say to toilet paper my Jeep
I said to put the toilet paper in my Jeep

Are You Ready for Some EXTREEME Water FUN?


July will be here before we know it!

Time to start getting stuff together!

The request for a food donation is in....

And the waterguns have been bought!

I think Fred and Judy's class (4/5 year olds) are donating money for the watermelon's for the watermelon eating contest!


The t-shirts have been ordered ....

Hopefully they will be in before Sunday, April 26 ... that is when I will do a short presentation about our work project at Melda's to our congregation ... it would be great if we had our t's so everyone could see who was going this year.

This is what the t's will look like this year.


a close-up of the design



Saturday, April 04, 2009

A Record Has Been Set

Click here to see how it went at the Backpack Packing Party and see some pics of who was there!