July 9, 2016

Hello!
This is the serve team, just wanted to let you know that after a 12 hour ride we made it to Highland Christian Reformed Church in New Jersey! Everyone has been so welcoming. We will learn about our jobs soon. Pictures will be coming soon, for now, good night!

July, 11 2016

Hi all, this is Dennisse and Kristin with our first report in.
We worked at the same site today, and we thought it would be nice share together. We were lucky to work at Charlie's house. Charlie and his family were displaced in October of 2012. Charlie was forced to raise his home 12 feet off of the ground, as a result of Hurricane Sandy. A couple of things we learned about flooding: 1) EVERYTHING FLOATS, including the washer and dryer!!! 2) It's easier to change the pool into a salt water pool if your home ever floods from the ocean. 3) Fish can survive in chlorinated pools!! (WHAT?!?!)

What did we do today you ask? Let us tell you.

Kristin - Our crew worked on staining Charlie's 84ft X 8ft deck! Everyone pitched in and we were able to nearly finish up by the end of the day. The weather was beautiful! We were able to enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful breeze.

Dennisse - My team worked on dry wall. Let me tell you, when you are trying to put dry wall on the ceiling and you are 5ft 2in...it's not easy! We were all eager to help, and learned some cool skills. It was a great, productive day!

Sorry it took so long to post, the internet isn't the greatest, and we have been running around. Tomorrow night, we hope to post more.

GOOD NIGHT!!!

July 12, 2016

Hey y'all, Robyn and Lauren here, chiming in with student input on the first two days of our New Jersey serve trip.

Pulling up to the houses we are serving at, we questioned whether we were in the right place. It did not seem like the neighborhood we were in was full of people who are in need of aid. However, as we have started working and getting to know the homeowners, it has really hit us that the need goes deeper than the first impression. All of the work sites are in similar areas and similar conditions.

Four years ago all three of these houses were completely flooded and ruined beyond repair. After the storm all of the affected houses either needed to be put up on stilts or completely rebuilt. From the inside, these houses look more like construction sites than homes.
Just this week, two of the three crews have just started putting up drywall, and the other is starting to prime a cinder block garage.

The families that once lived in two of these houses have been living in trailers for four years while they wait for their houses to be livable again. The other family has been trying to make do living in the construction zone that is their house. That same family put off the rebuilding of their own house while they helped with his mother's.
We have really seen God so far this week. He has taught us that what we see is not always how it seems. Even in the least obvious places, there is need, and He is teaching us to humble ourselves and always be ready to show compassion to anyone we meet, whether it seems they need it or not.

July 13, 2016

This is Alexa and Ellie with a few thoughts on day three! Whether we were dry walling, painting, or building decks today, each group continued to grow in relationships with one another and make an impact on the shores of New Jersey.

Where Alexa's group worked, the living conditions are still tight after the hurricane four years ago. As of now, seven extended family members and several pets are cramped into one house's tiny quarters while three houses are undergoing rehab. The family has been incredibly thankful and hospitable, generously giving of their limited resources.

Ellie's work group experienced a similar grateful response from the homeowner today. After finishing their dry wall project, Charlie (the homeowner) thanked the work group for finishing in three days what would have cost him months of time. Tomorrow he is hosting the entire serve team for a barbecue and a swim in his pool.

Tonight we surprised Howard with a birthday celebration for his 65 years of life...and Chris for his 50 (on Monday). The little party included balloons, ice cream cake, cards, and most importantly: party hats!!! We're so thankful for the patient leadership of these men of God.

Overall, it has been a productive and pleasant three days! We can't wait for what God still has in store! Blessings on everyone at home!

July 15, 2016

Hello from the serve team!
I know we missed a day to update. Yesterday was a very busy day, as it was our last work day.
It has been an amazing week serving the Lord and seeing Him through all aspects.
Yesterday, one group was able to go to the food pantry and help sort food and care packages for families that needed them.
Another group finished dry walling a house and was able to begin the demolition of another house!
One group was able to finish dry wall and advance in mudding the walls, while another was able to work on building a deck.
We have been blessed by the growth of these groups.
Everyone was able to work well together. If a team finished a job early, they were more than happy to drive to another site and help another team.
The homeowners were all so grateful for the help.
One home owner, Charlie, was so grateful, he hosted the entire group for a barbecue and swim party lunch.

We have seen God work in many ways in New Jersey, and we can't wait to tell you about these stories in person.
Thank you for all of your prayers.
We will see you tomorrow!

July 16, 2016

After a strenuous week, we capped off our trip with a day in New York City! We took the Staten Island Ferry into the city and visited the 9/11 memorial before taking the subway to Central Park. We felt like real tourists when we realized we had originally gotten on the wrong subway! Eventually we got on track, and spent the afternoon exploring the park, eating lunch and participating in many of the activities it had to offer.

After a quick Starbucks run, most of the group headed off to do some shopping and sightseeing in the famed Times Square. A smaller part of the group made a trip to Carlo's Bakery (from the show Cake Boss).

We all met up again for dinner and a show at Ellen's Stardust Diner. Delicious food combined with waiters and waitresses singing a combination of classic and pop songs and Broadway hits.

We spent the rest of the night doing more shopping and viewing of the lights in Times Square before hopping on the subway back to the ferry and enjoying the gorgeous views of the skyline at night. City That Never Sleeps indeed!